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DC-

Just sent you a text message.

PG

Dear Dennis,

I am sure the community would be very interested in the answer to this question if you may share?

Probably related to DP 2000 vs DP 8000.
DP 2000 was never very good at large nuimbers of HTP channels (like LEDs).

DP 2000 is over 2 years discontinued now.....IMO they should never be used except as an ArtNet output node unless there really is no other option.

Thanks guys.

They are hopefully going to get a chance to switch their DP2000s into an Art-Net configuration today.

PG

Thanks Marty and Phil for your contributions to this thread.

As most of you have experienced first hand the DP2000 in dmx processor mode can actually handle the kind of workloads Dennis described in playback and in quick value edits in the programmer, but where the DP2000 really starts to bleed is when using encoders to change values on more than about 75 fixtures at once. That kind of real time processing is something the DP2K processor can handle but unfortunately can't refresh fast enough and as a result result dmx output gets choppy, making the fixtures look slow to respond. You will notice that if you just select the 432 RGB fixtures and put them at full and back at zero that the response is actually really good. But if you use an encoder to dial from 0 to full you are gonna see some pretty nasty dmx refresh dropout during the encoder turn.

Ultimately the DP8000, the Full Boar, and Road Hog Consoles were built to solve this kind of real-time processing problem. And as everyone has already mentioned, the DP2000 in art-net mode is a great way to utilize the processing power of the Full Boar to make those DP2Ks shine again.

Chris,

I've mentioned this before and it was brought up to me by Dennis again last night...

I appreciate that you all have been forthright about this on the forums but I really feel that a lot of people (especially those who are not active on the forums) are having very bad experiences with the current Hog platform because they are using DP2000s, not knowing that this is limiting the capabilities of their systems.

Although the DP2000 has been discontinued for a while now, there are a lot of these in good working conditions being used in installations and rental houses of all sizes. It's been my experience that in most of these cases the end users believe that all of the DP2000 issues have been handled with software updates.

In fact, I have seen several instances where DP2000s were sent out when DP8000s were available because neither the shop or the programmer were aware that there were significant performance gains when using the DP8000. As far as they know, three DP2000s on the shelf at the shop are perfectly suited when they need 12 universes of DMX on hard outputs.

I think it would be very useful to have a Manual Update, Tech Note, or notices in the future versions of the software to alert users to the best practices for these systems. Maybe some sort of a re-written Hog 'System Design and Networking' manual that includes a technical limitation note about the DP2000?

I am always happy to see people return to the Hog with a good experience (as opposed to coming back for one show and walking away again), and I think a lot of people are having bad experiences due to this issue.

As always, I would love to hear any feedback on this.

Phil

[QUOTE=z6p6tist6;53233]I think it would be very useful to have a Manual Update, Tech Note, or notices in the future versions of the software to alert users to the best practices for these systems. Maybe some sort of a re-written Hog 'System Design and Networking' manual that includes a technical limitation note about the DP2000?

+1 to that Phil.

It is ultimately up to the Programmers and Designers specifying the systems to keep up to date and know what it is they are asking for, but a re-education of the "general public" is defintely in order.

Greetings all,
So as we all have found out now, the DP2k is not going to drive that many channels, HTP or otherwise. The inherent problem is that the onsite first time user goes into this blind (us). We consulted the forums, and found little info, as this is a system issue most users know already. I understand that if the solution is to use the DP8k, or to switch the DP2k to artnet mode to drive any sizeable show, why is this not in big bold letters at the top of everything related to DP2k.
We have left the show in it's current configuration as we are in the middle of shows, but lesson learned.
And lastly a recommendation to the developers of this platform. The shops and users will send out and use what is ordered, it is up to those who manufacture/market the product to make the end user aware of the limitations of the product, even if means losing a little face in the process. It will pay off in the end. Or (insert sarcasm font) you can just do a trade in on the DP2000s and get them off the street.

And Marty, we ordered a system with the appropriate gear to spec. The fact that the gear does not work as it is supposed to is the manufacturer's issue, not ours.

Dennis, we really hate that you had a bad experience with our product!!

I would love to get dp2ks out of the field due to this very reason! I am sure we can find a creative inentive for customers to upgrade to 8ks.

Thanks everyone and i will definitely put more effort into communicating with our customers that they should not use dp2k's as dmx processors if at all possible especially with LEDs.

We released the dp8k to solve this years ago but did a poor job of convincing users to upgrade..

I will change the manual with the release of 3.2 and will put out a tech note next week.

Robbie,
Thank you for the response. Knowledge is the solution to many of these problems and frustrations. We will be using the DP8k from now on.