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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: IMAX DTAC proj. time sound reset problem
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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.
Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-26-2004 08:55 AM
DTAC receives timecode from something ... the SR generates its own timecode; the GT sends pulses to either an outboard timecode generator which then sends tc to DTAC or to a TIC card in the DTAC itself.
In our case, we started the problem with the outboard generator that ran just fine. In fact, DTAC (and the outboard generator) continued showing proper timecode when the errors occurred, but the audio was looping or fell out of sync such that the audio timecode matched the projector timecode but the audio timecode wasn't the piece of audio that was actually playing. Once we changed out the outboard tc generator to the TIC card generator, the problem continued, so it was not a problem with the timecode being received. (Which sucks, because the outboard generator was more flexible in the case of emergencies and with someone who knew how it all worked.)
I should probably clarify that the audio comes from a 6-channel .wav file. Also, it didn't matter whether it was a feature-length film or a regular short Imax film.
I have also confirmed that the OS is Windows NT 4 SP 5 for both GT and SR systems. In fact, the software is exactly the same ... you just configure it to whichever system you're using. There's GT with/without TIC card, dubber, DDP, etc.; SR with/without dubber, etc.; and M-SR, which is a cut-back hardware version for really cheap people.
There were many instances where the software actually appeared to freeze up with no choice but to reboot the system. I say "appeared" because occasionally if we cancelled the show and left it to run through the projector, the audio would start up again 15 or 20 minutes later and complete the show. ![[Mad]](mad.gif) Once it locked up, I couldn't even get to the task manager to see what was locked up ... CPU, memory usage, etc.
(This is where the outboard generator flexibility comes in ... if you had to reboot DTAC with a TIC card, the card would reset to a zero timecode. If you had an outboard generator, you could reset JUST DTAC and you'd still have your timecode and wouldn't lose the goddamn show.)
DTAC ships with 16 gig drives. Every theater I have talked to that has had this audio looping/timecode problem has received the upgrade to 80 gig drives. Some are on TIC cards, some are outboard generators; some have backup audio sources that come in through DTAC, some are just DTAC.
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Brian Michael Weidemann
Expert cat molester
Posts: 944
From: Costa Mesa, CA United States
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted 08-16-2004 04:23 PM
Current update:
Last week, the problem crept up and attacked three shows in one day. The personnel concerned/involved at this point goes WAY up there, since we are something like the highest grossing IMAX theatre under Regal, and Sony is a little put-off at the numbers (as they appear AFTER refunds!), so ...
Tim Silver was out with our tech to assess. We dropped about a day-and-a-half worth of shows while they worked. A new TIC card (the third one, so far) was finally made to work (since when it was first installed last week, it worked perfectly for an hour before losing it's ability to remember what frame count IS, let alone track it accurately!), and the power supply voltage was upped. Apparently, the voltage might not have been strong enough and the logic of the circuit does some weird things otherwise. The problem, as far as they've concluded, has been narrowed down to this: it's definitely occuring in the TIC card. It sounds reasonable, but (like always) we'll see.
As per Regal corporate, we are running a 35mm print in tandem as a backup, and making announcements to the audience every show as to the "possibility of a sound-related problem, at which time we will conclude the show with our 35mm print, and you are all then welcome to visit Customer Service and (bitch all you want before you) receive compensation."
Well, even though we run it, we made it through the weekend without actually having to USE the 35mm. Here's to many, many more!
By the way, Daryl, I've gone through the Windows NT event list and it contains no events at all that match up to the times of the problem happening. I went back through March in its log. Nothing anomalous.
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