Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco dp1500's missing lamp and douser cues after powerup

This is topic Barco dp1500's missing lamp and douser cues after powerup in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 01-03-2009, 07:48 PM:

I have Barco dp1500's missing lamp and douser cues after powerup. So the whole first round of shows its random on which ones actually hit the lamp and douser cues correctly and which ones dont. but if I leave the projector, show player, and show store on all the time they don't miss those cues nearly as often.
I'm running:
Barco projectors dp1500's, dp2000's and dp3000's
Dolby show player/show stores networked to a dolby show library.
latest software upgrade versions on everything.
Any ideas?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-03-2009, 09:02 PM:

Robert... I have the same thing happenning... Dolby/Christie in this case but I do believe the problem is in the Dolby end of things since it's multiple machines at multiple locations all with Dolby. I have a lone DP-100 that I will check on MOnday to see how it's doping the cues... haven't heard a peep out of them.

Mark

Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 01-03-2009, 10:23 PM:

With Dolby and the barco's I run when you build a "show" in the show manager program for all "projector" cues you have to have the auditorum selection in the upper left hand corner of the build screen be the auditorium the "show" is going to play in. Seems that even though ever projector has a douser and lamp cue the douser and lamp cue for one barco may not be addressed the same as another so you could mis cues that way also. That might help you with the christie/dolby issue your having. Since originally I was building all my "shows" in one auditorium and missing cues everywhere except for that auditorium. now i'm just having the problem described in my first post.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-04-2009, 10:01 AM:

No, thats not the problem in my case since they are all stand alone systems, three per complex... not networked...

Mark

Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 01-13-2009, 10:00 PM:

Argh! I'm getting a similar error to the start of this thread now also. The projectors are giving me a random red light on the back of the projector, which kills the lamp, and the wierdest part is nothing shows up on the log and no error message pops up on the diagnostics of the touchpad. but the red light indictator is there along with the red light on the back of the projector.
any ideas??

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-13-2009, 10:11 PM:

That is wierd. Is this just on one machine or on several? Are any of the temperatures climbing near their theoritical limits? Is the coolant system performing normally? Any of those sorts of things getting near the limits would be good cause for the projector to shut down the lamp ina fashion like this.

Mark

Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 01-15-2009, 03:29 AM:

As far as I know, there hasn't been any temperature issue per se. now that being said though doesnt rule it out either. I had one coolant pump already go bad on one unit. This red light error is pretty random. out 16 projectors, #s 4,5,6,7,8,12 have all done this red light and kill the lamp at least once if not more. the wierdest part is the fact hitting the lamp on button, the lamp lights right back up again and stays lit with the red light on the back of the projector and no error message coming up on the diagnostic screen of the touchpad. Even looking through the logs I can't seem to find anything out of the ordinary.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-15-2009, 08:06 AM:

To me this seems like a firmware issue more than anything. If you get a red light but nothing shows up in the logs then more than likely there's a software bug causing it. Has your firmware been recently updated or or never updated? I've found that not all new firmware versions are 100% nor are all older versions. This is also true of Dolby's firmware... only certain versions are 100%.

Also, are your projectors on UPS's or not? Fast occuring power glitches might also cause this sort of thing.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-15-2009, 08:37 AM:

quote:
I've found that not all new firmware versions are 100% nor are all older versions. This is also true of Dolby's firmware... only certain versions are 100%.

Exactly...which is why I tend to stick with working firmware unless the new firmware adds a DESIRED feature or fixes an existing problem.

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-15-2009, 10:23 AM:

Steve,

While that IS possible on cinema processors it isn't necessarily with D-Cinema. With the required firmware upgrades in D-Cinema sticking to a certain firmware version is near impossible for any real length of time... perhaps 6 months to a year at best. Several distribution arms have already been watching for which firmware versions, etc. on new install data sheets and if you are not up to at least a certain firmware and T.I. version and so on you don't get content. Sony and Disney are the worst about this... The most buggy part is actually T.I. and all versions have bugs of some type or another. DLP processing really is VERY complicated!!

When Dolby, Christie and other companies release firmware it has been according to them thoroughly field tested . The problem is that running a half dozen software beta test sites isn't enough to reveal all software defeciencies. As for the BARCO problem posted above to me it does point to software... and with BARCO's poor reputation in the service end of things getting a straight answer out of them as to which firmware is good or bad will be touch and go. You'll have better luck finding out from a knowlwdgable tech that just services BARCO Projectors. Dolby is much better at letting you know about iffy software but fomr time to time they still release known bad firmware for what ever reason. Christie is very stable in this realm not that there are not a few small projector issues but they have not had a firmware update for the ZX in over a year since the version 2 software has been rock solid. Ver 2.0 btw was released in Jan of 2007. There will be CP-2000 TPC firmware update comming up soon though to take care of a lamp ignition issue.

All in all my updating firmware hasn't caused any real grief for anyone I can think of. The last real grief stricken firmware that comes to mind was in Mike Blaksley's CP650... that was a long time ago and it was the firmware that came loaded in the unit from the factory.

quote: Steve Guttag
which is why I tend to stick with working firmware unless the new firmware adds a DESIRED feature or fixes an existing problem.

It's nice to add new features too but sometimes new feature versions of firmware contain other bugs you and the manufacturer may not find for quite some time. In the case of Mike's CP650 the problem didn't show up until after almost a year of use!!

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-15-2009, 01:28 PM:

Try agian on the ZX firmware...A projector I took delivery on in April 2008 was issued with version 1.1 of the firmware.

The date on the documentation for version 2.0 on the ZX and M is August of 2008.

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-15-2009, 02:14 PM:

According to the records I keep on all the gear I install I first installed Version 2.0 firmware on January 3rd of 2008 in 2 ZX's that went to Cheyenne, WY. Perhaps I was given a beta version but it wasn't labeled that way. Doesn't surprise me that yours still had version 1.1... it was just manufactured way before the date you ordered it. 1.1 was ok but the browser willl act very slowly. Version 2 was released mainly to correct the browser problems. Remember... Christie actually bulds and stocks these projectors in the Canada warehouse. We took delivery of 7 ZX's just before the end of last year and they all had Version 2.0 in them although the manufacture date on the projectors was early 2008... I believe March. What you have is just the latest documentation on version 2.0 firmware. The documentation has gestated and been slightly changed due to the number of training classes they've held...The documentation I was given when I first installed the firmware in January is just a little different from what they gave out at the training class they held here at CLACO. Version 2.0 Firmware itself remains the same as it always has. Were it different it would be labeled Version 2.0.xx or something to that effect.

Be sure your ZX also has the updated low voltage power supply installed in it... I didn't have any problems with the old supplies but I'm told that under the right conditions they can fail.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-15-2009, 08:13 PM:

Mark,

Not to beat a dead horse...The unit I recieved had a manufacture date about 2-weeks prior to our receiving it. I also inquired about updated firmware with Christie due to its slooooowness. I recall them telling me to look for it (version 2) around ShowEast time.

Thanks for the tip on the power supply.

Steve

Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 02-06-2009, 07:59 PM:

I believe alot of my missed lamp cues are due to the simple answer of lamp age. After keeping track of what shows and what auditoriums miss the most and looking at the hours and amount of strikes its leading me to believe I just have a bad batch of install lamps. These are the first ones in these projectors.