Catalyst/G5 Lockup

I have a Catalyst pro system, purchased from High End a little over year ago. It is an all stock configuration, with an addition of a Decklink Extreme.

It has had many driver, os, and catalyst software updates over the last year. At some point, it picked up a nasty habit of randomly locking up, sometimes after a couple of hours of uptime, other times it will run for a couple of weeks without any problem.

Can someone tell me the current software and firmware version that are stable with Cat3.3? Specifically, MacOS, Radeon 9800 (software and firmware), Decklink, and Orangemicro USB controller (which I think might be the problem). Note: orangemicro.com no longer exists.

I have already checked most of the typical physical points of lockup: nothing is loose, fans work as normal, unit never gets too warm, power is through a UPS.

Thank you.
-Bob

Update: I posted this message earlier today on the HES Digital Lighting forum. Tonight, I had the system lockup again, but didn't realize as I was running cues. Something came up that I hadn't found before:
The catalyst isn't fully locking up. The media running will completely stop, and at the G5 it appears to be locked up (keyboard shortcuts don't work, unable to quit program), but from the console I can adjust the level of the 4 layers. I cannot change content on layers or any other parameter, just level.

we think these are scsi or other intermittent hardware problems.

I have a pro v3.3 server on tour that is displaying these same symtoms. The lock up usaully occurs once I display any .tiff file larger than 5mb in size. Tonight the server went down in the show and would not reboot. Had to take it out of the case(Highend Anvil Case) set it up right and let it sit a bit. This too is a stock HES server. Any insight would be awesome! I tested it during load out a bit and all seemed fine, will test on the next show day...

Robb-
Lighting Designer
My Chemical Romance

I just wanted to contribute that I found my issue and a potential issue for the software. In one of my library directories, I had a QT movie at 720x480 called 001wedriver.mov. Even though QT player would play the file and it was not really too big of a file, every time I would browse to the directory that layer would freeze, because Catalyst could not play this file (possibly a strange codec or some other not fun issue) The Layer would seem to lock up, though others would resond (In this case layer 1 would become unresponsive, layer 2 would still respond)... I just re-encoded the movie and viola the issue is gone! To think I had a server next dayed over this (It crashed during a show as the programming had multiple layers scanning past this file locking up the server, and eventually when all 6 layers were locked up, "Catalyst has unexpectedly quit"
Things are good now! All the UK shows are looking amazing!
Robb
Lighting Designer/Programmer
My Chemical Romance...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobbJibson

I have a pro v3.3 server on tour that is displaying these same symtoms. The lock up usaully occurs once I display any .tiff file larger than 5mb in size. Tonight the server went down in the show and would not reboot. Had to take it out of the case(Highend Anvil Case) set it up right and let it sit a bit. This too is a stock HES server. Any insight would be awesome! I tested it during load out a bit and all seemed fine, will test on the next show day...

Robb-
Lighting Designer
My Chemical Romance

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this is something in quicktime that is locking up - not catalyst.
all graphics file handling is run through this.

what is the image size in pixels of your file?
can you email me the file?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobbJibson

I just wanted to contribute that I found my issue and a potential issue for the software. In one of my library directories, I had a QT movie at 720x480 called 001wedriver.mov. Even though QT player would play the file and it was not really too big of a file, every time I would browse to the directory that layer would freeze, because Catalyst could not play this file (possibly a strange codec or some other not fun issue) The Layer would seem to lock up, though others would resond (In this case layer 1 would become unresponsive, layer 2 would still respond)... I just re-encoded the movie and viola the issue is gone! To think I had a server next dayed over this (It crashed during a show as the programming had multiple layers scanning past this file locking up the server, and eventually when all 6 layers were locked up, "Catalyst has unexpectedly quit"
Things are good now! All the UK shows are looking amazing!
Robb
Lighting Designer/Programmer
My Chemical Romance...

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it is possible to have some things which causes quicktime crashes.
motion files seem to have extra bits added.
using embedded quicktime fx also doesnt work.

do you know what your original file was?
can you send me a copy?

random crashes- those that arent caused by wierd movies- and are not repeatable with the same content are normally caused by hardware problems....

My G5 lockup was a conflict between the Blackmagic Decklink Extreme driver and the OSX version. Originally thought it was a hardware failure of the capture card. Updated software, system is unstopable.

Thanks to Richard and HES.

-Bob Brigham

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rbrigham

My G5 lockup was a conflict between the Blackmagic Decklink Extreme driver and the OSX version. Originally thought it was a hardware failure of the capture card. Updated software, system is unstopable.

Thanks to Richard and HES.

-Bob Brigham

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make sure you have turned off the decklink video desktop as well.
this is in the system preferences->Decklink.

this affects the performance of catalyst.

Richard,
This is a 220mb MPEG-2 file that I got from Open-Video.org... Here is the link as I can't/ don't want to upload the file anywhere...

http://www.open-video.org/details.php?videoid=4464

Its the MPEG-2 220mb File...
I re-encoded it as a QT-DV file and it seems to work pretty good!
It was causeing complete system failure... As in "the Application "Catalyst v3.3 has unexpectedly quit" "... System was fine after that...

Just a quick question... As much as I like the splash screen when Catalyst starts (Flowers are pretty) I must admit that those flowers make me mad during the restarting process...(Live on screen during a show) I know, I know, get a video switching/black generatation ability, but it seems like the saftey could be "built in" ( I don't really know how, maybe with a black splash screen?) I now have such a system in place (scan converters that convert to SDI to go up to projectors, black generators and an XL Video UK tech...)


Robb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samsc

this is something in quicktime that is locking up - not catalyst.
all graphics file handling is run through this.

what is the image size in pixels of your file?
can you email me the file?

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Richard, I re-did this file as a .jpeg and there are no issues... It was a 300dpi .tiff file @ 2000 x 2000 sqaure @ somethign like 7.6mb in size. The issue that I have is that I need the files to be high resolution because I have to have the artwork small and in the center, so that the surrounding area blocks the frame when I zoom in... Thats why it is so big... I was using .tiffs as a way to perserve transparent layers, as I have not been able to get a .jpeg to do this (I read somewhere else on this forum the way to do it, but I can't make it work) Only now with the .jpeg I have to use the colourfx channel to do the transperancies... Does that increase server workload over displaying a already transperant file?

Robb

mpeg2 files are not good for doing media servers.
mpeg2 support comes from the os.

there is no random frame access and looping playback control is very poor.

the other media servers are using mpeg2 but only with all i-frames. so you have to reencode anyway.

dv is much better for doing this kindof thing.
and its much more compatible with the production workflow - and is still editable.
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my suggestion for safe crashing - if that is a major concern... -always has to be something that completely stops the output from the computer - or divert it?
no software device will help here.
How about a black flap over the projector?
Or you could control the shutter of the projector?

True, With all the budget in the world I would have 2 servers running the exact same off the same DMX line with a output a/b switch, but that is in an ideeal world...
Seriously, now that I have changed the file types I have had 0 issues...
So the lockup comes from the OS and QT rather than Catalyst?
Gonna have to test, test and retest that content!

Robb