Datasat RS20i Processor

Datasat is effectively DTS they took over 3 years ago, same place same people just a change of name. DTS the name is just a licence for products like THX now so all the big moves like Batman will say Datasat sound on the bottom not DTS. The codecs inside the RS20i are called DTS HD MA and Dolby True HD but they pay to use the brand names ( easy money just sit back and rake it in )
 
saguk1234 said:
Is Datasat a UK company?

Yes a guy called Phil Emmel purchased DTS the movie making side 3 years ago . DTS effectively is now just a badge I do believe . It's the same staff at Datasat they have been there for 15 years or more back from the birth of DTS and the same guys working on the new 3D sound formats. Datasat is based in USA and UK but UK owned.
 
Guys, since this is pretty important please let me clarify...

Around 4 years ago DTS split into two divisions, one focussed only on commercial cinema, the other on licensing, codec development etc. The cinema division was purchased a short time later by DataSat which is wholly owned by Phil Emmel as already noted by Andy. After a short time, DTS Cinema was rebranded as DataSat Digital Entertainment. It is is this name and branding that you will now find on movie posters and film credits.

As part of this there were around 100 engineers that remain with DataSat working on development of the XX20 platform products including the RS20i. Production will shortly move to the UK and unless you bag one of the 10 units that remain in stock, all UK supplied products will have been made right here including the machined front plates.

It should also go without saying that DTS remain a powerful force in entertainment but with the great relationship they have with DataSat and the flexibility of the platform, you can expect the RS20i will always be amongst the first to support the latest developments.
 
I hope DataSat make a low end affordable home cinema amplifier for people like me.
I would like to see a quality amplifier in the same fashion as a Oppo Bluray player.

Or maybe even a DataSat processor which can plug into people's existing amplifiers via 7.1ch input.

I see DataSat as a company which I could invest in but not with the high-end hardware.

Riz :)
 
Guys, since this is pretty important please let me clarify...

Around 4 years ago DTS split into two divisions, one focussed only on commercial cinema, the other on licensing, codec development etc. The cinema division was purchased a short time later by DataSat which is wholly owned by Phil Emmel as already noted by Andy. After a short time, DTS Cinema was rebranded as DataSat Digital Entertainment. It is is this name and branding that you will now find on movie posters and film credits.

As part of this there were around 100 engineers that remain with DataSat working on development of the XX20 platform products including the RS20i. Production will shortly move to the UK and unless you bag one of the 10 units that remain in stock, all UK supplied products will have been made right here including the machined front plates.

It should also go without saying that DTS remain a powerful force in entertainment but with the great relationship they have with DataSat and the flexibility of the platform, you can expect the RS20i will always be amongst the first to support the latest developments.

Thanks, Neil, for that concise description. Just to fully make the point, the sound format for DVD and Blu Ray is still known as DTS; that suite of technologies belongs to our former colleagues at DTS, Inc. The sound format for 35mm film formerly known as DTS Digital Sound is now called Datasat Digital Sound.

We are expanding manufacturing into the UK to meet worldwide demand, but we will also still be manufacturing here in California.

A final note, our worldwide head count is a bit shy of 100, so our engineering team is not quite that large. They are, however, superbly talented (dare I say, the best in the business)!
 
Big day tomorrow, back down London to Datasat with some of the forum guys, it should be a great day :)
 
What DSP and software language is the RS20 based on?
 
I can't make it but would love to have gone as well.

Someone take a camera and (if allowed) take some pictures pleeeeease:)

I would love to see the main equipment rack at Datasat and see what kind of amps/speakers they use with their processor:thumbsup:

Have fun guys:lesson:
 
image-3196973560.jpg

One I took last time
 
image-2471732332.jpg

And another one
 
I can't make it but would love to have gone as well.

Someone take a camera and (if allowed) take some pictures pleeeeease:)

I would love to see the main equipment rack at Datasat and see what kind of amps/speakers they use with their processor:thumbsup:

Have fun guys:lesson:

I second all of the above.

Really looking forward to the impressions of the lucky forum members who can make it.

Get your typing fingers warmed up guys.
 
Wow, what a day. Long, exciting, informative but wholeheartedly great fun.

Where to start.....

Well I must give a massive thanks to Neil and Andy Bone for arranging the event / day. Also thanks to Neil for showing us his experience centre.

But massive thanks go out to Phil, Stephen, Dan and Ben of Datasat for their amazing hospitality. All so friendly and approachable.

I will not go over company history etc as this has already been covered by a few here now. But the day started with Phil giving us his story, ie, the story of Datasat and how it got to where it is today. One thing that comes over pretty quickly is the enthusiasm that ALL the staff of Datasat posses. Not just for that of their products but for the industry as a whole. Increadibly knowledgable.

Which leads me on to Stephen Field. He gave us the more technical info around the RS20i and its commercial counterpart the AP20. What this chap does not know simply is not worth knowing. We probably spent a good hour going thru the RS20i menus etc. it's actually a very simple device but multi talented. Again, what this processor doesn't do, well, is not worth doing. And what the RS20i does do is so much more than ANY of their competitors. The whole automation of the product is immense. It will litterally run your home theatre. Lights, screens, masking etc, all can be triggered with various macros and events.

From here Daniel showed us around their facility. Which was fascinating. First we met Ben in his QC room. This is the chap who mixes down all incoming films onto the 5.1 cd standard for 35mm films. Again, another lovely chap who seriously knows his stuff. From here we went on to see the 35mm projection room and test screen. This is just a small room with screen to ensure all the work Ben has done is all correctly aligned to the dts time code on the reel.

From here we went to the main cinema. Powered by the amazing ap20. This was pretty impressive. No, very impressive. The Datasat trailer so deep in bass but delivered with perfect balancing. It all sounded just right.

After this is was a quick swizz around the rest of the facility to see the cd burning room which, if I remember correctly, can burn 1800 discs a day! Then on to the archive. Just about every film soundtrack under the sun was contained in here and was a little humbling to be around so many works of fine art.

A stop for what was now a late lunch and a breather and then it was on to Genesis.

Neil is an increadibly helpful fellow, again, what he doesnt know is just not worth knowing.

We managed to get a breif course in home theatre design, baffle walls, subwoofer placements and arrangements. Unfortunatly the big screen was missing as was being upgraded but this did not stop us from getting treated to an hours worth of RS20i demos and indeed didn't even stop their projector from displaying a viewable image. Dispite being projected onto a thick black foam. The blacks certainly looked black. Lol.

But what we heard was impressive, emmersive and bloody loud! All perfectly delivered with no distortion easily upto 120-140db! Yikes!

The RS20i delivered each demo clip to the best that I believe that clip could ever be processed and performed in the home. From Adele in concert with great vocal subtleties to the rapturous cheering and clapping onto the full assault that is The Book of Eli. I have never experienced such volumes with no distortion. Gun shots perfectly reproduced not only by the rs20i but also Genesis's pro audio horn loaded speakers.

Watch a clip of Driver and wow, I thought the bass was going to lift me out of my very comfortable cinema chair. I must get me some of them.

Then onto The Art of Flight blu ray. I know this disc well and have never heard it sound so impressive. The steering and dynamics were out of this world.

So do I like the RS20i. I certainly do. And it's future is looking pretty amazing. The upgrade paths are very real and pretty mind blowing.

I will let some others tell their views of the day / processor.

I will do my indepth report on the rs20i in a few weeks when I get some time.

Any questions please feel free to ask. It's the end of a long day and I am sure that I have forgotten a load of pertinent info.

Again, huge thanks to our hosts at Datasat and to Neil and Andy for making today possible. And it was great to finally get to meet Adam and some other like minded folk.
 
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Yeah same here but had to work unfortunately
Sound like you had a great day Nick thanks for the write up.
 
Nick has covered everything but I just wanted to add my thanks to Phil, Stephen, Dan, Ben, Neil & Andy for organising and hosting such a fantastic day out. You honestly couldn't get a nicer bunch of guys in a room and the fact we are all passionate about the same things just made it fun from start to finish. The fact they took time out of their very busy schedules was really generous.

I also got to meet some great forum members too which is always a pleasure.

A special thanks too to Neil for lunch and also allowing us to pick his brains back at Genesis. It is always such a delight to speak to Neil and find I now have to backtrack on some post or other where it appears I have been speaking from my nether regions. :rolleyes:

It goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read, Neil basically de-bunked almost everything I have read online on absorbent room treatment.

If I ever have the opportunity to commission a custom install, I know exactly who I will be calling on.

Thanks again guys!

Adam :smashin:
 
CinemaTech ARS system in Adam's living room? :devil:
 
Andy I'm really sorry I missed the open day event as I would of loved to come a long but have been recovering from an operation, but by the sounds of it, it went really well hopefully I can make another future event if held :smashin:
 
It was a pleasure to meet you guys and I am glad you had a great day. It's always great to meet people as passionate about audio as we are :)
 
recruit said:
Andy I'm really sorry I missed the open day event as I would of loved to come a long but have been recovering from an operation, but by the sounds of it, it went really well hopefully I can make another future event if held :smashin:

No problem ( hope you are recovering ok ) I am sure we will do this again at some point . A big thanks to all the guys for attending and helping to make a very special day.
 
Sounds like it was a great day - would have loved to hear the information provided by Stephen on the RS20i.
 
The new edition of Home Cinema Choice (212) has 3 page article on Datasat and also includes a visit to Datasat UK. Suffice to say..........they were impressed :thumbsup:
 

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