GDC Server Certificate

[Adam Towill]

There's a bit of a difference between a $500-1000 Apple iPhone, and an AU$11,000 server though..

I'm just about to do this - GDC are charging about AU$550 for the upgrade and certificate. It's making me extremely nervous, because we can't afford to replace that server if anything goes wrong with it. But if I don't upgrade it, it stops working on November 1 anyway. So we don't really have a choice.

The ongoing possibility of bricking what is essentially just an extremely expensive computer through a software update is pretty pathetic really.

GDC actually recommended a trade-in replacement, rather than a software upgrade, but yea.. AU$11,000. It ain't happening any time soon, and if it does, I seriously doubt it'll be a GDC. It's only here because it came from somewhere else originally. The other two are NEC branded Doremis. I'd rather have all three consistent.

[Paul Gabriel]

Everything use to check out before the upgrade, but the ASM always return (Failed). SM is connected but movie won't play, GDC seems to think the problem is from my projector but i can't find any issue with the projector. Any help?

[Steve Guttag]

There are two places you have to set the Projector IP. there is in CineCanvas (where you seem to be now) and then again in the "Automation" portion. Go to Automation, devices and then projector. See how that is configured.

[Leo Enticknap]

Can anyone give me instructions to see how much time is left on an SX-2001's certificate? I'm shortly going to install one in a popup drive-in. It's been on a shelf unused, but powered up, for a while. I don't have one on the end of a Teamviewer connection to play with and take screenshots from, and I'd like to ask the customer to check this out ahead of the install, to ensure that this doesn't bite us in the ass.

I'm guessing that it's in control panel > admin panel > somewhere, but would prefer not to have to ask the customer to hunt around for it if possible.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

I have done thousands of GDC firmware upgrades without any trouble. If GDC loads the certificate and the media block bricks then they would be responsible. I have had them load new cert perhaps a half a dozen times and it worked fine every time.

[Adam Towill]

I have done thousands of GDC firmware upgrades without any trouble. If GDC loads the certificate and the media block bricks then they would be responsible. I have had them load new cert perhaps a half a dozen times and it worked fine every time.

That inspires a bit more confidence. I know it's just policy for the service agents to warn of the possibility for the off-chance that it does happen, but it really does make me nervous.

[Paul Gabriel]

There are two places you have to set the Projector IP. there is in CineCanvas (where you seem to be now) and then again in the "Automation" portion. Go to Automation, devices and then projector. See how that is configured.

properly set, at AUTOMATION the projector is properly detected and set in CINECANVAS same thing.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

That inspires a bit more confidence. I know it's just policy for the service agents to warn of the possibility for the off-chance that it does happen, but it really does make me nervous.

I'll tell you what I did have happen. I had one customer that kept running Version 7.8 until hell froze over and he had to update to 8.XX to be able to play a SMPTE package. Well, over about a 6 month period they lost four of their six media blocks. Now I never lost hardly any GDC media blocks out of 334 servers that I installed. I can still count those on one hand amd two SX-3000 were related to certificate batteries failing,. I always felt the bumping up to the latest firmware, or perhaps going through just a couple others to get there is what made those media blocks fail. GDC couldn't say yes or no on that. . My recommendation is to update it and then use it while you run a "Go Fund ME" to get a newer server. And GDC may well still take yours in trade towards a new one. A few of my customers got $1200 USD towards the new SR-1000's.

[Steve Guttag]

If you are running a series 1 projector, the CineCanvas and Projector IPs are NOT the same. CineCanvas would be to the TI boards while the projector is the projector's IP.

[Jason Raftery]

Can anyone give me instructions to see how much time is left on an SX-2001's certificate? I'm shortly going to install one in a popup drive-in. It's been on a shelf unused, but powered up, for a while. I don't have one on the end of a Teamviewer connection to play with and take screenshots from, and I'd like to ask the customer to check this out ahead of the install, to ensure that this doesn't bite us in the ass.

I'm guessing that it's in control panel > admin panel > somewhere, but would prefer not to have to ask the customer to hunt around for it if possible.

Can anyone give me instructions to see how much time is left on an SX-2001's certificate?

On the SX-2001A and other servers that run 8.01/7.83, I'm not aware of a way to check the certificate end date through the server GUI (and unlike later models, the GUI will not warn you when you are within 30-days of certificate expiration). If you have that server's crt.pem file (or can get a copy of it from GDC), you can copy/paste the contents of it to the page at https://www.sslshopper.com/certificate-decoder.html and it'll spit out the certificate's validity window. In general, the cert on GDC media blocks is valid for 10-years from the date the media block was manufactured. Some TMS programs (e.g. TCC3) can also display the certificate expiration date for each screen server connected to it.

[Leo Enticknap]

Many thanks. I'll check the manufacture date on the back of the unit when I get there, and if it looks to be in the danger zone, advise them to renew the software warranty and get a new media block certificate.