Barco ICMP-X with CP950A Atmos gotcha

[Leo Enticknap]

Thought this would be worth writing up, as it cost me a couple of hours and resulted in a few expletives.

I'm installing a CP950A with an ICMP-X (in a new SP4K), in an Atmos house. After the initial configuration, I hit a problem whereby the ICMP-X wouldn't see the Atmos promo DCPs (Leaf, Amaze, Shattered, etc.) on the drive I carry around in my toolbox. I have used that drive to ingest into countless other ICMPs, and this one saw all the non-Atmos DCPs on it; but the Atmos ones just didn't appear. When I put a couple of them on a separate drive, the ICMP counted the files in the ingest tab, but then said "No content" when it had done so.

After a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the reason turned out to be a new feature in the CP950A software/firmware bundle version 2.3.2.5, whereby in an Atmos configuration, you have to tell it what make of DCP server the input to the cat1710 board is connected to, as so:

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Note that the release notes contain an error: this field is not in the Atmos Connect Protocol field (network > Dolby Atmos connect), but rather in system > preferences.

Anyways, once I'd set this field and rebooted both devices, the ICMP-X saw the Atmos DCPs, ingested them, and played them. The encrypted content tester also played OK. So for anyone updating a CP950A in an Atmos house from an earlier version to 2.3.2.5, you have to do this extra step afterwards.

[Carsten Kurz]

Strange. Why/how could a CP950 setting prevent an ICMP from seeing content?

[Leo Enticknap]

The only reason I can think of is that the ICMP-X will only see IAB CPLs and offer them for ingestion if it has a valid and open connection to an IAB decoder. The CP950A on the earlier software versions didn't need to be told what model of server/media block it was being fed by, but after this new version was installed, the connection was broken until it had been told that it was connected to a Barco.

I can't remember if, when I've connected my drive of test DCPs to ICMPs that were not in an Atmos house, it saw the Atmos DCPs on it and offered them for ingestion or not. I wouldn't have been looking for them, and therefore likely wouldn't have noticed if they didn't appear. Given that most IAB DCPs also have conventional PCM audio on them for backup, I guess this could be a problem if a non-Atmos house tries to ingest an Atmos plus PCM feature, if that explanation is the right one.

[Steve Guttag]

So, is the only brand that they didn't specifically list (in current production) is GDC? They might as well call mode 1 Barco, Mode 2 Sony and Mode 3 Qube. I guess they don't want to put any other brand names into the software itself.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Note that the release notes contain an error: this field is not in the Atmos Connect Protocol field (network > Dolby Atmos connect), but rather in system > preferences.

I wonder if they meant "under" literally there... as in you'll find it below the or associated with the atmos connect selection in your screenshot.

But yeah, usually I read "under" in such documents as under in the nav tree. Under "preferences" for sure.

Our DCP2K4 definitely sees atmos and IAB content and permits ingestion... even HDR stuff too, but there is no IMB or 950A here so that would be expected.

[Magnus Eriksson]

What web browser did you use?

[Carsten Kurz]

I regularly ingest and play ATMOS DCPs on our non-ATMOS Sony system. I never tried ingesting ATMOS CPLs on our ICMP system next to it. Will have a look.

[Leo Enticknap]

What web browser did you use?

Initially Firefox (which I've used to work ICMP web UIs for almost a decade without issue), but I also tried Opera to rule out a browser issue, with the same result. I also cleared the cache and tried multiple F5 refresh attempts, again with no change in behavior. I'm 99.9% certain that not displaying those CPLs was coming from the ICMP-X rather than the browser.

[James Gardiner]

My guess is that it may be connecting to the Player via FTP to inspect the XML and other files directly in the ingested CPL and essences.. Different vendors all have different methods or directory structures, so specification was a better path then trying to work it out on the fly.

[Mike Renlund]

I'm hoping I can help a little here.

Dolby CP950A has had the Server Compatibility Mode (CP950 doesn't need it) beginning with our beta software 1.9. It is a part of every version since. The selection is needed due to the different way that server manufacturers present the public certificates (XML) to the CP950A and other file based operations. Dolby tested the servers from other manufacturers in the QA phase of our work with the CP950A. When differences were determined that required intervention on our part to ensure "compatibility", we created a new "mode". Then continued testing. It could have worked out that more than one manufacturer should use a particular "mode", so we stuck with the "mode" names rather than identify a particular server or servers.

Hope this makes sense.

Mike Renlund at Dolby

[Leo Enticknap]

It makes sense, but the noteworthy behavior I was experiencing was on the Barco (ICMP-X) end, not the Dolby end. Until the CP950A had been set to compatibility mode 1, the Barco server's ingest page would not display Atmos CPLs on a shipping drive, or allow them to be ingested. This was all new equipment (I.e. not a change of behavior after a software/firmware upgrade on either unit): when I do a new install, I always update all the equipment to whatever is the current software/firmware bundle version before any further configuration, unless there is a known issue with the current version that would lead me to install an earlier one. So by the time I tried to ingest any test content, the former was on 1.9.7 / 1.4.4.30, and the latter was on 2.3.2.5. As I wrote earlier, the only explanation I can think of that makes any sense is that the Barco ICMP-X does not consider itself capable of playing IAB CPLs unless it has a valid and open connection to an IAB decoder, and therefore won't offer any that it finds on shipping drives or FTP servers for ingestion; and that until the CP950A knew that the public certificate it was being offered was coming from a Barco, that connection was not valid and open.

Annoyingly, I don't look after any other sites with an ICMP (any variant) and a CP950A playing IAB, and so can't see if I can replicate this at another one. All the other IAB/Atmos sites I look after use either an IMS, DSS, or GDC as the server.

[Steve Guttag]

This sort of begs the question. If a studio single-inventories future titles such that an IAB version, that includes its backup version in 5.1 (anything Sony) or 7.1 (most everyone else), the ICMP series wouldn't acknowledge being able to play the non-IAB tracks.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

Being accustomed to the way the (no brand-exclusive) servers are treating projectors. That is, one needs to determine what kind of projector is connected (if not change the faceplate of the IMB as well). I would expect that choice to be made on the server's side, instead of the audio processor. Meaning, the server developers to align their way of presenting the public certificates to CP950A, instead of the other way around.
This is not a complaint against Dolby, that is trying to make things work, but this non-homogenous function should raise a flag on the next ISDCF meeting or whomever cares about and works for standards and interoperability.

[Steve Guttag]

I don't know about you, I'm nonplussed that Barco has a license requirement on their S4 projectors for non-Barco servers. That flies right in the face of concept that the exhibitor should be able to choose whatever brand server, projector, sound system they want. As it is, they price the ICP-D as a bit of an accommodation rate to ensure that their ICMP is a (significantly) cheaper alternative to the 3rd party servers.

[Leo Enticknap]

Agreed: they're obeying the letter of the interoperability law, while in practice doing everything they can to discourage the use of servers other than ICMPs in their projectors. OK, they don't charge extra for the license, but obtaining it is one more hurdle that has to be jumped over during the installation process.