Sync w/ multi units

We haven't had anyone else reporting this issue. What kind of sync issues are you seeing? Is it the media file or something like rotation or effects?

Are you actually using the sync functions?

I actually would advise to not use the sync functions and to instead use a setup cue that puts all the units into "Media Mode Rewind" so that the content is loaded and ready to play when you go to the next "Go" cue to play the file.

Also another thing to look at is turning off Preview mode for the displays if it is on and how many layers of content you're running and the encoding of the content and resolution when you're playing it.

Are you running them on a gigabit or 100base network?

i have never had these unit linked via a hub. we hang them just as an independant fixture, all loaded with the same files, firing at the same time. no additional info as far as within the cue structure other than picking the same file, being told to play when we fire the cue.

if now, there has been changes within the software to make a change within the fixtures from doing the same thing (ie: any DMX type of moving light) then not sure if this is the right unit for us now.

no issues until we got these units with the last software upgrade added to them. prior to then, not issues with sync when run this way.

The Sync function only works when they are all on a network, otherwise they have to all be started at the same time in the fashion Scott stated. If you do it that way, they can get out of sync over a long period of time.

There shouldn't be any changes in the software that would affect this and we have lots of people running Collage everyday where this WOULD be an issue for them if it did change.

How the media is encoded can have a HUGE effect on the playback and performance.

Have you tried using the setup cue that selects the media file and object but puts the Play Mode to "Media Mode Rewind" and then playing the cue by changing it in the next cue to "Play Once" or "Loop Forward"

i can try that tonight when we go back in to the showroom. thing is, i should never have to re-record my cues that i have been using for the last year, and NOW i have to. seems fishy to me. and to an issue with encoding. does not sound right to me. would a corrupt OS file make something like this go bad?

someone else had uploaded the OS prior to us getting the fixtures. i am trying to see if this may be a cause.

to have the files now after a year of using them and NOT having an issue, now become an issue. i do not think any encoding would be an issue. It is either a new OS issue or a corrupt OS issue. either way it is sounding more like an issue within the run of OS for these specific units and/or around the upload of the OS.

no time to re-load OS and then the custom video files. BUT, client will rethink about using them for new show going out in June. Hopefully in May, I will have time to prep the next outing with DL2 units and possibly go back to the old OS if i have to make the show work like of old.

i am not on a witch hunt with the DL2 units, but i am trying to figure out if i have been sent units with a corrput or bad OS.

Well I didn't realize you were using the exact same media files as you have used in the past for the same show.

How many units are you having the problem with? It is very unlikely to be an O/S corruption. We haven't seen an O/S get corrupt in that manner and things just wouldn't work at all, it wouldn't cause them to play slower.

Have you checked to make sure that "Preview Mode" on the display is turned off? That can impact playback performance.

It's possible there is hardware issue that is affecting you.

How many units do you have and are having trouble with?

i have four active units, two of the four are now acting up. after 3 songs into the show, they seemed to line up. BUT, it was not a good start of the show.

It almost seems as if these fixtures need to wake up and it takes about 15 minutes of hard usage for them to do that. When you have an hour walk-in, the fixtures sit with a jpeg on the screens. then they are off and running from the first cue. BUT, the bad thing is the second song has a chase of jpegs that are in line with the lyrics being sung. never had an issue in the past of these lining up, but now two out of the four units hangup and one unit even played back the wrong file.

really strange and having management come and ask me about what is the deal with my DL2s.

since we are in the active mode of picking a new setup for a new show in June, having issues with a DL2 unit now. does not want the artist or management to see a DL2 unit on the show again.

after the show, i re-ran the cues and they fired fine within the sequence. so i am at a loss of what is going on now.

thing only difference in these fixtures from the past is that they were uploaded with the lastest software prior to us getting them. they also had all the user media cleared out. have uploaded these same files as well as through a gigabit switch. in fact these is the same switch and cabling that we have always used for the last year.