Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: I finally lost a GDC Ver 1 IMB....

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-07-2016, 05:18 PM:

I finally lost a version 1 GDC IMB... Only took about 6 years for it to happen...

[Big Grin]

Mark

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-07-2016, 07:24 PM:

Better fix that teaser headline or you're gonna git nailed!

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-07-2016, 07:25 PM:

Excellent reliability for GDC !

(Oh, but a teaser topic... [Smile]

)

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-08-2016, 12:48 AM:

Well, that is certainly unfortunate. I know what the IMBs cost, and if it is a functional one, I can only imagine how painful that must be for the owner.

If it is one of the ones that have failed, or has a faulty ADSP, I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if the location uses 8.00 build 75 or higher. Well, unless you are using it to level and stabilize something like a chair, sofa, table, washing machine or stove. They are INVALUABLE for that; with the various heights of the chips on them, they are so versatile.

Check under the bed or couch. I'm sure it'll pop up.

That. or you can check in your shed. There's probably more than a few that you're hiding. [Smile]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-08-2016, 06:14 AM:

Congratulations?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-08-2016, 02:39 PM:

Nope Leslie.... First Ver. 1 one ever. Have had two of the AR media blocks fail though.

Almost all my sites have extended warranties on GDC, so this costs them just the return shipping on the bad module.

Mark

Posted by John Roddy (Member # 7348) on 12-08-2016, 05:12 PM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Nope Leslie.... First Ver. 1 one ever. Have had two of the AR media blocks fail though.

Almost all my sites have extended warranties on GDC, so this costs them just the return shipping on the bad module.

Mark

I assume you'll be following up with a link to an IndieGogo campaign so we can all help fund the massive return shipping charge? That's gotta be a couple tens of dollars right there. Nothing to sneeze at, for sure. Then again, most numbers aren't worth sneezing at. That expression makes exactly no sense.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-08-2016, 06:53 PM:

Heh.

We only had one non-AR IMB actually die on us. What I actually did was install 8.00 on every non-HFR content server, when the sound didn't work, I'd puTTY in, examine the output, determine that, "Yes, this ADSP is one of the bad ones," downgrade the systems back to 7.83, put in a request for a replacement from GDC, and move to the next one.

GDC was absolutely amazing help - they'd sent me four IMBs with good ADSPs for the locations that were not easy to get to, in case I needed to replace any of them.

It was good that they did anyway, since an IMB that worked in 8.00 actually failed catastrophically the night I tested that server, I had two spares left, just submitted an RMA, and they sent me three to test with to keep four good ones on hand.

Once I was done, I just sent the IMBs back (right in the nick of time, as the bean counters were grinding their teeth, sending both GDC Tech Support and me 'gentle reminders' of how happy they were to send me a bill for four spare IMBs, if I did not get the things back to them within the allotted time frame), and all the locations got good IMBs.

I'm no fan of the licensing of the TMS where you have to pay perpetually, but I am a fan of GDC as a company.

The techs even sent me a virtual christmas card with the inside reading, "You are the funniest customer we have."

So, I would guess that I am on good terms with GDC, and would generally recommend their stuff (minus the TMS, which is lovely, but I hate renting software).

I still maintain that they are great for furniture leveling though.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-09-2016, 09:15 AM:

In the case of the TMS, I can understand a perpetual fee. What they are selling IS the software. Without an income source, there is no means to continue development and support of it. Though I think Teamviewer has the right approach...if you are satisfied with the version you have and want nothing new, then yeah, you should be able to use it indefinitely. However, when you "upgrade" down the road, it will cost you as if you never owned it in the first place. Again, the money to make the new stuff had to come from somewhere.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-09-2016, 04:17 PM:

quote: Steve Guttag
However, when you "upgrade" down the road, it will cost you as if you never owned it in the first place. Again, the money to make the new stuff had to come from somewhere.

Well, it's not exactly as though you were buying a new one all over again. At the site today which lost the media block the total they paid for the 6 servers extended warranties just payed them back handsomely. GDC will extend the warranties on three different levels and one only need to go with the middle priced extended warranty to be able to have full parts coverage, and the cost per server is actually reasonable and somewhat negotiable. For the small theater operator it is better than an insurance policy because you also get full direct access to GDC's tech support people and parts.

I actually had an early SX-3000 die the day after a customer had extended his warranties. That was one of the two AR media blocks I lost. The first one that died was still under factory warranty. NEC, Barco and Christie should offer such nice flexible warranty plans! Dolbly certainly never did.

A good example would be... It costs a twin under a grand for full support minus hard drives. A media block is in the lower ~4K dollar range.

I have customers that pay for this in installments and others that do really well that pay it all up front. It is also way cheaper than equipment insurance is. So it is affordable to practically everyone. So how Steve arrives at you are buying basically a new server every year is beyond me. A customer won't even be close to paying what the server costs new on the extended waranties in the 10 to 12 years he'll be using it.

Mark