Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: GDC 8.01 update

This is topic GDC 8.01 update in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 10-18-2012, 05:44 PM:

Is anyone having issues with GDC's software update 8.01 build 75? Specifically the following..........

On boot up (if shutting down at night) it gets hung up on "Initializing 2K module", and you must reboot until it clears. Also, it sends out random cues once in a while that aren't even in the playlist but show up on the list while playing.

Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 10-18-2012, 06:27 PM:

Actually, I had the build 60 first installed and had problems with all 13 servers especially having problems with 'sm connection' all took many tries to connect upwards of 15 minutes or more! Using a GDC TMS to control the system. Had lots of other anomalies too, like once in a while the server would stop play and indicate a bad CPL even though it ran fine many shows prior, they would even stop on the policy trailers once in a while! BOY! I MISS FILM!! I went through installing 5 more build version upgrades in the last 6 weeks and finally to the build 75 version..believe it or not this one appears to have solved all my issues and everything is running great on all 13 screens! The last issue was one server out of the 13 was 1:10 minutes behind the others!! ( after replacing a bad board in it apparently on or about California 'pacific' time! Real fun to schedule shows on! Of course in their infinite wisdom, DCI made it impossible to change the server clocks after the upgrade! But, thanks to GDC, they were able to get in there and get everything all synched up! Now all is well! Ya just got to love DCI (BIG BROTHER)for all their 'control'! Good luck! John

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2012, 07:23 PM:

Note...DCI allows for some adjustment of clocks (6 minutes per year) so if your clock was off (from GMT) by more than that after the upgrade then yeah...you may have issues. Note, the current 8.01 software should also be able to sync up to an NTP clock too. You'll find this setting of the show clock to be an GDC unique experience. All DCI cares about is that the mediablock or IMB "secure" clock does not get messed with to defeat KDMs...they could care less what you set your player clock to. Other servers have multiple clocks to deal with this.

8.01 build 60 definitely had issues but they quickly got build 66 out to address them. My build 66s are doing okay as are my build 75s. I had one GDC server issue that I chalk up to infant mortality (less than a month old) and not 8.01 related.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 10-19-2012, 06:42 AM:

Gdc is looking into these issues. They are happening at 2 different location which led me to believe it's the update causing them. Everything was fine until the update was installed.

Posted by Danial Simmonds (Member # 4638) on 11-02-2012, 02:13 PM:

This comes to mind, did anyone tried the SX-2000AR with a 2K projector and play a 4K DCP, we need to set the channel macro to input source 4K even if it is a 2K projector.

But other IMB like the SX-2000A was set in 2K resolution for the projector channel and had no issue playing 4K content.

Anyone experienced this?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-02-2012, 04:43 PM:

The "R" versions of the IMB are the new IMB (SX-3000 sans onboard storage). Those are SUPER-NEW. I would think that some of how the IMB integrates depends on the projector and how IT integrates.

Note, GDC 8.01 is up to build 84. For the SX-2000AR, there is version 9 to use.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-02-2012, 06:55 PM:

Build 84 has not addressed the ongoing issues we are having since we were forced to apply these software upgrades.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-03-2012, 07:51 AM:

Build 85 hit the streets yesterday!

Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 11-03-2012, 08:24 AM:

The SMS version on my GDC is very old: 7.7b-rc17
We are not on any type of VPF program.
Is there any urgent need to update the server software?
My server works great, so I don't want to start having problems!

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-03-2012, 10:42 AM:

Cant wait to see what 85 does!!!!!!!!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-03-2012, 03:57 PM:

Steven,

If you are not on a VPF program...I would STAY AWAY from 8.01 until it becomes completely stable. 7.83 is the last of the non-DCI versions and may be worth updating. I don't recall having any real issues with it. 7.8x adds things like the remote shell to it so one can go in via SSH to pull logs, reboot, update...etc. so from a support standpoint...it was a big help.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-04-2012, 07:49 AM:

I just find it strange that nobody else seems to be having these issues we are having. These are 4 different theaters that upgraded to digital at different times so the server serial numbers aren't that close.

Again, here are the issues we are having........they dont all happen on every server....

As SM tries to connect, it repeatedly sends out a mid lights cue.
After SM connects, it sends out a single show end cue.
As playlist starts, it shows 2 consecutive Lamp On Fail cues but the lamp does light.
During playback it shows 2 Show Scope Fail cues, but lens is fine.
During morning boot up, it gets hung up on "Initializing 2K Module" almost 50% of the time. Have to hard reboot it.

Again, all these issues dont happen on every server. A few of the servers run perfectly. Also, NONE of these servers EVER did ANY of these things before the 8.01 upgrade.

I have been in contact over the last month with GDC, giving them the logs and such but they have been little help. I haven't even gotten responses anymore from them.........

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-04-2012, 09:38 AM:

FWIW...all of mine are NON-IMB versions.

I may have had a cue issue yesterday on one of them running build 84. I now have some on build 84 some on 66 and some on 75.

I know there are other issues with 8.01 so you are not alone. However, I'm only going to report what I have actually witnessed rather than rumor or hearsay.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 11-04-2012, 09:43 AM:

Good point. Mine are the IMB version. Also, the cues being sent out and or shown "failed" are consistently happenning EVERY show.

Posted by Kenny Thies (Member # 1551) on 11-09-2012, 03:11 PM:

What is the recommended version of firmware for the NEC 1600 Series I for the 8.01 update?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-09-2012, 04:02 PM:

It shouldn't be firmware dependent though it should be able to handle Cinelink TLS (DH is no longer an option).

The Current NC-1600 firmware is 2.14 and the current TI software is 15.1 BUT if you don't have a GORE board, then you will likely be on 14.0.

Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 02-26-2013, 07:52 AM:

quote: Steve Guttag
If you are not on a VPF program...I would STAY AWAY from 8.01 until it becomes completely stable. 7.83 is the last of the non-DCI versions and may be worth updating. I don't recall having any real issues with it. 7.8x adds things like the remote shell to it so one can go in via SSH to pull logs, reboot, update...etc. so from a support standpoint...it was a big help.

Is it time to upgrade my GDC server to 8.01 build 99? Is there any pressing reason to do this? i.e., not being able to play encrypted DCP's?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-26-2013, 09:16 AM:

Actually, 8.01 is up to build 103

I maintain, if you don't have any pressing need, I would stay on 7.83.

Problems on 8.01 have dramatically stabilized, however. I had one customer with issues on 8.01build99v2...gave strange security errors on several units...updating to build 103 took care of that. Build 103 has only been out about a month so I would say the jury is out on how well things are doing but again, things have become reasonably stable for me.

If you are not on a VPF program...what does going to build 8.01 get you? Oh, and the show clock on 8.01 still isn't as accurate/update on NTP as well as it did on 7.83...which with NTP was always on the tick.

Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 02-26-2013, 11:03 AM:

Thanks, Steve, I was being led to believe I would soon not be able to play encrypted content if I didn't update.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-26-2013, 02:54 PM:

If that day comes...why not wait and update it then? At least you'll get the latest/greatest version rather than being part of the "experiment."

Note, that is my philosophy on all of the manufacturers too. The DCI compliant stuff has proven to be less reliable than the non-DCI complaint versions. But, as I said, it has gotten a LOT better.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-26-2013, 07:14 PM:

I'm curious who would have a motive to mislead you like that. Your tech (maybe so he can get an extra $ervice call from you)? GDC?

Regardless, listen to Steve. I couldn't agree more.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-26-2013, 07:58 PM:

We had an incident once where an "upgrade" rendered our machine inoperable, so we went back to the previous version and all was well. It was something to do with the communication between the projector and server (I think, at least) and was fixed in the next upgrade.

Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 02-27-2013, 03:55 PM:

Steve and Brad - Thank You for your advice!