Barco DP2k-19B not showing subtitles

[Carlos G Campillo]

Hello, everyone. I've been lurking on the forums for a while, but today I might need a bit of your wisdom.

I work in a non-profit theatre in Mexico. We hace a DP2K-19B Barco projector on one of our screens, with a GDC SX3000 server.

A couple of weeks ago we started having issues with the projector, which won't show subtitles on ingested DCP files. It will screen the clean version or dubbed version just fine, but subtitles won't load/show on screen. Even subtitles on previously ingested DCPs ceased to work.

On diagnostics we get a "Unable to retrieve file size from server message" (I've attached a photo so you can check it out).

Anybody have any ideas of what might be going on?

All help is appreciated.

[Leo Enticknap]

It looks like you're using the Cinecanvas renderer (server sends subtitle data to projector, when renders the text and burns it into the image), which, for some reason, has stopped working. I'm guessing that rebooting everything has already been tried, and that the software/firmware bundles in both the Barco and the GDC are current? That having been said, if you've been playing recently released, subtitled feature DCPs with no problems for a while, and now they are suddenly not working and nothing has changed with the equipment, the problem is likely not that you have very old software/firmware in either the projector or the server/media block that doesn't support SMPTE DCPs with encrypted timed text. This was my initial suspicion, and the most likely reason why subtitles suddenly stopped working during the Interop to SMPTE transition a few years ago.

Maybe try this test DCP, to ensure that it's not a content issue?

[Ryan Gallagher]

Along Leo's lines of thinking. I would also suggest checking if you still have any features or trailers handy that "used to work". And try them again.
And/or see if the problem is limited to SMTPE dcps as leo suggests.

[Harold Hallikainen]

As I recall, a GDC server can also do subtitle rendering in the server. If so, you might try that.

[Leo Enticknap]

The SR-1000 can, but I'm not sure if something as old as the SX-3000 can. The SX-3000 is not on the list of compatible servers for the ICP-D (at least, it wasn't the last time I looked), which does not support Cinecanvas at all; which leads me to believe that the SX-3000 likely can't burn subtitles into the image in the media block. If I remember correctly (I only have one remaining service contract customer using an SX-3000, and I don't have remote access to her server), there is a Cinecanvas tab in the SMS config window, which leads me to believe that all it can do is pass timed text to the projector for rendering in the ICP.

[Leo Enticknap]

The SR-1000 can, but I'm not sure if something as old as the SX-3000 can. The SX-3000 wasn't on the list of compatible servers for the ICP-D the last time I looked, which does not support Cinecanvas at all. This leads me to believe that the SX-3000 likely can't burn subtitles into the image in the media block. If I remember correctly (I only have one remaining service contract customer using an SX-3000, and I don't have remote access to her server), there is a Cinecanvas tab in the SMS config window, which leads me to believe that all it can do is pass timed text to the projector for rendering in the ICP.

Sorry - duplicate post, because my crappy hotel wifi connection borked out just as I pressed send the first time.

[Carlos G Campillo]

Thanks all for your time. We'll do some tests today and will get back to you with our results.

Still not sure what the problem is, do you think it might be an issue with the ICP?

[Steve Guttag]

I believe that starting with the SX2000AR and the SX3000 (things that run on version 9.00 of the software) Subtitle Overlay is available.

Screen Shot 2024-07-18 at 2.39.29 PM.png

If you tick that box, it should disable CineCanvas and have the server render the subtitles.

Now, you will need access to the "Maintenance" section of the Configuration to enable it and that is only possible when the show isn't running.

[Carlos G Campillo]

Maybe try this test DCP, to ensure that it's not a content issue?

Does the test DCP requiere KDM?

[Carlos G Campillo]

Does the test DCP requiere KDM?

[Jason Raftery]

I believe that starting with the SX2000AR and the SX3000 (things that run on version 9.00 of the software) Subtitle Overlay is available.

Screen Shot 2024-07-18 at 2.39.29 PM.png

If you tick that box, it should disable CineCanvas and have the server render the subtitles.

Now, you will need access to the "Maintenance" section of the Configuration to enable it and that is only possible when the show isn't running.

Server-side subtitle overlay is indeed supported on the 9x servers--it's also available on the 8x models like the SX-2001A and SX-2000A. Definitely more reliable in recent software builds than CineCanvas in my experience.

Leo, the SX-3000 and SX-2000AR/TR are compatible with the ICP-D when both are running current software.

[Leo Enticknap]

The SMPTE test DCP should be unencrypted - I downloaded it years ago and have ingested it into countless servers since without issue.

[Carsten Kurz]

The 'current' ISDCF SMPTE test DCPs do require KDMs, and for a good reason, as they would also test a servers ability to decrypt and show timed text/subtitles that are encrypted MXF asset files.

There used to be some unencrypted version on the ISDCF SMPTE pages, but it seems their links have been lost over time. Follow the instructions on the pages below to receive your KDMs.

These two places have test content:

https://www.isdcf.com/smpte-dcp-tests/

https://www.smptedcp.com/resources/test-package