Could a kind soul send me the latest Dolby IMS2000 firmware?

[Andrew Thomas]

The customer service rep I normally email with at Dolby is no longer there and the random people I get a call back from won’t send it ?

Thanks in advance!

[Leo Enticknap]

Updating an IMS2000 is a little fiddly. There are three components, which should be updated in this order:

• Software
• Security Manager
• Firmware

You need KDMs to do the last two. I would suggest emailing cinemasupport [at] dolby.com with the serial number of your unit. They should then hopefully be able to give you links to download the program files and KDMs.

[Marin Zorica]

You or you're service provider should have aces to dolby service portal, there are pdf with latest versions for each device currently supported. Also all software, SM and firmware is listed there as well DLM for SM and firmware which is mandatory for install it.

[Steve Guttag]

You need KDMs to do the last two. I would suggest emailing cinemasupport [at] dolby.com with the serial number of your unit. They should then hopefully be able to give you links to download the program files and KDMs.

Ahem...don't you mean "DLM"s? What's a KDM by any other name?

Yeah, getting the firmware shouldn't be too tricky and I'm surprised that you cannot either get it from Dolby or they can't send you to a service provider/dealer that could assist. Perhaps the entity that sold you the IMS2000 could help (unless you bought it used, in which case, that entity may not have access either).

Technically, this is Dolby's software and should not be distributed without their consent (which the DLMs should allow Dolby to control). I've never heard of Dolby not wanting clients to be on the latest released software.

[Leo Enticknap]

They're likely gatekeeping it, because with a pre-IMS3000 DolReMi, the process is not intuitive and mistakeproof. Firstly, you have to update the three components in a specific order. Secondly, for the media block components, you have to upload the D/KDM, followed by the program file, then reboot. And finally, some big jump updates (e.g. if it hasn't been done for many years) can't be done as a straight shot - you have to go through intermediate versions.

So if Andrew contacts Dolby with his unit's serial number and what versions he's currently running, they'll be able to give him instructions, files, and licenses tailored to his specific situation.

[Emmanuel Nwokafor]

I love the days of DOREMI where you just login to the doremi site and download the latest update

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

The customer service rep I normally email with at Dolby is no longer there and the random people I get a call back from won’t send it ?

Thanks in advance!

That is exactly why I quit selling and installing Dolby. Switched over to GDC which is one of the most consistent server companies I ever dealt with. GDC has an FTP site where you can download just about all of their firmware versions.

[Steve Guttag]

Oh shut up Mark. Dolby has such a site as well (multiple, actually). It's no different, in that respect. Except GDC charges people, still, for their updates and has a nag you can't turn off...and locks their logs so you don't know what information they are collecting. It's great you like GDC. They make a fine product (and NEC too) but that has no bearing on the topic and misleading, at best.

[Emmanuel Nwokafor]

Oh shut up Mark. Dolby has such a site as well (multiple, actually). It's no different, in that respect. Except GDC charges people, still, for their updates and has a nag you can't turn off...and locks their logs so you don't know what information they are collecting. It's great you like GDC. They make a fine product (and NEC too) but that has no bearing on the topic and misleading, at best.

Hi Steve, I've installed a lot Dolby DSS, IMS and GDC servers this two servers are superb in performance and stability far better then the others and GDC have a better tech support term that the others,. In terms of projector Barco and NEC are doing very well too. But in most cases I refer NEC because it's almost maintenance free and requires less site visit

[Leo Enticknap]

I love the days of DOREMI where you just login to the doremi site and download the latest update

Those were also the days when you could bork your server by not doing the update procedure correctly. In my experience, if you contact Dolby's official support channel, either by email or phone, they will respond quickly with updates and licenses as needed, but they will also provide any specific instructions for your equipment along with them, and ask questions to minimize the risk of a costly mistake being made. If they had these files available on a public-facing website and trusted end users to read some relatively complex instructions, I'm sure that the result would be a significant number of broken servers.

The underlying problem is the three-stage process (software > security manager > firmware) baked into the original Doremi software architecture. Dolby fixed that with the IMS3000, which is updated by uploading a single file, and with no license requirement. But there are lot of IMS2000s and ShowVault/IMBs still in use, and still a few even earlier Doremi products.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Those were also the days when you could bork your server by not doing the update procedure correctly. In my experience, if you contact Dolby's official support channel, either by email or phone, they will respond quickly with updates and licenses as needed, but they will also provide any specific instructions for your equipment along with them, and ask questions to minimize the risk of a costly mistake being made. If they had these files available on a public-facing website and trusted end users to read some relatively complex instructions, I'm sure that the result would be a significant number of broken servers.

The underlying problem is the three-stage process (software > security manager > firmware) baked into the original Doremi software architecture. Dolby fixed that with the IMS3000, which is updated by uploading a single file, and with no license requirement. But there are lot of IMS2000s and ShowVault/IMBs still in use, and still a few even earlier Doremi products.

Once Mike Renlund went to work there it got a lot better. But I was well into GDC by that time., So just stayed there. Glad I did too, they are ALL still running. About to update the certs in three of them.

[Andrew Thomas]

Well, coincidentally (I guess!) a few hours after I posted this a Dolby tech support person responded to my ticket for 4 days prior and assisted.

[Steve Guttag]

I love the days of DOREMI where you just login to the doremi site and download the latest update

I just checked, the Doremi FTP site is still up (at least the US one) and still has all of the IMS2000 and prior software, firmware and Security Manager. Again, just like GDC's FTP site. Yeah, you need a user/password to get to either.

Perhaps access is different in other parts of the world.

[Dave Macaulay]

Doremi ftp is still up and gets updated, but you need to get DLMs from Dolby. They are usually quite quick with these for me, but they do know me. If I call and ask for them I get them within minutes. Doring office hours at least.
And Barco support is also great in my experience. Getting difficult problems sorted is not so great... if they have to escalate to Belgium things go rather slow. GDC is really good too, but the encrypted logs and needing active paid "warranty" to offer help are annoying. Dolby and Barco have online log analyzers that can really help diagnose issues (only "series 4" and ICMP-X logs for Barco though)

[Steve Guttag]

Dave, if you have access to the Doremi FTP...you also have access to the DLMs. For the IMS3000, via the Dolby site, putting in one's serial number can fetch DLMs and certificates but again, that too is accessible.