Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: New GDC TMS 2000 Released. Adds 50 new features to the old TMS App.

This is topic New GDC TMS 2000 Released. Adds 50 new features to the old TMS App. in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-08-2016, 01:06 PM:

It's impossible to copy and paste all the stuff over. So here are the links....

http://www.gdc-tech.com/english/products_tms2000.php

http://www.gdc-tech.com/english/products_tms2000spec.php

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-08-2016, 02:53 PM:

I'm not seeing the 50 new features. I can appreciate the 1300% speed increase of the TMS startup time, but I just don't know where to find the 50 new features.

Can you point me at it?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-08-2016, 03:13 PM:

I use the GDC TMS, which is ver.4.1.7023
I also use the SX3000 and the PSD storage units.
Is this the same as the 2000 advertised, or how could I find what release I'm using?

thx-Monte

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-08-2016, 03:22 PM:

Leslie... Follow the arrow to the TMS Manual... [Wink]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-08-2016, 04:41 PM:

Umm TMS2000 is aka TMS 4.x (currently 4.1) The 13X was in the start up...anyone running the older TMS will know just how long it used to take to get the main screen to draw. It still isn't blazing but it is many times faster.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-08-2016, 06:32 PM:

So, unless you have FTP access to GDC's server, you cannot see the new features? (I do see the files on the FTP server)

So, just to be difficult (I guess), what was the point to the links?

Other than the 13x speed increase to startup (which I confess, was slow like a senior citizen on an unmodified Rascal), those links really didn't say a lot, did they?

Mind you, I still intend to read the release notes, so thank you for that.

Just kinda confused as to why those links, which go nowhere were being used to rouse interest when they really don't tell you anything.

Posted by Annli Com (Member # 8266) on 12-09-2016, 03:14 AM:

Compare Screenwriter vs GDC
GDC Win 20 Points and Screenwriter Win 90 Point Out Of 100.

Thanks
ShibuPaul

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-09-2016, 09:18 AM:

Arts Alliance (Screenwriter) and Hollywood Software (and their level) are in a different TMS category on MANY levels including how much it costs to buy and maintain. GDC's TMS is lower cost and also is far less automated than "big boys."

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

Actually the very latest version is somewhat slower than the last version was at arriving at the main screen. It's back to reading the media drives file system again for what seems like forever and ever...

quote: Annli Com
Compare Screenwriter vs GDC
GDC Win 20 Points and Screenwriter Win 90 Point Out Of 100.

And how much in USD does Screenwriter cost vs. GDC? GDC TMS is actually almost free and all you are paying is a small bi-yearly per screen fee to have it.

Mark

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-09-2016, 05:27 PM:

I certainly would not begrudge the per screen biannual cost if we only had a twin. It gets costly when you're paying for 80+ screens, and there is no reduction for such a quantity.

CDM, on the other hand, does use the TeamViewer-kinda model. You buy it, they maintain it until a new version comes out, at which point you choose one of two paths:

1) happy with what you have, and though there's no official support (you can still ask questions for help on the forum), you do not lose the software, as you are not renting it, or

2) pay a significantly reduced rate for the next major version.

Mind you, it's free if you have a twin or smaller, so there's no required cost in that case anyway.

That said, I do like the GDC TMS software, although I will comment that I wasn't a fan of their antiquated system requirements where you had to be careful of what OS you were using.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-09-2016, 06:35 PM:

Even at 80-screens worth of license fees, it still isn't a lot of money and doesn't exactly make anyone rich on the software development side of things. Seriously, compare the cost of this with say the xenon lamps. On the scale of things, the GDC software is pretty low-cost. Way lower than Arts Alliance or Hollywood Software.

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-09-2016, 06:55 PM:

Not cheaper than free.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-09-2016, 08:35 PM:

Nothing is free, there is still a catch although I don't remember exactly what it is. I have tested their software and it works ok. Unfortunately, it's not usable on any of the VPF programs here in the States. None the less even my non VPF customers still use the GDC TMS. I swear that any one customer could have an entire projector down but if the TMS was also misbehaving I would hear about that first. Once they have it they can't live without it. Like the microwave oven....

Mark

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 12-10-2016, 05:00 PM:

True enough. The free version will not do delayed transfers, it won't autodownload KDMs for you, and a couple other things.

We use the Christie VPF in some of our locations (which is also in the States), and CDM works fine in every one of them.

I also can tell you that it works (though, obviously, I have no first person experience with them) in other VPFs in the US, having had discussions with other theatre owners there.

In fact, the Christie VPF contract does not specify that the TMS must be monitored, and since we didn't want to pay Christie to do add the CDM TMS to their list of supported TMSes, it just gets ignored. This is just fine by us. It still works just fine on the L3 switches.

We've used the CDM TMS for years now (we switched from the GDC TMS, which again, we liked fine, it's just that it is slower (or was, anyway) to do some things. Mind you, there are some things from the API that GDC will not permit in non-GDC TMSes, which does cause some sadness, and due to CDM demanding to test every piece of content that goes on their system, there is some stuff that is slower. CDM (the company) is an integrator for GDC, Dolby/Doremi and Sony content servers, and so far, we are pretty happy.

We also found that CDM worked with series 1 and series 2 mixed together (my test site had an NEC NC900C with ShowVault and a 'NC2500S' with Dolby DSS100/DSP100 (yes, there are quotes around that 'NC2500S' - it was a special machine, that when I had a problem and told Akhtar Mahmood, who was with Tri-State by that time, what the serial number was, he was very clear that it was impossible to have that serial number - I took a picture of it, and he was gobsmacked), and CDM will transfer beautifully between the two, giving no cares. We tried that with GDC TMS, and it did not work at all. So, the nice thing about that is that, say, at some of our locations with series 1's, when we replace the systems with series 2's (which we will have to), there will be no problem with CDM being able to transfer between the two.

There are other things too, like being able to control displays, create DCPs, control pre-show music, run closed captioning to people's phones/tablets; that sort of thing

Anyway, I'm not selling the thing, and I DO like the GDC TMS a lot, it was just nice that there's no additional cost after the fact.

Anyway, enough yapping out of me. Yay for GDC's upgrades!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-10-2016, 07:30 PM:

Last I heard Christie was using an adapted version of the GDC app. I did see it once, but didn't take a very close look at it.

Early on with S-2 NEC at a 10 plex I had two brand new NC-2000's that had the exact same electronic serial number. The numbers on the external cover were different. The TMS did not like that, Wrong Internation didn't believe it, nor did NEC. Someone from either Wrong or NEC remoted in and verified this. Eventually, they sent a man in from China to fix it. I think it took them some time and possibly an audit to figure out it's true serial number.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-11-2016, 05:54 AM:

The actual reason for the duplicate serial number was how NEC does their serial number. The letters denote the manufacture year and week. Then the sequence number. As such, it is possible for different models to have the same serial number. The site you had this problem had NC3240s and NC2000s and you happen to have two models that matched serial numbers. NEC has since corrected that possibility. I believe the TMS vendors are also aware of the potential problem now and will accept the same serial number if the models are different. But that is TMS dependent to know of the possibility.