Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Dolby/Doremi Server Certificates

This is topic Dolby/Doremi Server Certificates 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=003004

Posted by Peter Bua-ay (Member # 9726) on 04-18-2017, 06:59 AM:

Hello,

Any idea if Dolby will stop supporting their series 1 servers? Like other server manufacturers, like QUBE, stop providing server certificates of their series 1 server which forcing exhibitors to buy another server even though series 1 projectors still working fine.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-18-2017, 07:16 AM:

There are no 'series 1' servers.

There is no need to 'support' a server if the certificate has enough validity time left.

When I check e.g. a DSP100 certificate from the UK, it says: Valid through 2037

And I assume that's the same for all DSP100. At least I can not see a reason why Dolby would have sold some machines with shorter validity windows. I have seen 2035 for CAT862, and again 2037 for CAT745 systems. Our Sony and Barco are valid through 2043. I have seen two very different Doremi Dolphin boards (1.0 and 1.2) with 2025.

So, even if Dolby or other server manufacturers would go belly-up, these servers would continue to work until then with encrypted content - hardware, spare parts availability, etc. not factored in.

The Qube issue is somewhat special. I have no idea why they issued their media block with such a stupid short certificate validity time frame. Qube has to answer that.

Of course, any equipment could be blacklisted if someone would find a considerable security flaw within it. But that would mean, it would still function and play encrypted content, it would just not get KDMs from some/major distributors.

- Carsten

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-18-2017, 07:25 AM:

Ipoesed that question to qube at cinemacon
they said that the issue is that the units were not theres but DTS sold to DTS on a OEM basis and the issue is datasats

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-18-2017, 07:51 AM:

That is just a formal excuse why they do not fancy to deal with this issue anymore. Qube did issue at least two new certificates for this machine - with only a single year of prolongation. And these were Qube certificates, not Datasat certificates. From what Juan explained, it seems Qube/Datasat sold this server with an initial certificate validity window of only two or three years. That's ridiculous. I don't know this for sure, but I guess at the time even Datasat didn't know that.

- Carsten

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-19-2017, 09:38 AM:

Lack of spare parts, failure of the projectors they're being used with, compatibility issues around SMPTE DCPs and the cessation of software updates, and/or failure of media blocks and IMBs due to batteries running down and those certificates disappearing after manufacturer support for rewriting them has ceased will end the service lives of these older servers long before 2035.