using HDMI on IMS2000 in Solaria One

[Carsten Kurz]

Hi,

a colleague contacted me about connecting HDMI sources to his IMS2000 in a Solaria One. I have no personal experience with this setup. It seems this config has not been configured for HDMI (I guess it was a rushed IMB-S2 replacement), so, what is needed to use the IMS2000 HDMI? I know the HDMI setup in IMS2000 device manager, but, are there any specifics with the Solaria One? I guess the Solaria One internal DVI inputs are defunct when the IMS2000 is installed?

- Carsten

[Elia Orselli]

I've done it last year, but I don't remember differences with other Christie projectors. PIB DVI will not be affected. If you want to use IMS HDMI you should choose in channel settings "IMB-HDMI" (or something similar) as source and leave internal IMS settings untouched.

[Dave Macaulay]

I believe you just use a projector server channel for either 2D flat or scope, then switch to HDMI in the IMS server webGUI. Directly done through device controller: select "IMS", pick HDMI input. It should select REC709 color itself.
It makes it much easier if you create a server macro using the Certainty library to use HDMI input, then link the macro to a quick controls button.
Selecting HDMI input (or SDI, any non DCI input) immediately ejects any playlist being played. Starting a playlist (either by "play" or by "pause") automatically sets input back to "internal" to show DCPs.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Like Elia and Dave already mentioned, I think there shouldn't be any difference with an IMS2000 in e.g. a Barco Series 2 machine.

Why do you think the DVI ports on the projector itself will be affected?

[Dave Macaulay]

The projector DVI ports will still work as usual with an IMS. The HDMI port has one advantage... it will pass audio (not all formats by any means) through the server audio output.

[Marin Zorica]

I can confirm that it works, you just set up channel where input is ims-hdmi and that's it

[Carsten Kurz]

Well he tried various things, but it doesn't work. He is using a gofilex streaming box, and a notebook. When he connects them to the IMS, the status LED on the HDMI flashes green, then turns into orange, which should mean 'non-supported format'. But I think both the streaming box and the notebook should output some standard signal. Apparently, he get's a picture on the DVI ports, but that doesn't convey audio.

[Dave Macaulay]

Try a DVD or Blu-Ray player and see if that works. If it does, I suspect a video format that's not supported - and the IMS is somewhat picky on this. Depending on what EDID version the IMS uses, it could specify the video formats supported but early versions just tell the native image size - 1080x2048 for a 2K system - not what image sizes and frame rates it will accept.
Definitely 1080p60 is preferable but it has a pretty long list of accepted formats.

This is from the IMS1000 manual but I don't have a 2000 manual and can't find one yet:

480p 60
576p 50
2kp: 23.98, 24
720p: 50, 59.94, 60
1080p: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, 60
1080i: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
3D Frame-Packed: 720p, 1080p, 1080i

Note that there are no typical computer resolutions supported like 1024x768 so unless yours has a 1920x1080 display you may have to jump through a few hoops to get a displayable resolution - if that's even possible.

Audio usually works but I haven't tried everything. Any device that defaults to output DTS or Dolby DIgital will likely need to be set up to force only stereo PCM audio on the HDMI.

Note that Apple laptops generally give grief when trying to project from their HDMI output. I don't know anything about a "gofilex". Chromecast works OK.

[Steve Guttag]

IMS2000 supported rates through the HDMI input (as per Issue 3 of the manual):

Screen Shot 2020-08-13 at 5.43.18 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-08-13 at 5.43.44 PM.png

[Carsten Kurz]

The trouble here clearly is the combination of an IMS2000 with a Solaria one (yes, this one of course hosted the ill-fated IMB-S2 before, and as it seems, the tech rushed the swap and did not prepare the system for alternative content). Laptop and Gofilex Dunebox output 1080p24 and 1080p60. The Gofilex Dunebox is a Live-Event Streamingbox for digital cinema use. Gofilex can help with some typical setups, but IMS2000 in a Solaria One, they haven't seen that before.

[Carsten Kurz]

Still no luck...

[Dave Macaulay]

Several times I have had to find a monitor, sometimes a snack bar menu display monitor, and connect a scaler or whatever to see the onscreen menu so the output can be changed to suit an IMB or IMS. With the default or previously set output not projectable and that onscreem menu unavailable, that's the only option. Some devices have onscreen menus so small that binoculars are needed to adjust settings via the screen image... Trying a source with known acceptable output will at least tell you if the HDMI input is working. Thd projector DVI input is not nearly as picky about video format.

[Elia Orselli]

The trouble here clearly is the combination of an IMS2000 with a Solaria one

I'm quite confident that this time it's not a Solaria One fault. In this regard the only thing to check is the Solaria sw version: you need 4.8.1 to enable other IMBs usage, but I assume that the projector is updated as you have only hdmi issues.

Could you upload a screenshot of channel settings?

[Carsten Kurz]

I am not near the unit. All he has is the IMS2000 manual and the necessary credentials to use device manager. I am quite sure both his notebook AND that Dunebox deliver compatible signals. Using the DVI input on the solaria one works.

[Marcel Birgelen]

There might very well be some incompatibility between the IMS2000 and the Solaria One. I guess it's a pretty uncommon configuration as most of those S2s have been replaced by GDC hardware instead of Dolby's IMS.

I guess it's very likely the Dunebox and the IMS2000 negotiate some kind of format that then can't be correctly processed by the Solaria One itself. I guess you should also file this with Dolby, maybe they're aware of the situation and they do have a fix or workaround and if they aren't, maybe they're willing to put forward the resources into fixing this.

But the Dune box probably runs some kind of Android TV, doesn't it? If it's a vanilla version, it lets you change the output signal manually. It also will allow you to enable or disable features like HDR and switch between 10-bit and 8-bit. It may be worth connecting a common TV to it and switch it in a very vanilla mode like 8-bit 1080p60.

Alternatively, if DVI works, maybe just stick to that? If the Dunebox doesn't have any analog or S/PDIF audio outputs, you can still use any of those audio-extraction devices, to get it from the HDMI signal.