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Author Topic: Updating Server Clocks Elise Brandt Expert Film Handler Posts: 160 From: Kuusankoski, FIN/ Kouvola, Finland Registered: Dec 2009 posted 05-07-2010 04:58 AM                     We have the dolby servers and I did update the clock once with no problem at all. It seems the clock lagged behind about five minutes per hour whenever we were ingesting a movie. Because this was usually done during shows to minimize the use of electricity, there was some head-scratching and even manual show starts because the timer couldn't be trusted. But the clock always reset itself when the system was rebooted, and run right with no problems. After the last software upgrade there's been no more clock issues though. I'm pretty surprised reading this thread! I also don't think there is any need to rub it in, yes digital cinema has some oddities as does 35mm and any other projection method. And not all equipment are the same... and there will always be something to fix when the systems haven't been in use for the last three decades. Nobody who upgraded to digital (yes, for me it's definitely up) knew about the issues beforehand and we're all trying to offer the best quality shows to our customers aren't we?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-07-2010 10:28 AM                     The main clock is in the Show player. It can only be updated by time server interface. There are many security reasons for this being tamper proof. I believe the clock you are talking about is the one in the show store. In theory the show store clock should synchronize with the refrence clock inside the player and perhaps there was an issue there that the software upgrade fixed. I have to chuckle because Dolby is king of software upgrades! Most other server manufacturers have had very few. Mark  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-07-2010 10:35 AM                     And those software updates, they don't come cheap either! Last couple have increased the wait time on a lot of modules at boot up, result is a longer overall boot time but fewer issues, such as clock showing incorrect time. More recent releases also allow you to tweak the time, within a limited window. That window varies from machine to machine in my experience, how it is defined I have no idea.  |  IP: Logged Jussi Siponen Film Handler Posts: 75 From: Mikkeli, Itä-Suomi, FINLAND Registered: Jan 2010 posted 05-07-2010 11:19 AM                     quote: Mark Gulbrandsen I have to chuckle because Dolby is king of software upgrades! Most other server manufacturers have had very few. Updates are usually released to fix issues or to introduce new features. If these other manufacturers not releasing updates is due their systems having no issues, then more power to them! But in general, creating robust and secure software is not just hard -- it borders on the impossible (just ask Microsoft, Adobe, etc). The only way to get reasonably good software of any significant complexity seems to be feature-freeze it and then pound on it relentlessly for the next 10 years or so, applying fixes with surgical precision as problems are discovered. Because the dirty little secret is: we are still beta testers for this whole D-Cinema chain, to put it mildly. Things should improve when the dust eventually settles. So far the industry has been too busy implementing new features to squash anything but the most serious "show stopper" bugs (and in this case they LITERALLY are show stoppers ).  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 05-07-2010 01:03 PM                     Maybe there is something wrong with the server configuration. Over the past four years, working with Dolby Digital and Doremi servers, I've never once had to worry about the server having the wrong time once DST started or ended.  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 05-08-2010 02:11 AM                     The last movie we played that had a stupidly short KDM time (Spiderman 3 I think) we noticed the server clock issue less than a week before hand. Despite being fully connected to a NOC our tech had to come out and manually update the clocks on the Doremi's...he had a busy week doing that in his whole territory.  |  IP: Logged Dave Ganoe Expert Film Handler Posts: 119 From: Point Marion, PA Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-23-2010 09:33 PM                     The GDC works quite well when setup to connect to an NTP server. Setup is quite easy, with the right credentials of course. Did this first hand and no issues of time drift.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-23-2010 09:51 PM                     Ha? I just installed a GDC server and it very definitely has settings in the config for inputting your own system wide NTP server. As for cost over a multiplex full of stuff they are not that expensive an item either. This type of time server can be had inexpensively and could feed your LMS and all your local house servers quite easily. It takes it's reference from an atomic clock on the many GPS satellites above earth. In reality any large and or important multiplex that is not monitored by off site such as cin-e-dig-it should have it's own NTP refrence server so all digital related cinema equipment and ticketing/concession sales terminals are all synced together. As for inputing a time correction script sent to you from GDC... it takes all of 15 seconds to do that!! Go into "Technician" log on, insert the usb stick in the front of the server and then press the USB button on the lower center of that page. You're all done... My gut feeling is that all cinema servers should have an ultra stable tcxo based master clock in them anyway, but we'll never see that happen! we have to rely on the el-cheapo oscillator thats on the mother board. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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