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Author Topic: Series 1 update requirement by 3/31/11 Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-03-2011 08:59 AM                     Has everyone heard and headed the news that ALL series 1 projectors (including Barco: DP90, DP100, DP1200, DP1500, DP2000, DP3000; Christie CP2000(all); NEC NC-800C, NC-1500C, NC-1600C, NC-2500S) are to be required to have a major (hardware) security update? Better yet, failure to perform this expensive update (typically between $3000-$5000 per projector...depending on brand and rebate plans offered) can be grounds for denying DCP content for being in violation of current DCI specs. The security update typically involves the replacement of the, brand-specific, controller board of the particular cinema projector. The replacement board will be wrapped in what is called a GORE covering that effectively makes the board commit suicide in the event it loses power for more than 6-months, is handled even marginally harsh (press to hard on it and it dies). The idea is, there will be no way to get to the electronics on the board. It is reasonably easy to damage the board just on installing it. We were told, at first, that only those theatres that collect VPFs in some manner (AccessIT/Cinedigm type deals) would be required since it was the VPFs that could be withheld if the updates were not done/verified (polling the projector remotely can show if the projector is suitably updated). There is now an ugly rumor that VPFs or not, the studios will be requiring it. This I have not been able to verify nor figure out how they would know if you have or have not updated. As most know, the KDMs do not tie to the projector itself...just the player (mediablock). The player is only concerned about the Cinelink (I or II as appropriate) connection with the projector. Has anyone out there got any real facts on this? The text that I have seen has stated: quote: the Exhibitor is responsible for the Projector to be retrofitted by March 31, 2011 with either the Gore security modification or the glued cable security modification.  This is a contractual exhibitor obligation per the studios’ requirement for compliance with the DCI Spec...Failure to meet this deadline could result in the studios not booking digital content on your digital systems. With something as large as this looming within this month, I would think there would have been chatter about it on the board. However it seems almost stealthy in nature...some exhibitors got emails...many did not. There hasn't been much talk in the tech circles either. Christie has issued their "Security Update" but one almost had to be looking for it, it seems...if you get it, the software is there for all of the CP2000s, regardless of suffix. Barco and NEC have been seemingly even more quiet on the subject. On the up side...at least for Barco (and probably the rest)...the update will turn that projector into an HDCP compliant projector (nice for things like DP100s that were probably never going to be updated any other way for HDCP). -Steve  |  IP: Logged David Zylstra Master Film Handler Posts: 432 From: Novi, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 03-03-2011 10:49 AM                     I heard it was supposed to be all series 1, not just the VPF governed ones - I'm not sure how they will determine compliance in the field for units not under a monitoring deal. I think many client-dealer relationships may get strained if there is additional $$ needed to keep recieving studio content for series 1 projectors that were sold within the last few years (i.e. for a 10 screen this is a $30,000-$50,0000 expense). The GORE board has been discussed in some circles for a while now (I knew about the upcoming requirement over 2 years ago). I have also noticed the lack of detailed information being put out there. I understand from a few sources that there is a significant out of box failure rate - any sharp bump by the UPS truck during delivery may trip the security and render a board useless.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-04-2011 03:20 AM                     Haha, great idea. So in the future any bump or slight earth shake, ultrasonic boom or similiar events may blow your projector useless. I hope someone will sue these jerks to death when shows fail. The projector manufacturers should simply ignore this idea. It's time to get a standing against the studios. I can hardly believe this, since 3/31/11 is too short for this to be accomplished anyway. Quite a few of these system should still be under basic dealer warranties. Yet what is meant by this alternative way to accomplish compliance? 'or the glued cable security modification.' Glueing a cable seems a lot easier to me than exchanging a board ;-) - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-04-2011 08:24 AM                     Christie is using the "glued cable" method and Barco is using the GORE board. We don't have any series-1 NECs in our service so I have not investigated their solution. The results are the same though...glued cable and GORE board have the same net result...the board is wrapped in a sensitive covering that commits suicide if treated a little poorly. I don't think an earthquake could set it off since, once the board is in the projector, nothing is touching the covering of the board anymore. -Steve  |  IP: Logged Amanda Mundin Expert Film Handler Posts: 122 From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK Registered: Sep 2005 posted 03-04-2011 11:19 AM                     So do all Series 2 projectors have this suicidal GORE board already installed from new?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-04-2011 11:34 AM                     No...they are completely different. They have an "enigma" board associated with the HDSDI inputs. You can tell the eingima...it is a metal bricks that just screams "stay away."  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-04-2011 02:03 PM                     This is what I know. The movie studios are in agreement that this new update is as close to the level of Series 2 security that they will get, and have agreed upon using it. This is because it is apparently easy to tie into the series 1 projectors to bootleg the crap Hollywood is making. (Not that this "upgrade" will stop anyone from videotaping the screen.) The issue now is whether theaters can continue running movies on their series 1 projectors without this expensive upgrade. Theaters in VPF deals supposedly have deadlines once the kits are "commercially available", but that's the issue on the definition of "commercially available" since production is just now getting going. Many people believe this issue will go away on its own and are not upgrading, and some theaters believe if the studios want this upgrade done that the studios should pay for it. Personally, I believe anyone not in a VPF deal should NOT be out the extra expense, but should be willing to do the upgrade if the parts are supplied by the studios at no cost and a reasonable field tech fee is paid per machine to have them installed. Bear in mind the studios can always throw a tissy and enforce it at any point they want, but as we all know they cannot do this overnight or it would hurt their bottom line. From everything I've heard, unless you're tied to a VPF deal, just sit on it and hold your ground unless the studios put a gun to your head. However if the theaters would get together and hold their ground (unlikely), the studios would end up having to pay for this if they want it done. Somebody really needs to remind the studios their crap isn't good enough to warrant the hassle of bootlegging. Whatever. Anyone with more specific info please feel free to correct me.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 03-04-2011 04:53 PM                     http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/electronic/anti-tamper/anti-tamper-respondent.html - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-05-2011 04:16 PM                        Note that home video will have the titles about as soon as we will; hence no need for security. Louis  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-05-2011 05:52 PM                        Security level 3 will be to embed a a GORE chip in the viewer's brain when he walks into the theatre; as soon as he's finished watching a movie, when he walks out of the theatre thru GORE beams, the movie is erased from this memory. Should he try to bypass the security chip and tell anyone what the movie is about or even hum the title theme, in other words, try to divulge the studio's intellectual, proprietary, copyrighted property, it will activate the Gore shield and evaporate those cells in his brain.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-06-2011 07:31 PM                     Okay, so enlighten me. Theater owners buy series 1 projectors in the rush to provide 3D and keep up with the competition. Then, the studios discover that the projectors are not foolproof and their product can be bootlegged. So, the studios decide that the exhibitors should pay to safeguard their product? If I am wrong, please correct my conclusion. If I am correct, then this whole industry is nuts, and there are some serious restraint of trade issues that need to be addressed.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-06-2011 08:17 PM                        Presumably, the people who bought the previous generation of equipment knew that what they were buying did not and could not meet DCI specifications without future upgrades or modifications. Since the film distributors (err..."content providers") indicated that they would be requiring compliance with the DCI specifications in the future, I don't really see why the buyers of the equipment would have any reason to complain. That said, this is a pretty bad PR move on the part of the equipment manufacturers and content providers, and it will discourage many exhibitors from converting to . For PR and customer-service reasons, the upgrade should be heavily subsidized. And, yes, the industry _is_ nuts, and has been for quite some time.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-06-2011 10:11 PM                        Please don'r act surprised by this (nuts.) Louis  |  IP: Logged David Stone Film Handler Posts: 75 From: Hornsby, Sydney, Australia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 03-10-2011 08:30 PM                     Hi everyone, I just received an email from the aussie suppliers that there is a mandatory hardware upgrade coming for doremi servers. Has anyone heard anything, Cheers, David.  |  IP: Logged Larry Zuverink Film Handler Posts: 98 From: Caledonia, MI, USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 01-20-2012 02:40 PM                     "On the up side...at least for Barco (and probably the rest)...the update will turn that projector into an HDCP compliant projector (nice for things like DP100s that were probably never going to be updated any other way for HDCP). " Christie is not. We just had our circuit upgraded and it definitely does not upgrade the series 1 projectors to HDCP. There are versions that do but if you are under a Cinedigm contract, it will not.  |  IP: Logged

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