Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco dp2000

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Posted by Koroye Seitonkumo (Member # 10558) on 03-23-2019, 08:59 AM:

Hi, I have a barco dp2000 on its way to Nigeria to me..

This is a used projector and the lens was calculated for my screen..

Here is the question.. can I install this myself? I have no prior experience..

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 03-23-2019, 01:14 PM:

Have you studied the install and user manuals? D-Cinema projectors are a little different to install. If you have experience with other brands that would help as well. I would do your homework first and make sure you are comfortable doing it. You will need a computer with the Barco communicator program on it and know how to connect it to the projector. If they do not tell you what the IP address of the projector is you will need to connect serially first to find out what it is set to. You will need a serial port to do so. Make sure to study the communicator user manual as well. It has good detail as to what the menu items do.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 03-23-2019, 01:57 PM:

Good advice. Plus make sure you have the "Dallas Key", this is required to reset the security after removing any boards.
You can buy a new key and program the projector to accept it but the projector should include one.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-23-2019, 02:28 PM:

I don't know what the power supply in Nigeria is, but you'll need to connect it to one that the projector will accept (either single phase 208 or two phase 110). Hooking up the power is something that can cause serious damage if done wrong. If you're not confident about that, you need an electrician to help you. Again, I don't know what the legal requirements in Nigeria are, but in some jurisdictions, you are required to have a licensed electrician do this sort of work in a public building.

You will also need ventilation for the lamphouse. Depending on the ambient temperature in the booth and the size of the bulb, you might be able to get away with a muffin or snail fan on the top of the lamphouse exhaust venting into the room; or you could need ducting to exhaust it out of the building.

If the projector doesn't arrive with a lamp in the lamphouse, you will need to install the lamp. This is a safety-critical procedure that could cause serious injury if it is not done correctly.

You will need to configure the management LAN such that the projector and server can communicate with each other through it. Firmware/software updates to the projector, server, and/or media block may be needed to ensure that they can work together, too.

Next comes the audio hookup and configuration. Depending on your model of media block and audio processor, you may need to obtain and configure DB25 to RJ45 adapters. Adjustments to the channel routing configuration may also be needed.

Fit the lens in the projector, perform a home and return, reset any tampers (for which, as others have pointed out, you'll need a Dallas key), and then you're into convergence and color calibration. Then you'll want to create and save the lens, screen, and lamp setting files for each macro (as a baseline, one set for flat and one for scope).

Finally, the audio tune. When all is done, download and save a clone package from the projector, and a configuration settings file from the audio processor.

All this is pretty formidable for someone who has not done any of it before, and some of these steps require specialist equipment (notably color calibration and audio tuning) that a regular theater is unlikely to possess. Barco offer a four-day training course just for the projector side of things (no audio), and even that assumes that you come in with at least a knowledge of basic operation and end user maintenance of digital cinema projectors.

Of course it wouldn't be impossible to teach yourself, but the tasks involved are an order of magnitude more of a challenge than getting a typical consumer appliance working.

Posted by Ioannis Syrogiannis (Member # 3235) on 03-24-2019, 03:41 AM:

I don't know if some of the steps mentioned by Leo could be postponed, for he sake of immediate use. We are not even aware of the purpose of the projector. That's to say if it replaces one with the server already up and running or it is a new install. A projector is only the picture realizing part of the cinema equipment. There are others as well to be considered and configured.

A couple of extra steps to add to the list, that if needed will have to be done with support from outside a regular cinema booth is the checking or/and replacing of the cooling liquid and (that normally is already O.K. but I have found it missing in one occasion) the "Functionality Keys". Especially the one for Lens.

Another thing that you have to bear in mind, in buying a series one projector (obviously used), is if the LD board (Enigma) was kept up and running lately or not.
If not, that could result in considerable extra expenses.

I have seen rental cinema projectors installed in an inconsiderable/non-optimal fashion. What I mean is that a first installment could be made without special equipment, given that everything is in good working order and in their place.
But that is a "best case scenario" that I hardly see on the shipped from afar used equipment.

To conclude, and to answer the original question:
Depending on conditions, it is possible, but not probable.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-24-2019, 09:05 AM:

Koroye inquired a couple of times about buying second hand equipment here. Most people recommended not to buy an outdated series1 projector. He still did, and I can only assume, without any specific knowledge about DCI projectors and the spare part situation, this will soon become a ruin. Even just a bulb change could practically end his own life or this projector's...
If he is lucky, he may be able to find a 'local' tech for setup and maintenance.

- Carsten

Posted by Ioannis Syrogiannis (Member # 3235) on 03-24-2019, 12:16 PM:

Everyone make their choices, depending on what they consider doable and what not. The question is if they make their questions to confirm what they already have in mind or to form an educated opinion.

---out of subject commend start---
I would like to make it right, on series one we have the TI (Cinema) Interface Board, not the LD/Enigma Board, that actually handles the cinelink encryption and most of the (series 2) ICP tasks.
In being hasty to write, I sometimes mix up the board names between series one and two projectors. Sorry. :-)
---out of subject commend end---

Anyway, in trying not to be exclusively negative:
Koroye, little I know about the market in Nigeria, but a few years back, when I was in Belgium, learning about the installation of Barco cinema projectors, I sat the course with a fellow patriot of yours, I could give you his e-mail upon request, in case you decide to follow that path and you don't know anyone to ask.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 03-24-2019, 01:33 PM:

Leo- I think you mean either single phase 208 with three wires or single phase 230 with a neutral. AFAIK "two phase" four wire systems were phased out (lol) many years ago.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-24-2019, 03:04 PM:

Sorry, yes, writing in haste.

Points taken about checking the cooling circuit and the keypad. The really critical buttons on the keypad are the numbers, because that can make it difficult to clear a tamper. All the other functions can be done through Communicator on a PC. If any of the number buttons don't work, which on older Barco keypads happens a lot, you need to reprogram the code in Communicator to one that does not include any of the dead numbers. Needless to say, the factory default code uses all the buttons, so even one of them going out will require a change (if a tamper has to be cleared before the keypad can be replaced).

The presence of cooling liquid under the correct pressure can be checked easily by looking at the manometer (should be 1 bar with the projector cold, per the official Barco instructions, but other techs, including one who worked for Barco themselves for many years, have told me that just as long as it's off the bottom and not significantly over 1.0, you're OK).

However, you have no way of knowing, with a used projector, when it was last changed. Furthermore, flushing out and replacing the coolant, and then repressurizing the system, in a Barco Series 1 pressurized circuit is a messy and fiddly procedure, one that I won't shed any tears if I never have to do again (and having recently upgraded the last of the DP100s in the last Barco Series 1 theater that we regularly service, my hopes are high on this!). Kudos to Barco for realizing that this was a serious design blunder, and replacing it with an unpressurized circuit in their Series 2 models.

Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 03-24-2019, 04:19 PM:

Newest Communicator allows tamper rest from laptop, don't know if it'll work on a DP2000.
I always though that the pressurization was to allow inverted use.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-24-2019, 04:28 PM:

Snort, chuckle, laugh, howl. Only one out of every ten of those manometers actually work. Worlds worst cooling system by design! Also keep some extra pumps around....

Mark

Posted by Koroye Seitonkumo (Member # 10558) on 03-25-2019, 07:44 AM:

Hi everyone.. seen all the responses.. most of it has been helpful, I don't understand all of it however.

1. It will be a first install... we have always used neodcp.. but lately a new cinema opened with a Christie cp2000 and they have affected our figures significantly, especially with the release of titles like Aquaman, Alita, Captain marvel etc..
2. We have more barco installers in my country than any other brand name.. and we realised if we didn't do something fast about a new projector especially with Avengers 4 on the way,we could be in some serious trouble.. we plan on getting a second projector in 18months
3. This projector comes with some spare parts a calculated les for our screen, a server, and it was serviced and warranty put on it( reason it moved from the US where it was to Germany) where the factory is.
4. The offer was about €11,000 with a new lamp, lens server and shipping to Nigeria.. it appeared to be the best deal at the moment as my only other option would have cost considerably more...

I hope my choice isn't very terrible at the end of the day.. the sellers have been quite helpful and responsive up this.. fingers crossed..

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-25-2019, 11:08 AM:

If that includes a lens, a server, some spares and shipping from Germany to Nigeria, then €11k isn't as bad a deal as some here have suggested. However, if you have no previous experience working with DCI compatible digital cinema equipment, I do think that trying to install it and set it up yourself would be a big stretch, and that help from a trained tech is something you're going to need. To distill the points above, and focus them on your equipment, the steps you'll need to accomplish are as follows.

1. Unpack the projector from its shipping packaging, then mount it on a pedestal, such that the lens is aligned to the height of your porthole.

2. Connect power to the projector.

3. Connect lamphouse ventilation to the projector.

4. Install the server in the rack.

5. Run network, HD-SDI, and alternative content signal cables from the server to the projector, audio processor, and any other devices on the management LAN that you wish the server to be able to control through cues (e.g. an automation controller or lighting dimmer). You may need to buy a network switch if you don't have one.

6. Figure out an IPv4 address scheme for your management LAN (everything will have static addresses), and write down the addresses you allocate to the different devices. This may be a completely new scheme, or integrating devices into an existing LAN. If the latter and it has a DHCP server, I'd suggest that you configure it such that it allocates DHCP addresses outside a given range within the subnet, and you use that range for static ones. Configure the addresses into all the devices that are already installed and in use (e.g. the audio processor) now.

7. Install Barco Communicator on the PC that you will use to operate the system, and any software needed to communicate with the server (e.g. a VNC client).

8. Install the lamp in the lamphouse, if necessary.

9. Install the lens in the projector.

10. Check the coolant pressure in the projector, and correct if necessary.

11. Power up the projector and server.

12. Clear the tamper alarm, if one is present. If you discover bad number keys during this process, change the code in Communicator to one that only uses the good buttons.

13. Set the IP addresses in the projector and server.

14. Check to see if the projector and server are communicating with each other successfully, and troubleshoot if not (e.g. TLS certificate needs recovering in the projector, firmware upgrades needed, etc.).

15. [possibly optional] Do firmware/software updates in the projector and server, such that they are now running current versions.

16. Check that the correct model of lens is configured into the software, then perform a lens home and return.

17. Run the projector self tests to check for errors. Troubleshoot if there are any.

18. Light the lamp, and set the current to its lowest allowed setting. Before doing this, double check and make sure that the model of lamp configured in the software is the same as the one that is actually, physically installed.

19. Project the Barco focus/framing test pattern, and set the focus, zoom and lens position roughly right. Save this lens file.

20. Project the red, green, blue, and white test patterns to check for dead pixels.

21. [Optional, unless it's horrendously bad] check and adjust convergence if necessary.

22. Adjust light output level to 14ft-l on a white test pattern.

23. [Optional] Do color calibration.

24. Using the focus/frame test pattern, create lens and screen files for flat, scope, and anything other ratios you need to support.

25. Using a peak white DCP as distinct from the projector's test pattern, check the light levels (ft-l), adjust, and save lamp files. Configure your preset macros to use CLO based on these readings.

26. Using a channel ID DCP, check the audio channel routing from media block to processor is OK, and correct if necessary. If yours is a 7.1 system, be careful to make sure that you don't have the HI and VI channels coming out of the back surrounds: this is an occupational hazard in Series 1 world.

27. [Optional] Do audio tune.

28. Connect and configure alternative content sources as necessary.

29. Configure and test server to projector automation functions if and as necessary (dowser open/closed, change preset, etc.).

30. Do any further server configuration as necessary (e.g. NTP source). Also, check the server for any problems at this stage, too, e.g. RAID drives with reallocated sectors.

31. Obtain your media block's public key certificate (.pem), and give this to studios and distributors for KDM issue.

32. Ingest and play a range of test content (Interop and SMPTE) to confirm that everything works.

33. Now that the projector has been running with the lamp on for a while, look at the temperatures (check the "refresh every 10 seconds" box) for a few minutes, to ensure that everything is running stable, and well within the comfort range. This is to check that the light engine's liquid cooling system and the lamphouse ventilation system are performing adequately.

34. Download and save a clone file from the projector. Do likewise from the server if it has this function; if not, make a note of any configuration settings that were changed from their factory defaults. Same for the audio processor, automation controller, etc. etc.

Posted by Koroye Seitonkumo (Member # 10558) on 03-26-2019, 01:09 AM:

Thanks alot for all the input..

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 03-27-2019, 07:25 PM:

Should mention that series 1 projectors do not have a separate Link Decrypter like the series 2. It is handled by the interface board. Depending on which type of interface board (security or not) it may or may not have a battery to worry about.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-28-2019, 10:15 AM:

Also should mention that I forgot to put "Check and if necessary adjust focus uniformity (Scheimpflug)" on the above list. It should be between 20 and 21, and I'd tag it as "optional unless egregious" for someone installing with limited knowledge and/or resources.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 03-28-2019, 04:35 PM:

Bravo Leo thats a very well typed out step-by-step how-to.