Royalties for using Dolbyand DTS ?!?!

[AndreMetello]

Hi

this is probably a newbie question, but I´d like to now if we would have to pay any kind of royalties to Dolby to use 5.1 sound on a movie DVD ... I was wondering about it , because dolby charges short filmmakers for putting dolby sound on short films on 35mm....



thank you,
andre metello

[Thorn]

I think the only cost is for the encoding software (at least for home use), but if you're going into mass production they may have different rules. The encoding software would most likely tell you the license rules. I'd think that once you own the software to encode, you own the right to distribute the output.

Then again, you'd think you own your cds and DVDs once you buy them and could do whatever you wanted with them.

[AndreMetello]

thanks!

Do you know also if we can have a single DVD with both sound systems, and they be played automatically according to the DVD player used [or is it only a very complicated software that could make this ?]

[Thorn]

I think you can set default audio selection on some players, but it may not always work. I've never tried, so maybe someone else here knows more.

BTW, what two audio systems are you talking about? Dolby 5.1 and... dolby surround? DTS? PCM audio? DVD players might automatically select the audio based on what it is capable of reading, but DTS would probably be the one that most people wouldn't have, and I don't see any reason to use it unless you're a high budget movie house.

[AndreMetello]

I meant DTS.. but obviously it was just a "wondering" question, since I am not a big budget movie house And nobody has dts players I think..

Actually even doubly is out-a-reach for most consumers in my country, few have true home theaters capable of actually reproducing the 5.1 channels accurately. So, its kind of having a dolby version and a standard stereo version anyway...

thanks for the reply...

andre