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Author Topic: CineStore SoloG3 - repair, is it worth it? Peer Tritz Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Berlin, Kreuzberg, Germany Registered: Apr 2019 posted 05-16-2019 12:26 PM                     Hi Guys, I've salvaged a Barco CineStore SoloG3, little did I know it had no drives or ram... The server is EOL by Barco, if I got new ram & drives for it, is it even worth the effort? I would only want to use it with series 1 projectors but would it still do the job? Is it even still possible to get the install file for the SMS software V5.7? (if anyone has any tips on getting it, that would be appreciated). Also, is the process just as simple as getting the software and installing it or are there other factors that I must consider? Best regards Peer  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 05-16-2019 12:58 PM                     Barco? I thought that was an XDC - which I believe was subsequently acquired by Barco indeed. I am not very familiar with the thing but in any case I would try and spend very little (=0) on it before you can test it. See if you can borrow some drives and RAM for a test.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-16-2019 03:14 PM                     The essential question is, will you be able to source the latest software release and perform an installation. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Ioannis Syrogiannis Expert Film Handler Posts: 147 From: Reykjavík, Iceland Registered: Jun 2005 posted 05-16-2019 05:05 PM                     The key question here is not RAM nor HDDs, it’s the media block. Is it present? Is it working? If not, better use it to run something useful.  |  IP: Logged Peer Tritz Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Berlin, Kreuzberg, Germany Registered: Apr 2019 posted 05-17-2019 05:58 AM                     So I have 2 media blocks that are identical see the photo. I don't know much about how current they are... but if anyone can confirm they are still viable I will try contacting Barco about the software  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 05-17-2019 10:16 AM                        If it's been powered down for a significant time, the chances are significant that it's bricked, I'm afraid. Media blocks have either a battery or a supercapacitor in them, that stores the TLS certificate while the device has no mains power. Per DCI, this certificate has to be stored in volatile memory. For ones with a battery (e.g. Doremi Dolphin), you need to replace it per the recommended schedule. For ones with a soldered on supercap, it's important not to leave them for too long without power. Personally I'd say power them up for a few hours every month at the absolute least. That having been said, following the breakdown of one in service, I once took a DSP100 down from a shelf where it had been sitting for 15 months, fired it up, and it was still good! I wasn't really expecting that to happen, but had nothing to lose by trying.  |  IP: Logged Peer Tritz Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Berlin, Kreuzberg, Germany Registered: Apr 2019 posted 05-17-2019 11:55 AM                     Thank you Leo. So I suppose I will try to get it powered up with bare minimum hardware; try to coerce Barco for a functional software version and confirm that the TLS certificate is still present. I will probally fail with Barco, so Is there any kind of alternative open source OS I can use just to verify the TLS certificate is still there? (can it be done in windows? in other words?) I ask as a blan B if/once Barco shuts me down...  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 05-17-2019 03:20 PM                     This is very early hardware, and not necessarily DCI compliant. There may not even be a stored certificate on these media blocks. Some of these early cards were just JPEG decoder boards, and everything else was handled in server software. This media block (as many other early media blocks) was built by german (Berlin) company MikroM. I don't know if they still exist. https://www.cpi.co.jp/upfile/MVC200-DC.pdf Plan B would be to find someone else with a working Solo G3 and try to clone it's disc. The question is, are you specifically interested in a Solo G3, or would you simply want to own a low cost DCP playback server? In that case, you should maybe try to get a second hand DSS200. They can be bought under 1000€ occasionally, and they still receive limited software support and are fully SMPTE compliant. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Peer Tritz Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Berlin, Kreuzberg, Germany Registered: Apr 2019 posted 05-17-2019 03:32 PM                     Thank you for the extra info, that is helpful. I already spent 400 euro getting it... not really knowing what I was getting myself into in the first place. IF I can find a low cost DSS200 I'd be happy, I'd also be happy to get this Solo G3 running too giving old hardware a new life is always worth it, if possible.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 05-18-2019 02:07 AM                     You said ‘salvaged’! 400 for an XDC G3 is way too much. I hope you can make it working!  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 05-18-2019 04:31 AM                     quote: Carsten Kurz This is very early hardware, and not necessarily DCI compliant. There may not even be a stored certificate on these media blocks. Some of these early cards were just JPEG decoder boards, and everything else was handled in server software. They should still be fully DCI compliant, at least with the latest software. Some houses that switched to digital early under XDC contracts were outfitted with those machines and some of them are still running on those. It will be pretty hard to get any support though, since they've been EOL for quite some time now and if they were powered down, you indeed probably looking at missing certificates.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-18-2019 12:21 PM                     Generally when someone takes the ram and drives from such a unit, it's been declared junk. Why? Who knows. It seems maybe more usable than the totally obsolete Kodak players littering booth storage shelves, though. Barco still has v5.7.4 software available. Maybe with drives and ram it will be possible to get it going? Not sure about current usability, the SMPTE package has evolved considerably since 2012 although they do mention SMPTE mapping capability in the release notes. I do not know if software will install to clean drives. For a hobby cinema maybe try and get it going or find a DSS cheap. If you're running a cinema as a business then get a current server. There are a (very) few still made that can work with an S1 projector. You will need almost certainly need a projector compatible with Cinelink TLS, the TI interface card version decides that.  |  IP: Logged

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