Barco SP2K Ingest from Hard Drives

[Geoff Power]

Slowly getting to grips with our newly installed Barco SP2K-11 projector, but finding DCP ingest from hard drives via USB2 is painfully slow. I'm only a volunteer projectionist for a small art-house cinema, and I do the show setups once a week. Just lately we've had several DCPs come in on HD as opposed to Lansat, and the last one took over 2 hours to ingest, and wasted a lot of my time. Is there a better way than an old drive caddy with USB2 lead? I guess the Sata socket on it is of no use, and I can't find a USB3 caddy available in the UK.

[Steve Guttag]

USB3 is the way to go. When I sell IMB/IMS systems, I always have a means to ingest via USB3 available. eSATA is a flaky cable, at best. There is barely any friction on them and they really have a problem with distance. I'm surprised you can't get a CRU "Move Dock" in the UK.

Here is the web page for it:

https://www.cru-inc.com/products/dig...nema-movedock/

Note, they have both with and without the eSATA port (costs more to have the eSATA (the "S" version).

The part number with the UK power plug is 6603-4082-0901
The 3S version is:6603-6782-0900

[Dave Macaulay]

Definitely ditch USB2.
The USB3 CRU docker transfers pretty close to gigabyte network transfers. USB2 ingest would take roughly the playing time for 2D 2K movies, I expect it to take considerably longer for a 3D 4K movie.
The USB3 CRU dock is surprisingly cheap. Not cheap for what's in it (not much) but most digital cinema stuff is crazy expensive. Note that the ICMP server has both USB2 and USB3 ports, use the right ones!
I agree that eSATA is not great. It isn't appreciably faster than USB3 and the connectors are dodgy - particularly with the typically very stiff cables.

[Geoff Power]

Thanks Steve and Dave. You both mention Sata connectivity but I can't see a Sata input on the ICMP server front panel - am I missing something, or would it involve getting inside the unit?

[Dave Macaulay]

I don't have one in front of me, probably confused between Barco ICMP and Dolby IMS. If you don't see an eSATA connector that's the likely explanation. Sorry about that.
The eSATA was much better than USB2 if the server supported it and CRU hadn't yet upgraded to USB3 for their docks. The CRU dockers have always had an eSATA capability.
We have added eSATA to Doremi chassis servers but please don't poke around inside an ICMP trying to do that.

[Steve Guttag]

With USB3, you can also play directly off of the drive (not advisable but it can save you in a pinch).

[Leo Enticknap]

The Alchemy/ICMP doesn't have an eSATA port - sorry.

An alternative would be to put a 5.25" internal CRU reader into a PC running either a native Linux-based OS (e.g. Ubuntu) or Windows with the Paragon reader software, and FTP DCPs into the ICMP using a gigabit patch cable.

[Carsten Kurz]

I guess it depends on the type of disk the DCP comes on. Most standard 2.5" portable DCP drives nowadays come with a USB3.0 interface.
The ICMP(-X) has two USB2.0, and two USB3.0 sockets - so, use the USB 3.0 socket whenever possible. When you have to ingest from a CRU drive, most places have the old USB2.0/eSATA Movedock on site - but there is a USB3.0 version available as well. You can get the USB3.0 Movedock from CRU, or, sometimes cheap on eBay. You could also use the old USB2.0/eSATA Movedock with an additional USB3.0->eSATA converter.

https://www.cru-inc.com/products/dig...nema-movedock/

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

...
You could also use the old USB2.0/eSATA Movedock with an additional USB3.0->eSATA converter.
...

I wonder whether it would work as plug-and-play on Alchemy, such a converter.

[Pete Naples]

Geoff,

As you have a Lansat, ingest into the Lansat via it's CRU dock, then network transfer to the ICMP-X.

I know that sounds like double-handling, but will likely be faster than ingesting into the ICMP-X over USB2

[Geoff Power]

I'm pretty sure our Lansat box doesn't have a CRU dock, unless it's hidden round the back somewhere. I'll have a scrabble round when I'm back in Monday (showing the Silent Twins ironically, which is the one that took >2hours!). We do still have the old Barco DCP-2K4 server, so I could ingest onto that and then onto the ICMP-X. As you say Pete, it sounds a little cumbersome. Meanwhile I've asked the boss to spend £150 on a MoveDock USB3 from USA, but having just spent £45k plus on the SP2K and screen I'm less than optimistic!

Talking of the new screen, it arrived folded up from Italy, and needless to say has some nasty creases down the sides! We hope they'll drop out eventually.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

USB3 is the way to go. When I sell IMB/IMS systems, I always have a means to ingest via USB3 available. eSATA is a flaky cable, at best. There is barely any friction on them and they really have a problem with distance. I'm surprised you can't get a CRU "Move Dock" in the UK.

ESATA and SATA have a 3.3 foot cable length limit...

[Carsten Kurz]

I wonder whether it would work as plug-and-play on Alchemy, such a converter.

Any USB disc, as the Movedock itself, uses standard mass storage USB-SATA bridges and work on the ICMP(-X). Why should a detached USB-SATA bridge not?

Geoff - USB3-eSATA converters for the existing Movedock can be bought from 10-20£ up. Probably local computer stores will stock them.

[Steve Guttag]

You don't want to have any USB2 in there as that would the slow-down. Just get the USB3 MoveDock and be done with it. I provided a link to the web site, if nobody in the UK has them.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

Any USB disc, as the Movedock itself, uses standard mass storage USB-SATA bridges and work on the ICMP(-X). Why should a detached USB-SATA bridge not?
...

Because inside the computer realm, 1+1 may result in a lot of different things, unfortunately. "If A happens, then why not B as well?" is a question about which we often wonder.
But if you have experience on the specific matter, that satisfies my skepticism. After all, sharing it is the greatest benefit of this forum.