Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco Communicator Software Issue

This is topic Barco Communicator Software Issue 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=003596

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 02-17-2019, 11:21 AM:

Hi
Recently installed Barco Communicator V4.01.04 to access our DP2k-19B
I am logging in as service tech, but, the tab for maintenance / smart maintenance is missing
What am I doing wrong?
Sorry for basic question
Thank you for any help

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-17-2019, 12:25 PM:

You're using an ancient version of Communicator. The current one is 5.12. This could be causing the problem, especially if your projector has the current, or a nearly current, firmware bundle in it.

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 02-17-2019, 01:25 PM:

Hi Leo,
Thanks, yes projector was updated in October last year.
I'll have a look at the Barco website to see if I can get the current version.
Thank you for your help
Peter

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-17-2019, 04:20 PM:

That's quite a mismatch. Your projector is probably on 2.5.57 or 2.7.76.

The earliest version of Communicator I have is 5.2.1, and the date/time stamp on the installer file is June 20, 2016. I'm guessing that version 4.anything of Communicator is at least a year older than that. Therefore, potentially, you're looking at a 4-5 year difference between the projector's firmware and that version of Communicator, which could certainly cause weird behavior.

You can register on MyBarco to download the current Communicator. I don't know if they let end users register or just dealers and techs who have done the Barco school, but it can't hurt to try.

Posted by Ioannis Syrogiannis (Member # 3235) on 02-17-2019, 04:53 PM:

Just for the story of it, 5.0.12.0 says July 9th 2015 in mybarco and 4.07.09.00 seems to have been mid-March 2014 on my files. I wonder if there is somewhere in my archives an earlier version... and what I am keeping it for.
[Smile]

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-17-2019, 05:09 PM:

I've learned through trial, error, and shouted expletives, that keeping obsolete versions of software, firmware and drivers is well worth it. You may have a machine that is interacting OK with other machines, and stops doing so after an upgrade, so you want to roll back. Or you find a PC in the booth that is still running Windows XP, and the current version of whatever you're trying to install won't work with it. Or maybe support for an older projector was withdrawn from a more recent version of the communicator app (though I don't think Barco does this), etc. etc.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-17-2019, 05:11 PM:

The oldest version of Barco Communicator (current style) I have is version 3.1 and I got that 2/2008

Version 4.0 shows it came out in 2/2010.
Version 4.1.4 is...May 2010!!! (so yeah, you are WAY WAY out of date...Maintenance scheduled didn't exist then.

The last I have of the version 4s was 4.9.14 (there were a few version 4.9s), March 2015

Version 5.0.13 showed itself 9/2015

We've walked our way up to 5.12, which is current as of this writing.

Before these versions, there was DCine Communicator used on the Mark VII projectors (DP40, DP50) and, eventually the early series 1 projectors (DP90/DP100). For those I go back to 2.4. The last version I have was 2.7.2 ( forget the lowest version that works with a DP90/100 and the current version can work with a DP90/100, IF, the DP90/100 had the last version of software...so you needed to update on the old version before jumping off into the new version).

Posted by Michael Harlow (Member # 1353) on 02-18-2019, 10:23 AM:

Hi All,
Thank you !
Yes, I confused myself and downloaded the very old version.
I have updated to 5.12 and all is now fine.

Leo - MyBarco will not accept me as an end user, but luckily I managed to get the software from our service engineer here in the UK.

Thank you all for your help