Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco 2.1.12: watch out

This is topic Barco 2.1.12: watch out in forum Digital Cinema 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=16;t=002839

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2016, 03:38 PM:

To all: I discourage the installation of Barco 2.1.12 software, at this time. It can have issues on the update that could render your projector inoperative. This is not an absolute nor even a preponderance of the time. It has good stuff in it but the danger on the update, for me, outweighs its potential benefits. Note, I'm speaking for Xenon based projectors, I have not tried it in the Laser based ones.

1.13.190 has been stable for me for some time now (1.13.191 can have lens anomalies).

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 10-18-2016, 04:02 PM:

I just think.....does they have team and projector to test it ALL before they go public with new version of firmware? Or, at least they could send it to some beta testers like smaller cinemas or so (it sound weird, but yes...it is less problem to f** aomething in smaller villafe cinema, than in 18 plex or so).....

Did not try it yet, i was afraid to do so and wait for the comments like this from Steve.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 10-18-2016, 04:18 PM:

Version 2? No release notes, and file is 22MB vs 4MB that it used to be.

What's the improvement?

And thanks BTW!

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2016, 04:23 PM:

I have select sites where things get tested before they get pushed wide. New things have to prove themselves for about a month before they are even considered for wide distribution.

Normally, I do wait about 2-weeks before putting a toe in the water (Christie is notorious for releasing and removing) however, at this site, I still had 1.3.191 and was about to roll back to 1.13.190 because of a lens anomaly. However 2.1.12 had the fix for that in it.

However, this brings about another discussion on why some software fixes can take time. One has to consider all of the ramifications based on all of the permutations of a product and, in the case of DCinema, the interaction of products not under your control. Does anyone remember when series 2 first came out and nobody's stuff talked well with everyone else's? For all I know, the software will not have an issue updating with all but the right combination to make it have a hard time. You have running production changes due to obsolescence of parts and things work well until a later update that works well with all current stuff may have an issue with not the first but the second generation of something...it can be quite tricky.

If the projector and server companies really wanted to ensure compatibility, they'd have to have one of everything so see if there is a bad interaction. I watched one server software variation fill up an Enigma in just 15 minutes time but for only one projector model. That kind of crap CAN happen and it is very hard to guard against.

I don't generally post anything negative (there are exceptions) and I don't consider my post as negative but informative to avoid any issues by unsuspecting people since this is a RELEASE version of the software.

Marco, the "Release Notes" are there...look under documentation for the various projectors. 2.1.12 and beyond is to be the harmonizing of the C and CLP versions and the software will work with either (when it doesn't have issues). It will decide which Cinema Controller you have and load accordingly.

I will say this...a LOT changes. There are now 6 potential stages to the update instead of 5. The fan controller, Cinema Controller, Light Module, Router all get updated on this one. The xenon lamps get incorporated into a major update as well as the new short and HC lenses are now in there. As I said, it seems to touch a lot of the projector...more than the release notes allude to.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 10-18-2016, 04:45 PM:

No release notes on my site. Must be different than the one you use. But again thanks for the heads up.

Out of curiosity, what is the lens issue you experienced with 191?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2016, 05:06 PM:

One of the problems is that you'll have garbage characters in place of the actual lens. I've heard others tell of not getting the home and return to work properly too.

BTW..."my Barco" issued a link to the release notes today. Again, the release notes seemed to not tell the whole story of what was going on as many items are "touched" by this release.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 10-18-2016, 05:12 PM:

sure, I noticed that too. I was going to report that back to Barco. Glad it is not just me. The lens worked fine though.

I'll keep an eye on my barco for the release notes then.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2016, 05:41 PM:

BTW...if you are hard pressed for release notes. Load the new file into DC Update companion as if you are going to do the update to a projector but click on the release notes button and you can read them there. And if desired, highlight them all and right-click and you'll be offered a "copy" box so you can paste them into a document/file (same is true if you are looking at logs via the diagnostics reader).

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 10-18-2016, 06:01 PM:

Barco engineering is now saying do not install 2.1.12, and are getting it removed from the website.
Some issues can be resolved with reinstalling the package but some projector boards have been unrecoverable.
I can live with scrambled lens types vs a bricked projector!

Posted by Tim Sherman (Member # 569) on 10-18-2016, 06:14 PM:

One problem I guess is that it is leaving CLO sensors inoperable

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-18-2016, 06:57 PM:

YES...the CLO can be affected. Me personally, 1.13.190 is where I'm sticking until a stable version of beyond is out there. Note, they say that if 2.1.12 did update successfully, there is no reason to roll back...either it works or it doesn't.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-18-2016, 08:34 PM:

quote: Marin Zorica
(it sound weird, but yes...it is less problem to f** aomething in smaller villafe cinema, than in 18 plex or so).

I disagree. If one projector is down in an 18-plex then you can juggle the other 17 screens and still maintain something close to a regular schedule. If my projector quits, I'm closed until further notice.

"But I drove 90 miles to see this movie!..."

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-19-2016, 05:27 PM:

And this version has been pulled now.