Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Differences between 1.52 and 1.61 release

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Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 01-17-2002, 06:43 AM:

Hi guys!

For automatism pourposes, I need to have the CP500 to go to an analog format when it is playing an automatic Digital format.
On my 1.61 unit it asked me "do you want to disable the auto-digital" just the FISRT time. I answered "cancel" and he didn't ask it more.
On a 1.52 unit it ask "do you want to disable the auto-digital" every time so automatism cannot change from an auto.digital format to an analog one by itself.

Can upgrade the unit to 1.61 solve the problem?

I hope that it is clear...

Bye
Antonio

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-17-2002, 08:58 AM:

First off...The "Auto-Digital" function only affects switching to digital automatically from analog...the unit will always switch to analog SR if digital fails (unless you go to the area in the menus to force the reversion mode to digital always).

Auto digital now is for systems where the automation is only set to select an analog format (there are various reasons for this but suffice to say many chains wire their automations consistantly and since not all are or were digital the automation merely selected SR)...auto digital was to pick up on that and switch to digital if valid digital data is present.

The Auto-Digital message get pissy if you try to force the unit into analog after it has selected digital. It is as if to say "what? You don't want digital now that I have good digital? Fine then you are on your own next time pal!" Since the user can always (via menus) turn on auto digital, a good software design would have used an automation pulse or frot panel selection as a temporary override. This may be one of the enhancements in the v1.61 firmware.

All CP-500s can be upgraded to v1.61 if desired. One just needs the proper sector file. Be forwarned...I seemed to stumble across a glitch where using 1.61 has allowed the non-sync pulse from the automation to be ignored sporatically. It has happened with different automations in different locations and even in different states! I have downgraded one of the sites (as an experiment) to v1.52 and they are no longer complaining about the audio tail outs (picture changeover always closed).

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 01-17-2002, 09:06 AM:

I've had complaints from theatres all over Scotland about ignoring the non-sync pulse at the end of show. It never entered my head that it might be software. All of the places that have sufferes this are CNA200 automation, and I just assumed it was something to do with the pulse length. I'll try going back to 1.52 and see if there's any change. What about the 'sticking in mute' syndrome?? Anyone got a cure for that?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-17-2002, 06:46 PM:

Pete,

When the first complaint came in, I figured it could be anything...then when the second complaint came in, I figured it was the CP-500 since the first two complaints were with different automations (CNA-100 and Kelmar TDA)...on the Kelmar, we installed a pulse stretcher with low-current relays so the length of pulse and contact resistance got ruled out.

Our customers with version 1.3x of the CP-500 software have never had any problems! I don't believe 1.3x had the auto-digital though. Version 1.5x and onwards does. There was a problem with version 1.50, I believe where pulse timing was fussy for "SR".

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 01-18-2002, 05:20 AM:

Steve,

Thanks for all clarification. Let me explain why we want to select SR during Dolby Digital.
We set different SR formats with different volume. For example adv run at 4.0, THX trailer at 7.0 and movie at its volume (usually between 6 and 7).
Since CP500 will not accept a change to another Digital format if it is in SR Back-up format and digital is not present at the moment of the pulse, to prevent trouble we set the volumes on analog formats, that CP500 will always select in every situation.
For example: the fist adv is in digital, and the auto-digital goes to digital. Then another adv in SR cause the CP500 to drop in analog (as backup of digital). If at the end of this SR adv I would like to select another volume, I have to select an SR because, since the Cp500 is in back-up SR format, it will not accept a Digital pulse, ignoring the volume setting too.
So our automatism pulse the system to an SR format (with another volume) that is source for the same digital format.

The problem is that:

- My Cp500 has no problems. I can ovveride the system selecting an SR format during a Digital automatically pulsed by auto-digital function and CP500 will not disable the auto.digital feature.
- Another CP500 will never select an SR during an auto-digital pulsed format without disabling auto digital on that projector.

I have 1.61 version and I never had Non Sync problem but on my system non sync is pulsed after the projector is stopped.

Bye
Antonio

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-18-2002, 12:11 PM:

You can program multiple soft keys to format 10 as well. I know of a few theaters that did that to solve exactly the problem you are speaking of, then just turned auto-digital off.

As an example, let's say you have 4 cues coming from your automation:

SK1 format 5 SR backup with NO fader setting programmed for analog backup of SRD

CUE 1
SK2 format 10 fader 4.0 for trailers

CUE 2
SK3 format 10 fader 7.0 for THX logo

CUE 3
SK4 format 10 fader 6.5 for feature

CUE 4
SK7 non-sync fader programmed to whatever

Then for manual override on older prints set up:
SK5 format 1 mono
SK6 format 4 Dolby A

Give that a shot. I've never had it fail regardless of version.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-18-2002, 12:13 PM:

For the auto digital to work, you have to also tell the CP-500 which formats it can work with. Or, more precisely, which buttons (Soft Keys) it can work with. That is what the little letters on some formats are all about (the "s" and "a")...any format which will allow auto-digital to take over must have an "s" and the digital button must have an "a"...if you create a special "SR" format with a different volume, make sure to have a "s" (this is set up in the format configuration menus).

Steve

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 01-18-2002, 02:34 PM:

Brad,

It will not work or, better, it will not work in every situation.
As I wrote, CP500 will not allow changes betweed two digital formats if digital is not read in that particular moment.

For example: let's suppose that you set SK1: Format 10 at 4.0 fader. And let's suppose that in that moment there is no DD data. CP will drop in analog format, right?

Ok, let's suppose that after few seconds the automation pulse the CP with SK2: Format 10, 7.0 fader.

If Dolby Digital is not playing, Cp500 will answer "NOT READY" because it cannot change from a Dolby Digital backup (SR) to another Dolby Digital. It will change only if Dolby Digital is read in that moment or from a "pure" SR to another Dolby Digital.

I don't know if it is clear.

Steve,
Yes, I know the "s" and "a" setup.
The problem is what I described in my first message: Cp500 will not goes from Digital to analog without disabling auto-digital feature.

Bye
Antonio