Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Service of older Dolby units no longer available

This is topic Service of older Dolby units no longer available in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009922

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-01-2009, 01:17 PM:

As of May 29th, Dolby will no longer service or support the following units:

CP-65 and before

CP-200

MPU

SRA5 adapter

cat 700 reader

cat 280 module

Louis Bornwasser

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-01-2009, 01:34 PM:

Wow. What about the cat699 readers?

I like the -1 day warning. [Frown]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-01-2009, 01:53 PM:

It has been common knowledge for a while I believe it was a month ago that the information was released
Also in many case many of the specialty chips and some common devices are no longer available so they just are in effect often unrepairable

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-01-2009, 04:36 PM:

I can't think of a chip in the 65 that is unobtainable except perhaps on some of the older decoder boards. Ditto for the 200. perhaps Carl at Quality presentations will take over doing these repairs on his own. To be honest the boards are not all that difficult to repair anyway. Dolby SHOULD now make the schematics public on these "supposedly unsupportable" devices.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-01-2009, 04:52 PM:

The Cat 699 had already been listed as "unrepairable" by the RXO program.

The "new Dolby" has taken the 7-year minimum support requirement and reinterpreted it to mean 7-year maximum!

There is nothing wrong with, as parts become unavailable to say: "we can't/wont fix that any longer." However, this clearly is a matter of policy now, not a thing of requirement. Dolby has long since discontinued support for those things it can not obtain parts for. There is nothing really wrong with that. Most have not even noticed because those things have long since been obsoleted...things like CP100s that people don't think of them as anywhere remotely current.

Steve

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 06-01-2009, 05:22 PM:

When was the CP-65 finally discontinued? I seem to remember that Dolby continued to supply it for certain special purposes after it was generally replaced by the CP-500, and it doesn't seem many years ago that it was still listed. I can understand support for the CP-50 and its older card set being dropped, but there are a large number cf CP-55 and 65 processors in regular use.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-01-2009, 09:28 PM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Dolby SHOULD now make the schematics public on these "supposedly unsupportable" devices.

Absolutely...but will they? Doubtful. If you can't service it, then you'll have to buy another processor, right?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-01-2009, 10:36 PM:

quote: John Wilson
If you can't service it, then you'll have to buy another processor, right?

Yes, but I can see many getting pissed off because of the "Sony Aura" that now exists at Dolby... and buying someone elses processor the next time round. I'm sure glad I'm not some theater owner having to buy this stuff!

Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-01-2009, 11:21 PM:

many of the SSM line of ic's are gone as are many of the early cmos chips

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-02-2009, 09:23 AM:

Almost everything digital is still serviced. The 700 is almost the same as the 701 and the DA-10, they swapped for DA-20 for free years ago.

The DA-20, cat 701, 702, cp-500 and cp-650 are fully supported as well as the cp-45.

The cp-55 was long gone before digital and cp-65 lingered on because some of us loved it.

I think it is unfair to say that Dolby does not support its products, except minimally. There may be more to say later as regards repairs from outside Dolby. Louis

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-02-2009, 10:07 PM:

Louis,

I think everyone recognizes that Dolby has traditionally supported their products...but there is a new Dolby that seems to have not only forgotten its past but has now discontinued it.

The letter that was sent could almost be taken as spiteful. There is no reason to declare that such and such will no longer be supported unless their supply of components are depleted and can't be replinished. It isn't that they will fix those things they can fix...they are now going to tell the customer, they WON'T fix those things, parts or no.

Dolby now wants to charge for software updates that only work on their products. To compare, this was never done at Dolby in the past and I don't recall TI, Barco, Christie or NEC charging for firmware updates...and some were admonished for charging for software that allowed one to merely use the product.

It seems that the digital future is a short one (things that have short lives) and if you want to keep things going beyond the first year...you'll be paying extra for that privilage.

While most everything in the CP65 and earlier are relatively easily repaired as I don't think there were any proprietary components in them...in the digital equipment...when Dolby pulls the plug on say the DA20 or CP500...you pretty much are hosed.

The 7-year support is supposed to be a minimum...not a maximum.

Posted by David Graham Rose (Member # 1450) on 06-03-2009, 03:00 PM:

Greetings

Dolby seem to be abandoning all common sense. The manufacturing plant here in the UK has now been closed, and all repairs seem to be going to the US. This is a pretty dreadful situation. Word on the street is that the majors in the UK will be abandoning their products in favour of alternatives.

From a stormy Cambridge, I bid you, one and all, a good evening.

David