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Author Topic: Dolby DSS200->NEC2500: Only White Image Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-12-2011 03:19 PM                     Someone just emailed me about a problem he is having with his DSS200 - he wiped the old software and upgraded to 4.3.0.0. Now when he is trying to play, the NEC only outputs a white image. He claims he has reconstructed certificates, Macros, etc. Can someone pinpoint the cause? I told him to contact his servicetech and that he shouldn't have done what he has done, but... - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-12-2011 03:39 PM                     Was this done single disc upgrade? V4.3 has been known to be glitchy during that process, and not upgrade the media block properly. Also if it was done without a KDM for the media block part (and by the sound of it 'someone' didn't know what he or she is doing), the media block and DSS200 will now have mismatched software. I don't know what the outcome of that would be, but it won't be good. 'Someone' should try downgrading back to V4.2 perhaps?  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 08-12-2011 03:40 PM                        If the system was working correctly before the software upgrade, the first step I would take is to reload the software and see if that fixes it. If that does not work I would downgrade back to 4.2.1 If that doesn't work then I would do some different trouble shooting! Chase  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-12-2011 05:03 PM                     I found it hard to believe, but the thing started with just a single failed drive. He had 4.1 on the DSS200 before and so the RAID rebuild had to be started manually. He looked it up in the DSS200 setup manual, tried various things, maybe had problems with the language - then he came back to me and said the server had rebooted and was now just showing a blinking shell login prompt. That was during the night and he said he had a show coming up around noon. I told him the rebuild with full drives would need quite some time which he should have granted the unit before fiddling around with it any further. He inquired about wiping the system completely, I told him not to do it but instead call service before he tries something like that. Next thing is he tells me he has 4.3.0.0 on it now and updated the MediaBlock, but is only playing white now... Communication is only in fragments. I was just posting here in case anyone experienced the white screen thing before and if that would pinpoint to a specific setup issue. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 08-12-2011 06:21 PM                        Is it possible that he is seeing a white screen that is snow with some colors mixed in? If so the server is not making a security connection with the projector.  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-13-2011 05:27 AM                     First off, updates should never be applied with a drive down in the RAID I've seen issues like this after an update, and it was that the media block had not taken the update correctly. The result on screen was as described by Chase. A kind of random white snow with radily moving pixels of different colours. Not solid white though.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 08-13-2011 05:50 AM                     Well, he already had a new drive in, but wether the RAID had already been rebuilt with it, I don't know. Seems they also did not find the original Software (4.1?) for the reinstall. From where they got the 4.3, I also don't know. He answers few questions... Regarding the system software, I like the Doremis with their flash-based approach and their option to have a current backup on a USB stick. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-13-2011 01:02 PM                     I would check to ensure that the Cinelink is set right...Cinelink II DH should work unless it is a very old projector. This guy is clearly getting some sort of help since these upgrades require KDMs from Dolby to upgrade/update the Cat 862 (even if on a downgrade). I have done the 4.3.0.36 update MANY times now both updating the Cat 862 manually and also by having a KDM on a thumb drive in the front of the player...never a failed update. Note, once a player goes up to 4.3.0.36, one has to either go through an elaborate deconfig procedure OR use an "INSTALL" disc to downgrade. However, on an INSTALL...ALL (and I mean ALL) content is wiped from the Raid so one better have a means to load the default content on first (back it up to a CRU drive)...thinks like the black clips, tests, feature presentation snipes...etc. In any case...Dolby Tech support should be the place to call to get this screen back up.  |  IP: Logged Matt Fields Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 545 From: Ohio, United States Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-14-2011 09:05 AM                     I have had this problem with one of my DSS 200's before. I do not know if it is software specific, but what I've done to fix it is to turn off the server, take out and reseat the hard drives and then reboot. I have no idea why that works, but it does for me. This has fixed the problem twice for me.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 08-14-2011 09:38 AM                     I thought digital was perfect & problem free. . . . .  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-14-2011 11:51 AM                     That's true Jim, because film equipment has never, ever failed either.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-14-2011 03:32 PM                     I woulda thought that Dolby would have done away with needing a KDM to do upgrades on the 200. That aspect is one I always hated on the 100 and actually found ludricous... Other servers require just a password to do an upgrade or downgrade making it very easy to accomplish on the fly or in an emergency. I seem to remember it was a security issue with the 100... But then the Sho-player will kill itself even if you remove the top cover, so how secure does it have to be?? I'd hate to have to have a KDM to upgrade every projecto I've ever fed firmware into! I'd be very inclined to use Dolby products if it were'nt for this single thing.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-14-2011 09:43 PM                     The KDM thing is no bigger hassle than having a password...in fact, it is less...nothing to type in. Once you have it, you have it. -Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-15-2011 06:29 AM                     I respectfully disagree Steve... different KDM is required for each server... I donno about you or everyone else here but the exhibition industy operates 7 days a week. Try getting one on a Saturday or Sunday! Isn't going to happen through the usual channels. Passwords are not tied to a specific server hence once you have a password stored on your phone notes you have it and it works on all a given manufacturers servers. Sorry but the password method offers far better support than requesting, and waiting for a kdm to show up in email. Everyone uses an OS hard drive. If that failed on a Friday night there is a high probability that you'd be down all weekend on that screen... The originator of this thread seems to be in that predicament. Before he or you for that matter would be off the phone from requesting that KDM I'd already be done reloading my firmware. Again.... from the several Dolby classes I have attended the requirement of a KDM is some security aspect. Today that seems totally unnecessary with available technology. Other server manufactures seem to have side stepped it without any issue. Mark Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-15-2011 08:34 AM                     Mark, The point is...once updated...the KDMs exist for that player locally...yes a separate KDM is needed for each player but like other KDMs...a ZIP file can contain all of the KDMs for the complex. The KDM is tied to the media block only...to reload the OS one does NOT need any KDM with Dolby...just the Upgrade or Install disc (upgrade version is downloadable from the secure site). Unlike some, the OS is on the RAID with Dolby so it has the same protections, redundancy as everything else on the RAID. One need not worry about a single point of failure like those with a single OS drive. The only reason for the KDM thing is so Dolby can collect money for updates to their system as they bring new features on-line. Since they come with a 2-year free software update policy (and that has been stretched in the past since all DSP100/DSS100 systems are also entitled to free 4.2.1.3), they pretty much cover the person that buys the system and might need bug fixes or some recent feature enhancement. -Steve  |  IP: Logged

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