One of my DSS200s is constantly verifying the RAID State

[Nathan Paris]

What extensions do those diagnostic packages have? If I remember correctly, the DSS200 produces .tgz compressed TAR bals as log bundles.

You can try to open it yourself using software like 7Zip. If the file is corrupted, maybe it got corrupted during download. If it's corrupted on disk already, then I guess we've got another smoking gun.

When I open it up on the Mac in our office a console app opens that shows me them all as a text file (they are just saved as .log or .txt) and I get a lot of information to sift through but I don't know exactly where to look. Steve mentioned ATA errors but when I look up ATA I get 708 uses of that word, at least in "Cat.No.862-Aud1-devel.log"

[Marcel Birgelen]

The BIOS battery looks like a silver coin, it's a standard CR-2032 battery.

If the Dolby Log Analyzer didn't work, check if you can open the bundle using something like 7Zip and the bundle wasn't corrupted.

As for powering down your equipment every night... There is no definitive answer. The thing is though, in order to retain certificates, both in the server and the projector, it's generally best to leave them running 24/7. As for wear and tear on hardware: There are mixed reports on that one. In my personal observation, harddrives survive longer if you keep them rotating day and night...

[Leo Enticknap]

If you extract a log package per the attached instructions, the end result should be a .zip file that you can upload to the log analyzer. It's always worked for me.

Yeah, I'm calling it the Original Installation Disc. I guess I could not be much clearer. An update disc is something else. Although, you're going to need those too, if that's your preferred way of updating back to a version you're comfortable with.

Dolby produced two variants of ISO file for each DSS version - "install" and "upgrade." Upgrade is what is implies: booting from that ISO will upgrade (or downgrade) the server to that version, preserving all settings and DCP content. The upgrade ISOs are available on dolbycustomer.com. The Install ISO totally nukes that server, and gives you a server with that version as if it were fresh out of the factory. There are no warnings or "Are you sure you want to do this?" prompts when you boot that ISO: it just goes ahead and does it. For this reason, you have to ask Dolby tech support for that ISO, and they will ask you to confirm that you understand what you're doing.

One gotcha with the cat862 is that it requires a KDM for whatever version you install, that matches the version on the ISO you're booting from. If it doesn't have it, you will see "Error updating media block" on the transport tab when it tries to do it, immediately after rebooting following the server side install or upgrade. In your case, if your cat862 is on 4.9.1.22, you don't need the KDM to do a fresh reinstall of 4.9.1.22. But you do if you want to move to any other version, and would need to ask Dolby for that. The cat745 IMB does not need a license to upgrade.

I would suggest leaving your DSS200s powered for the remainder of their service life. The DCI security certificates are maintained by a rechargeable battery on the cat862 board when the server is unpowered. Those batteries will now be somewhere between 12 and 17 years old, I would guess, and therefore I would not want to rely on them with the board unpowered for any significant time. Remember that Dolby will no longer re-cert the cat862, so when it dies, you'll need a whole new server.

[Nathan Paris]

I managed to upload the logs into the Dolby Log Analyzer. I got the following information. The only edit I made was scribbling out the username and password since I know that's not allowed here, hopefully all of the other attached information is allowed here. If this helps anyone on what the issue might be, please let me know! Seems like the signs are pointing to the failing Cat 862 media block which is definitely a scary thought. It is suggesting that I upgrade to 4.9.5.2 but I imagine some of you all stay at specific versions for a reason so I don't know if immediately jumping to that version would help at all? I'm also not sure how I would go about updating to that version without a disc but it seems to say that the DSS200 and the media block would upgrade at the same time so I imagine I wouldn't need the KDM that Leo mentioned above?

EDIT: My Cat 862 hardware version is 4.8.6.2 while my DSS200 versions are 4.9.1.22. Does that seem right? I checked and that's the case for 6 of our 7 screens (didn't have a chance to check the final one) so I imagine that those versions line up with one another, but just wanted to add that in case.


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[Steve Guttag]

The BIOS battery is a CR2032 and it lives on the left side of the motherboard (if you are standing in in front of it. You will need to remove the CAT862 support plate (4 screws...2 on the CAT862 and two that go down to the motherboard.

The HA210 series is just 2 drives...one is a 1TB HUS722T1TALA604 (1W10001) and the other is a 2TB HUS722T2TALA604 (1W10002). They are pretty much the legacy Hitachi drives that ended up being the best. Western Digital kept them on as "legacy" server drives and are still offered with a 5-year warranty. GDC also uses them in their "box" servers like the SX-2000. I've used them in old IBM LMSes for the old Cinedigm TCC and they work well there too.

On the logs. The Link Decryptor thing...you can normally ignore that. I can't remember the time it wasn't flagged. If you see the secure logs downloading after every show, you should be good. If you don't let the show end and eject the show (stop-stop) then you will fill the enigma and it will brick.

The rest points to a CAT862 that is struggling.

One that can also be done is to reflash the CAT862. You will need the Software Update Utility from Dolby as well as a KDM for the version of CAT862 software you are loading. In the software update utility, there is a tick box for "reinstall all components" that should be ticked as it will effectively delete everything and let it be a "clean install." The software utility HAS TO USE USB...do not ever try it with Ethernet as you will lose connection when it reboots the CAT862. The USB port is on the same card slot as the DB25 for audio (it is a USB-B connector...aka "square").

That said, given the age of it and my experience with them, at this point, odds are, the end is near and it is no longer reliable. If you were my client, I'd be recommending server replacement ASAP. It's not an if, it's a when.

[Nathan Paris]

That said, given the age of it and my experience with them, at this point, odds are, the end is near and it is no longer reliable. If you were my client, I'd be recommending server replacement ASAP. It's not an if, it's a when.

I know there's probably a bunch of different "upgrade paths", but where this is something that's on its way out, what is the best Dolby server to upgrade to? We use Christie CP2220s and CP650s and CP750s in our theater along with DFC100s for our 3D screens. I don't know what's new (or newer) that's compatible with that equipment but I'll start looking into a replacement.

[Leo Enticknap]

The market for DCP servers in the US is dominated by three models: the Barco ICMP-X (soon to be superseded by the XS), the Dolby IMS3000, and the GDC SR-1000. The Barco will only work in a Barco projector, so that is ruled out for your use case. The Dolby and the GDC have a profile of strengths and drawbacks, discussion of which would require a separate thread, most likely. My suggestion would be that you discuss them with your regular dealer and/or service vendor before making a decision.

One thing to flag up is that it is possible to use the DFC100 spinning filter 3-D system with the IMS3000, though setting it up is quite a complicated procedure that includes re-doing the 3-D color calibration. I don't know for sure that it cannot be used with the SR-1000, but I would suggest checking this first before making a purchase decision.

Christie also make a server/IMB, but it doesn't have much market share (at least, among my customers). I don't know if it can be used with the Dolby 3-D system. The only option that I know for sure can be is the IMS3000.

You will need RJ45 to DB25 adapters to connect the AES3 audio from any of these servers to a CP650 or CP750. The IMS3000 ships with a "pin it yourself" one; not sure about the SR-1000. Older GDC servers shipped with an adapter that worked with a CP750, but only for channels 1-8 (so 5.1 plus HI/VI, or 7.1 without them).

[Steve Guttag]

Checking on an SR-1000...

It appears that the Dolby 3D stuff remains on the SR-1000:

image.png

[Leo Enticknap]

Thanks Steve. I wonder if that license is free on request, or if you have to pay extra for it. For the IMS3000, Dolby can give you a zip file containing a Windows app for calibrating the DFC100 (that, obviously, you also need a photoradiometer plus a set of glasses to do), that outputs a set of values that you then upload into the IMS3000 in a specific format. The one time I set up an IMS3000 with the Dolby 3-D system, there was no extra charge for this.

[Marcel Birgelen]

While I can clearly see a connection between shows failing to start due to Cat.862 issues, I don't see a direct connection to a RAID that keeps verifying. Both issues may be completely unrelated, still, the RAID constantly verifying itself isn't helping with the mission of conserving any life left in the equipment.

[Philip Jones]

The raid verifies every time you reboot the server, so as he's turning the power off every night he will see this every day when it is switched back on.

[Marcel Birgelen]

That's not the normal behaviour. It will do a weekly verification if you enable "Auto Verify". It will only do a verification if you do not shut it down properly. So, if you're just pulling breakers without shutting down the DSS200 every night via the proper route, it's normal to see a verification job on the RAID. Also, if you're doing that, you really should NOT do that.

[Steve Guttag]

Dolby 3D related:

I don't see a fee associated for it...just for HFR, at the moment (GDC joined the others in "free" 4K, but you still have to ask for it...same with Live Streaming from things like Kencast). Like Doremi, GDC used a wizard to calculate the color correction matrix. I can also confirm that the wizard (accessed using a specific URL to the server) is present on the SR-1000 so it looks like the GDC SR-1000 remains a viable candidate for existing Dolby 3D installations.

Furthermore, it is not really necessary to use the server to apply either color correction nor luminance balance. If one is careful, it can all be done with the ICP program. What's cool is, you get instant confirmation as you enter the measured values as they convert to corrected values. I've found that the biggest trick is not over-writing things as you go (and making sure you are correcting for the eye you are working on. Clearly, working on say left-eye first...getting all of done, then move to right eye...get its color right and finally balance the eyes.

Of the wizards, I've found Dolby's was the easiest, as one would expect, and most accurate. Barco's is all within the projector (which is where I discovered you can do it all on the ICP) but you have to ensure your frame rates are right. Barco also, since it uses its own color wheel allows for more frame rate/flash rate possibilities than the DFC100. It's been long enough now that I've forgotten where some frame rate conflicts emerge if you want to cover 24, 30, 48 and 60fps.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Interesting to follow this 3D topic. I never even thought about the fact that perceived/effective brightness would in fact change at an alternative frame rate (even for non 3D content). Outside of the 3D world I guess if you had a 30fps "feature" there should be a light file to go with 30fps variants? Thankfully have not had to deal with in our film repertoire that I am aware of. But I'd be curious to pay more attention to our TV series premieres and what frame rates they are shipping.

[Nathan Paris]

That's not the normal behaviour. It will do a weekly verification if you enable "Auto Verify". It will only do a verification if you do not shut it down properly. So, if you're just pulling breakers without shutting down the DSS200 every night via the proper route, it's normal to see a verification job on the RAID. Also, if you're doing that, you really should NOT do that.

We don't just flip off the breakers, but I'm curious now what the proper route is? We shut it off via a switch before flipping the breakers but now you've got me curious if there's a way to do it from the DSS200 control screen?