Video Servers & Replay Systems​

Hi folks,

I've been tasked with integrating a newly purchased Ross Video Blackstorm 4 channel play out server to an aging Sony MVS 8000. This switcher only supports serial rs422 communications. I've created a custom serial cable for the connection to the switcher, based on sony and ross manuals. I am having intermittent success and failure.

The very first time i plugged in the server to the switcher serial cables everything worked. Play, shuttle, jog, cue, and the ability for the switcher to pull the file list from the blackstorm worked.

Fast forward one day, and with the same configuration, i can only perform a handful of operations from the sony switcher.

Play, shuttle, and file list pull no longer work. (communication error 02 on sony display)

Jog, Rewind, and Fast Forward control the server as expected. The asked Ross Support over the phone if they had seen anything like this before, but they were unable to offer any advice.

As a VDCP test, I also tried to set up the blackstorm as a device on our Harris ADC 1000 automation, VDCP based. I wasn't able to get any communication.

I've set up Omneon Spectrum, Pinncale MediaStream, and Harris Nexio play out servers to the sony mvs 8000 in the past, Blackstorm is the first play out server I've seen work intermitantly.

Hi Byron,

I'm not sure who you were speaking with this in Tech Support but I would be happy to help you troubleshoot this issue. If you wouldn't mind e-mailing techsupport@rossvideo.com specifically asking for me (Jeff Fisher), I can try and help you get this working correctly.

By the way, are you using AMP or VDCP to communicate with the 8000?

Thanks,

Jeff

Updated the Blackstorm to version 1.2.4.14. Serial com port VDCP is still buggy. You can manually load a clip into a channel, but only FF Rewind and Jog work. Play, Shuttle and File List polling still do not work.

Byron,

Have you had any luck getting the BlackStorm and 8000 to work?

By the fact that it was working for a day, it sounds like the configuration is close to being right. I reached out to our trainers asking about the Sony switcher since most of don't have much experience with them.

One suggestion I received:

"Been a while since I have used an 8000 but I believe error 2 is a communication error sometimes caused by the Sony thinking another device is using the file you are trying to access. Make sure the Share settings are correct. The menu for that is (I think) #7355 or 7325.

Hope this helps."

Joel Duggan

Hi Joel,

Thanks for reaching out. I've looked at menu pages 7325 and 7355. There are no options that indicate any 'Sharing' settings, though these are the pages relevant to VDCP devices. What would explain why the switcher can 'fast forward', 'rewind', and 'jog' clips loaded in a Blackstorm channel, but can't 'play' them?

Here is the output of BlackStormIntegrationTests.exe in c:rossBlackStormbin

Notice the [ FAILED ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteGetList (15276 ms)

 

[==========] Running 9 tests from 2 test cases.

[----------] Global test environment set-up.

[----------] 3 tests from DatabaseTests

[ RUN ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteConfig

[ OK ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteConfig (21 ms)

[ RUN ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteGetList

DatabaseTests.cpp(43): error: Value of: hr

Actual: -2147467259

Expected: 0

[ FAILED ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteGetList (15276 ms)

[ RUN ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteAddAndDelete

DatabaseTests.cpp(55): error: Value of: hr

Actual: -2147483638

Expected: 0

[ FAILED ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteAddAndDelete (15267 ms)

[----------] 3 tests from DatabaseTests (30564 ms total)

[----------] 6 tests from FtpTests

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testConnection

FtpTests.cpp(43): error: Value of: m_ftpConnect

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testConnection (2571 ms)

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testMedia

FtpTests.cpp(51): error: Value of: findFirstFile

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testMedia (2564 ms)

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testChangeWorkingDirctory

FtpTests.cpp(63): error: Value of: FtpSetCurrentDirectory(m_ftpConnect, L"Media")

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testChangeWorkingDirctory (2564 ms)

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testListMediaDirectory

FtpTests.cpp(73): error: Value of: FtpSetCurrentDirectory(m_ftpConnect, L"Media")

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testListMediaDirectory (2565 ms)

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testFileTransfer

FtpTests.cpp(105): error: Value of: FtpSetCurrentDirectory(m_ftpConnect, L"Media")

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testFileTransfer (2567 ms)

[ RUN ] FtpTests.testBadClip

FtpTests.cpp(138): error: Value of: FtpSetCurrentDirectory(m_ftpConnect, L"Media")

Actual: false

Expected: true

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testBadClip (2567 ms)

[----------] 6 tests from FtpTests (15398 ms total)

[----------] Global test environment tear-down

[==========] 9 tests from 2 test cases ran. (45962 ms total)

[ PASSED ] 1 test.

[ FAILED ] 8 tests, listed below:

[ FAILED ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteGetList

[ FAILED ] DatabaseTests.testRemoteAddAndDelete

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testConnection

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testMedia

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testChangeWorkingDirctory

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testListMediaDirectory

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testFileTransfer

[ FAILED ] FtpTests.testBadClip

8 FAILED TESTS