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The entire wiki reimagined as a visual magazine with video discovery · Watch your interests come alive
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Optical sound
Videos
Optical sound is a means of storing sound recordings on transparent film. Originally developed for military purposes, the technology first saw widespread use in the 1920s as a sound-on-film format for
Edge of a 35-mm film print showing four types of soundtrack. The stereo optical sound strip is located on the right, with waveforms for left and right
Edge of a 35-mm film print showing four types of soundtrack. The stereo optical sound strip is located on the right, with waveforms for left and right channels. To the far left is the SDDS digital track (blue area to the left of the sprocket holes), then the Dolby Digital (grey area between the sprocket holes labeled with the Dolby "Double-D" logo in the middle), and to the right of the analog optical sound is the DTS time code (the dashed line to the far right.)
A transparent program disc imprinted with concentric optical sound tracks, used for the Optigan musical organ
A transparent program disc imprinted with concentric optical sound tracks, used for the Optigan musical organ
Example of a variable-area sound track on the right side of the frames on this strip of 16mm film. The width of the white area is proportional to the
Example of a variable-area sound track on the right side of the frames on this strip of 16mm film. The width of the white area is proportional to the amplitude of the audio signal at each instant.
Newspaper ad for a 1925 presentation of De Forest Phonofilms shorts, touting their technological distinction: no phonograph.
Newspaper ad for a 1925 presentation of De Forest Phonofilms shorts, touting their technological distinction: no phonograph.
Movietone sound system
Videos
The Movietone sound system is an optical sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures, ensuring synchronization between sound and picture. It achieves this by recording the sound as a v
Optical sound
…Juan. One month later, the Phonofilm Company filed for bankruptcy. Case and Sponable went on to implement their optical sound-on-film innovations as the Movietone sound system, and the UK rights to Phonofilm were bought up by theater chain owner Isadore Schlesinger, who used the technology to release short films of British…
Explanation of Movietone camera sound-on-film system from a 1927 magazine
Explanation of Movietone camera sound-on-film system from a 1927 magazine