Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Choosing between Christie Solaria One+, Dolby IMS2000, and GDC SR-1000

This is topic Choosing between Christie Solaria One+, Dolby IMS2000, and GDC SR-1000 in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by David Druiett (Member # 10809) on 03-14-2019, 09:52 AM:

I was reading a similar recent post started by Thomas Baham on Feb 28 with the subject "Dolby IMS2000 Vs GDC SR-1000". It received many replies, so it seems as though it is a popular topic. I just registered for this forum to post our questions about similar issues on this topic.

We have a lightly used Christie Solaria One+ that has had their third IMB fail in just over 5 years since we purchased it new. So we are considering the following:
- replace the Christie IMB with a refurbished one
- purchase the Dolby IMS2000
- purchase the GDC SR-1000

Help me to determine what IMB you would suggest to work with our Solaria One+ projector if we don't replace the "CMB" again.

I understand that the GDC SR-1000 is web browser based only. I believe that the IMS2000 can utilize the touchscreen. We have to purchase a compliance kit for Christie.

When we purchased our Solaria One+, we did it through a cinema technology service provider. They have been helpful in servicing us in the past and have suggested these options. But we are looking for more background information to help us decide. We may even look to other service providers for input.

Here are some questions we have:

- What differences are there in running the Solaria One+ vs the Dolby or GDC?
- Would we be missing out on anything on the Solaria if we went to a third party IMB connected to our projector? (except troubles)
- Are we going to need to use a computer for these other IMBs?
- What issues are there with their interfaces?
- Are they easy to operate?
- What are your experiences with reliability?
- Are there videos or websites that we should visit that would help us neophytes with this decision on what to consider for a new projection system, or IMB replacement?
- Are there new products on the horizon that we should consider for "future proofing"?

We don't use a computer to ingest our films, build our playlists, and run our content. We use the touchscreen panel to operate everything. The booth we run our films from is used by many other groups for lighting and sound for their productions. No one else uses our projector. We don't have the space nor the autonomy to operate like a dedicated theatre might. We have to schedule access to the booth with the facility in case there are other users of the theatre.

We are a community film group that runs about 25 showings a year, at a frequency of every 3 weeks for 2 nights in a row. We don't run from May to August and restart our season in September. So we are likely in the same situation as a drive-in theatre, where the battery was failing after an extended length of inactivity. However we did implement a schedule a couple years ago of automatically starting up the system every 48 hours and running it for one hour and then shutting down again. This should recharge the battery. Despite this, we have recently had the IMB become "lost" with the FIPS light come on. We were told this is irreparable. Prior to this over the previous month, we had to run the Marriage to get reconnected to the IMB.

We are simply community volunteers with a bit of technical know-how developed over the past 5 years of operating the Solaria. Any direction on resources would be most welcome.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 03-14-2019, 11:05 AM:

The IMS2000 is controlled only through a web interface. There is a mini DP output for a text-only configuration console terminal, not the show control GUI. Possibly the Christie TPC can run a web browser and access the IMS GUI, it's a tiny Windows PC after all... I have never seen that done.
I just had a client's Solaria IMB fail yesterday, bargain Tuesday in school break week (bad day to go down). Not too impressed with these servers.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-14-2019, 11:08 AM:

Don't waste your time on a refurbished Christie. Either of the other two choices is a better one. Although at first I was leery of just a web based UI, if set up properly the Web based device has advantages over just having a local touch screen, as you can have multiple computers in different locations that can log in for control of the SR-1000. That may make for less foot work in a smaller operation. Having multiple storage options on the GDC is also an advantage if you happen to do film festivals.

Nark

Posted by David Druiett (Member # 10809) on 03-14-2019, 04:44 PM:

It looks like if I go away from the Christie for the IMB, I have to go to a web browser interface.

I was looking at the "Dolby® IMS2000 Installation and User’s Manual", around Page 52, and I saw screenshots of the Christie touchscreen interface. But I guess its only to help marry the IMB to the projector.

http://outty.org/Cinema/Servers/Dolby/IMS2000/Dolby_IMS2000_Install_User_Manual_v1.pdf

So we will have to arrange some kind of space for a computer.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-14-2019, 05:59 PM:

Yes, That is correct. The on board is used for marrying the IMB to the projector. With some GDC's that step is done through the Server. You will need a computer, laptop, eye pad, or what ever. Most theaters do have some sort of an office computer now for retreiving the KDM's, and that could also be used. I have a customer that installed three SR-1000's and he accesses them via a laptop or through his TMS. In throry they could even go wireless by using a wireless dongle, and you could access with an eye pad or tablet.

Mark

Posted by Andrew Thomas (Member # 7000) on 03-14-2019, 06:35 PM:

We recently swapped a Christie IMB-S2 for a Dolby IMS2000. While I prefer the simplicity of the IMB-S2 integration, the overall experience of the IMS2000 is a significant improvement.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-15-2019, 06:39 AM:

You mean the part where you turn the projector on and don't have a FIPS error? [Big Grin]

BTW...how are you all adapting to now having to shut the server down via the web interface before turn the projector off? Or are you just turning the projector off as normal?

On an NEC projector (and possibly Christie, I haven't checked yet), the server merely moves to a standby state and doesn't go completely off...on a Barco B or C series, no such standby state exists though).

Posted by Wade Neal (Member # 9031) on 04-02-2019, 12:03 PM:

No Christies of any model. We are currently dealing with a downed IMB and failed light engine on our Christie Solaria One+, and the replacement part they sent us also has a failed battery. I wish they would just replace these faulty models with another brand. These apparently were all built on a Friday at 4pm.

Posted by Wade Neal (Member # 9031) on 04-02-2019, 05:05 PM:

This conversation has been enlightening - we've never, ever been told that we might be able to run a Solaria with a different media block. It would be great to run our theater without worrying about one going down every 1-2 years or so. Does anyone have any insight on best product/practice for such a combo? Pros and cons to doing it this way?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-02-2019, 07:34 PM:

They only added third-party media block options recently to the solaria one software. Finally they had to acknowledge that it's useless to ride a dead IMB-S2...

- Carsten

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 04-04-2019, 07:34 AM:

FWIW, I have used the Doremi IMB and Showvault succesfully with the Solaria 1