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Author Topic: Christie PIB failures Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-15-2016 08:34 AM                     The PIB seems to be the most sensitive part of the CP2220 projector. I had two fail last week and another about a month ago. None of these projectors are connected to UPS, which I know is hugely important, but also hugely expensive. I wanted to see what your experiences have been with failures when the projector IS on a UPS. Do PIB failures become significantly more rare, or do they still continue to occur far too frequently? As far as I'm aware, these failures have all been when the projector was power cycled intentionally, so I'm not sure a UPS would have prevented the failures anyway.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-15-2016 09:29 AM                     UPS doesn't seem to matter. The PIB fails on powerup. Ask Christie about it, there are rumors of a revised PIB that eliminates this TOO COMMON failure.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-15-2016 10:46 AM                     hugely expensive?  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-15-2016 11:01 AM                     I agree with Marco's statement. quote: The PIB seems to be the most sensitive part of the CP2220 projector. I had two fail last week and another about a month ago. None of these projectors are connected to UPS, which I know is hugely important, but also hugely expensive. I wanted to see what your experiences have been with failures when the projector IS on a UPS. Do PIB failures become significantly more rare, or do they still continue to occur far too frequently? As far as I'm aware, these failures have all been when the projector was power cycled intentionally, so I'm not sure a UPS would have prevented the failures anyway. Tell us Ken, how much is the replacement PIB? I have been buying Tripp-Lite 2200va UPS for around $600-800 per location and have NEVER had any PIB failures. The projector electronics are kept awake at all times, except for extreme outages which drain the UPS. Also, the UPS provides surge and spike protection which IMHO is more important than the back up time. (Although having that back up time to allow the projector lamp, light engine and electronics to have fan forced cooldown is super important.) And since I protect the server as well, any power glitch means the show can go on without a reboot of projector and server, just restrike the lamp and maybe back up show a few minutes. For a 25,000+ projector I find it disturbing that you consider a UPS costing no more than a grand "hugely expensive."  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-15-2016 11:31 AM                     No UPS in not the problem, the PIB design is. Many - way too many - fail whether on UPS or not.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-15-2016 01:04 PM                     Thanks, Dave, for confirming what I suspected. I had a feeling they were failing either at power off or, more likely, power on. Tony, why did you lighlight the part about the PIB failing when the projector is power cycled in your quote? That shows that I agree with Dave and that a UPS probably would not prevent this. Believe me, I understand the benefits of having one. And the servers and automations are all on small desktop-style UPSs, but these are not adequate to power the projectors. As for price, A.) it's not my money, and B.) add up the cost to outfit an entire complex, and "hugely expensive" starts to seem like an appropriate term. I am not questioning the benefit of having one or that the cost is justified. My comment about the price really wasn't even relevant to my question and I shouldn't have made it. I was simply asking if a UPS would prevent PIB failures.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-15-2016 01:41 PM                     We have not had PIB failures (yet, it would appear)...about 95% of all our projectors and servers are on a UPS. Depending on how fancy one goes $500-$1000 for a UPS on this stuff is VERY cheap insurance. That said, UPS batteries don't last forever (typically 3-5 years) so it is an ongoing expense. There is no way one can logically term them hugely expensive though. Yes, if you add them up in a complex they do add up...but then again so do the projectors and servers when you add them up (kind of scales together). It is certainly up to the person with the $$$ to decide but they don't get to complain at increased failures (in general, not just pointing out the PIB). I have not had the PIB failures, as mentioned...I have many ICP failures in the ZX/M stuff in series 1 though (as well as a lot of LVPS for the ZX/M...conversely, the 2000S/SBs are tanks). Looks like I've recently run into a case on a pair of CP2210s where if you don't power cycle the PIB occasionally, it can have distortion on the DVI inputs (streaking or little blocks next to otherwise straight lines).  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 02-15-2016 02:46 PM                     A UPS should be part of your system. It protects your 30-50k investment, prevents lamp explosions, cancelled shows, damages... Because it does not serve an obvious, visible purpose you shouldn't label it as 'expensive'. It's much less expensive than your light engine but you wouldn't buy a projector without one  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-15-2016 03:02 PM                     Christies and most Barco projectors can use a reasonable size UPS (~1000VA) to power the projector electronics, with only the lamp supply powered directly on mains. Doing this is wise if you have at-all dodgy power, recovering from a power flicker takes seconds rather than minutes... and you get enhanced surge protection.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-16-2016 07:42 AM                     In my post above regarding the CP2000ZX/M change ICP to PCM...damn alphabet soup!  |  IP: Logged Buck Wilson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 894 From: St. Joseph MO, USA Registered: Sep 2010 posted 02-16-2016 05:48 PM                     ^^^Speaking of which, what even is PIB? Power input board?  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-16-2016 06:13 PM                     Projector Intelligence Board (seriously)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-19-2016 12:46 PM                     I don't have any screens that are NOT on a UPS.... Been replacing lots of batteries lately though. They are pretty inexpensive in hundred lot quantities. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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