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Topic: TMS/LMS recommendations

Rachael Barbash
Film Handler

Posts: 31
From: Columbus, Ohio, US
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 03-05-2019 09:26 AM

Hey,
We're hopefully replacing our decade old Cinedigm LMS soon and I just wanted to do some crowd sourcing to see what's out there and if you recommend what you've been using.

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Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-05-2019 11:50 AM

Depends on what servers you are using.
With GDC servers, the GDC TMS works well. I don't recommend them though if you want to use it as a content library. The CLA is not really user friendly. The Enterprise Storage RAID box is OK until it disconnects... which happens all too often: then the TMS starts using its local drive for content storage... that holds maybe one feature, plus all the content on the main RAID is missing until someone remounts the RAID.
We maintain a few dozen Dolby TMS systems that have a Promise RAID unit connected with SAS, these have been very reliable. With an added rack mount CRU bay, ingest is simpler than with the GDC. They are really meant to work with Doremi (Dolby) servers though, other servers may not be compatible.
There are obviously others: we have several clients with Cinedigm and Christie (Arts Alliance?) TMS systems, no real problems except I'm not very familiar with them so trouble calls don't always go well. I have some skepticism about the Windows based systems, going with a Linux OS seems better for a critical piece of kit. Dolby runs under Linux, I think GDC does as well.
The "generic" TMS systems should work with any servers.
There are niggling issues with some servers though. For example the Barco ICMP has one trick that no TMS seems to handle: an ICMP set in HDMI input will not play a DCP. You need to add a black pattern first in a playlist with an attached cue to switch to server input, with this workaround it will play OK. No TMS seems able to put that server black pattern in an ICMP playlist though. Not a big problem, but if you have a meeting or church using a room and using HDMI (or Displayport or SDI... any non-DCP source) and they leave it in HDMI mode... a subsequent scheduled DCP show will fail to run.
Doremi servers also have a black pattern but their IMB and IMS servers auto switch out into DCP playback if they're in an alternative content mode when a playlist starts. The Dolby TMS can put black pattern in a Doremi playlist, other TMS systems (most or all) use an MOS Black DCP for black content and can't put screen servers' internal patterns in a playlist.

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Greg Routenburg
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 178
From: Toronto, ON, Canada
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-05-2019 02:19 PM

I'm quite partial to the Cine Digital Manager solution. It's an independent TMS that works quite well with every server and projector that I've ever connected to it including the Dolby DSS line, GDC SX2000/SX3000s, Christie IMB and Doremi and the big three DLP machines. It's in active development and they're constantly adding new features. It auto-updates to deal with bugfixes if it's connected to the internet. They also have a very nice and affordable display solution that integrates with it to provide auditorium, concession and box office signage if you so desire.

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Annli Com
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 140
From: ShibuPaul-India
Registered: May 2014

posted 03-06-2019 04:45 AM

My Experince Best compleeted TMS one is only Screenwriter AAM.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-06-2019 07:49 AM

GDC TMS works best if it is built on an Enterprise type server with hardware RAID, similar to whats in the Cinedigm rack, but much newer. I hate the IBM servers Cinedigm used. You are wasting your time doing anything else. Plus one can acquire a couple year old R-710 or R-720 Dell server for a pittance and it will give you better life than any sort of desktop will. Servers that I have bought have been from clean rooms and are like brand new. You can run Windows Server or Windows 7 on the Dell server... your choice as all drivers are present. TMS runs well under either OS. Stay away from Windoez 10! Since the TMS is unlikely to be on the net just update either OS on install to the current level them shut updates off. Also, in either OS be sure to go into Admin and make sure all the CPU cores are turned on. Typically they will not be. I have TMS running pretty darn fast on R-720's and am able to transfer to 8 screens at once with out anything slowing down beyond the realm of the type of media switch you install.

Mark

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Sascha F. Roll
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 140
From: Berlin, Berlin / Germany
Registered: Sep 2015

posted 03-06-2019 08:12 AM

I also found AAM Screenwriter Plus to be the easiest to use.

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