Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Setting up Hollywood Software TCC as an FTP Source for GDC Server

This is topic Setting up Hollywood Software TCC as an FTP Source for GDC Server in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 08-30-2018, 07:09 PM:

The drive-in theatre I manage is connected to the digital network of my cinema via a fiber optic line. I have each of the theatre GDC servers set up as an FTP source for the drive-in, and vice versa.

What I'm wondering is if it is possible to set up the drive-in GDC as an FTP location/source for the Hollywood Software TCC. The reason being that sometimes we will have a movie play at our drive-in and then play at the cinema later. While it works to push content to one of the Cinema GDC servers, then to the drive-in server, this requires additional time, and usually means it needs to be done over a couple days. Being able to send the content directly from the TCC to the drive-in would make life much easier.

In those cases where we get content at the cinema after it has played at the drive-in, it would be nice to be able to ingest from the drive-in server, otherwise it is not available for title mapping and building playlists.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-30-2018, 09:04 PM:

Justin,

The TCC NEVER receives from SMS player, it only pushes to it. So, if the content starts at the drive in (that is where you initially ingested it), then the only way to get it onto the TCC is via USB or CRU.

Though not documented, it MAY be possible to set up the Drive-In as a Satellite type drive to allow the TCC to do an FTP pull. I've never tried it. I don't know if the GDC server has all of the bits an pieces where they need to be to make it happen.

I take it, your TCC license doesn't include your Drive-In so you can merely ingest to the TCC and let the TCC push the content via fiber? Or would that still be horrendously slow (depending on your fiber set up, transfer speeds should be fast).

Content not ingested on the TCC but resident on ANY connected SMS server can indeed be Title mapped and handled by the TCC. In Title Mapping, select, under "CPL" "Include No Content." It will give you a HUGE list of CPL choices but the content that is on any of your servers will be there for you to select/title map. Once done, you can untick it so you don't get the huge list all of the time.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 08-31-2018, 01:09 AM:

The drive-in has a micro LMS with a TCC license. We have a different integrator for the cinema and drive-in, but we are done with our VPFs (or just about done), so we may be changing soon.

I have transferred content from GDC to GDC over the fiber, and the speed isn't horrible. Takes about 2 hours to transfer a movie, but since it's usually done over night it's not an issue. But definitely not something we would want to rely on in a time crunch.

We did get DCDC to add the drive-in to our satellite server, so at least we can get content through the Ken cast drive as long as we play it in the 5-6 week window.

For the most part when I know we will play something at the drive-in I transfer it from the cinema so we don't have any delays when the booking comes in.

Good to know about the title mapping option. That may prove useful in the future.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 08-31-2018, 07:13 AM:

Note, it is possible to never ingest content on the TCC...if Title mapped as described above, the TCC will initiate server-to-server transfers. It would make sense to me to get the Drive-In on the main TCC so content can start there and merely be pushed to the Drive-In. There should never be a rush for that...you can't start the movie until it is dusk and a 2-Hour transfer, though slowish is definitely livable for such things and the TCC is good about picking times where there is enough time to accomplish the transfers.