Omneon, Inc.

Release Notes
Product: Omneon Spectrum System Software
Software / Firmware Version: Release 5.4.1
Date: July 1, 2009

Copyright and Trademarks

Copyright © 1998-2009 Omneon, Inc. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of Omneon, Inc. Omneon and all Omneon logos are trademarks of Omneon, Inc.

*All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Notice
Information contained in this publication is subject to change without notice or obligation. While every effort has
been made to ensure that the information is accurate as of the publication date, Omneon, Inc. assumes no liability for
errors or omissions. In addition, Omneon, Inc. assumes no responsibility for damages resulting from the use of this
publication.
Omneon, Inc.

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5
Problems Corrected in this Release ............................................................................ 5
Compatibility and Packaging ....................................................................................... 5
Compatibility .............................................................................................................................................. 5
MXF Compatibility.................................................................................................................................. 5
System Software Release Packaging ....................................................................................................... 6

Software Installation Instructions................................................................................ 6

Quiescent System State during Upgrade .................................................................................................. 6
Handling Device Upgrade Failures............................................................................................................ 6
Installing or Upgrading the SystemManager Software.............................................................................. 6
Installing or Upgrading the SystemManager Online Help System ............................................................ 7
Upgrading MediaPort Firmware ................................................................................................................ 7
Upgrading MediaDirector Firmware .......................................................................................................... 8
Verifying Disk Drive Firmware ................................................................................................................... 8
Upgrading Disk Drive Firmware (if necessary).......................................................................................... 8
Verifying that MediaDirectors in EFS Have Common View of Disks, RAID Sets and File System........... 9

Warnings, Issues & Exceptions ................................................................................... 9

On MIP-6320, MIP-6220, and MIP-6100 series MediaPorts, alternating between play and record modes
may cause errors in the first clip recording................................................................................................ 9
For the MCP-2102, a Data Abort Fault in the RAID relay can result in very slow response time............. 9
With an EFS system, disk addition/removal in the same RAID set may result in file system abort.......... 9
Issue with earlier versions of PlayerTest when recording MXF files......................................................... 9
MXF system element timecode is off by one frame when recording clips with MPEG-2 Long GOP...... 10
Frames from previous clip may appear at the beginning of new clip playout on MIP-5500 or MIP-4000
series ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Apple Final Cut Pro may hang when exporting a sequence to Spectrum 5.4......................................... 10
Error messages for incomplete MXF files ............................................................................................... 10
VBI data is missing from some frames when playing in offspeed or loop modes ................................... 10
Issues with Audio Scrub on the MIP-5500 when configured for 720p .................................................... 10
One frame difference between start timecode in MXF essence file and burned-in timecode for XDCAM
HD and OP0a files................................................................................................................................... 10
Upgrading the MIP-5000, MIP-5200, MIP-5300, and MIP-5500 series MediaPorts more than 500 times
will result in failure ................................................................................................................................... 10
Issue with transfer while recording a long MXF OP0A or OP1A clip from a Spectrum Host to MediaGrid
back to Spectrum..................................................................................................................................... 11
Error messages when using the IRT MXF Analyzer ............................................................................... 11

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Follow upgrade procedure twice when upgrading the MIP-5000, MIP-5300, and MIP-5200 series
MediaPorts .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Audio issue when playing proxies with VLC media player ...................................................................... 11
Using KDE drag and drop copier to copy files to Spectrum system may result in files changing to no
stripe ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
Descriptive metadata cannot be set in some MXF IF50 clips ................................................................. 11
Failure to enable “Trim Audio Precharge” feature when editing a file with TrackTool may cause audio
distortion .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Index Start Position in some OP1a eVTR clips may result in audio defects........................................... 12
In rare cases, MCP-2101 fails to power up after upgrade and restart .................................................... 12
MediaDirector shows incorrect data for available disk space when queried from a Samba client ......... 12
Change to precharge pattern when recording Long GOP MPEG-2........................................................ 12
On the MIP-5300, recording “difficult” HD MPEG-2 Long GOP video content at 18 Mb/s may result in
encoder errors ......................................................................................................................................... 12
On the MCP-2101, first frame of audio from MPEG clip created with pre-5.4 software is played
incorrectly ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Cache parity error not reported by SystemManager ............................................................................... 13
Decoding during active transfer of MXF file results in error .................................................................... 13
Additional cable kit for MIP-5301 MediaPort playback available upon request ...................................... 13
Upgrading the MIP-5300 series MediaPorts for improved image quality................................................ 13
Incorrect Daylight Saving Time for most time zones............................................................................... 13
Setting the Time Zone in an Omneon server....................................................................................... 13
Playout of partial MXF files may not be frame-accurate ......................................................................... 13
Repeated drive auto-fails on MCP-2101 may result in drive failure........................................................ 14
Delay in playback of DNxHD clip with MXF wrapper .............................................................................. 14
XDCAM-HD 4:2:2 50 Mb/s clips exported from Final Cut Pro require greater than nominal 50 Mb/s
player bandwidth ..................................................................................................................................... 14
A Spectrum-created 436M clip containing closed captioning, which exceeds 20 VANC packets, may
lose the closed captioning data when decoded ...................................................................................... 14
Removing the 1394 cable from an MCP-2102/B MediaDirector while recording a 50Hz DNxHD clip
results in a stopped/failed record ............................................................................................................ 14
QuickTime parser on a Spectrum system may hang when parsing corrupted clips generated by third
party equipment....................................................................................................................................... 14
Incorrect FTP log messages displayed ................................................................................................... 14
Drives on the MSS-4000 incorrectly reported as “unknown-1” ............................................................... 14
Deleted file system appears in Windows* Explorer* ............................................................................... 15
Enabling 405M Timecode support results in a perceptible loss of performance on MediaDirectors ...... 15
MCP-2102, in some cases, incorrectly attempts to log in a drive that has been auto-failed .................. 15
Exceeding the performance capabilities of the MCP-2102 MediaDirector may result in a “MsgPoolAlloc
failed: <error>” error message in the log file ........................................................................................... 15

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Incorrect I-Frame movie length reported ................................................................................................. 15

Playing multiple MPEG-2 Long GOP MXF Op1a clips, recorded at 20 Mb/s, on multiple hosts of the
same MediaDirector produces errors in the log file................................................................................. 15
Data abort fault occurs while processing EFS-list of disk addresses...................................................... 15
Error messages when recording with early MIP-5000 series MediaPorts .............................................. 15
Do not connect the MediaDeck or the MCP-2102(b) MediaDirector to a 10 Mb/s Ethernet hub ............ 16
Timecode on XDCAM clips played back on MIP-4100 Series MediaPorts cannot be decoded by a
timecode reader....................................................................................................................................... 16
MIP-4100 Series MediaPort reference black source error ...................................................................... 16
Player and recorder Internal Time Code Generator note........................................................................ 16
Unable to set user data for some MXF files ............................................................................................ 16
MCP-2102 MediaDirector host is unresponsive after power up.............................................................. 16
DelayTool using MPEG-2 I-frame encoding at 50 Mb/s may display video disruptions ......................... 16
Bad audio playback occurs when using a MIP-4010 MediaPort to demux an HD stream when multiple
audio channels are present ..................................................................................................................... 16
"Refused OPN" errors reported by drives ............................................................................................... 16
On an MCP-2101, playing a clip less than 10 seconds after it is recorded may result in errors............. 17
Clips with file names longer than 26 characters cannot be imported into Final Cut Pro......................... 17
Video channel count is severely degraded when multiple mono audio files are present........................ 17
ClipTool Pro record issue ........................................................................................................................ 17
No warning is issued when more than 96 audio channels are configured per video clip ....................... 17
VITC issue under certain offspeed play conditions ................................................................................. 17
Last frame of a clip displayed on MIP-3000 series MediaPorts .............................................................. 17
MIP-4000 Series MediaPorts record errors in Monitor Logs when a clip with 16 channels of audio is
cued to play ............................................................................................................................................. 17
VITC configuration using the SystemManager........................................................................................ 17
Note on MXF clips ................................................................................................................................... 18
False alarm: power supply failure............................................................................................................ 18
Harmless log messages .......................................................................................................................... 18
1394 dubbing fails when a MediaPort is not present .............................................................................. 18
Connect Reference for MediaPorts ......................................................................................................... 18

Release Notes • Page 4 of 18 Omneon Spectrum System • 7/1/2009 • Release 5.4.1

 Omneon, Inc.

Introduction
These notes cover important information regarding Omneon System Software Release 5.4.1 including installation
instructions, known issues and workarounds for the release. In addition, given the complex nature of broadcast play
out systems, they also provide general information, which may pertain to your specific installation.

Please read these notes thoroughly prior to upgrading software as all sections contain important information. Release
5.4.1 includes fixes for specific issues which have been reported in the field as described below.

Problems Corrected in this Release

The following issues have been addressed in this release:

• 15K.6 disks drives reported a high number of read/write errors.

• 15K.6 disk drives occasionally failed to complete startup after being installed without shutting down the system.
• New disk drive firmware from Western Digital is required for WD1002FBYS disks.
• A loss of input signal to the MIP−6100, MIP-6220, and MIP-6320 series MediaPorts sometimes resulted in the
audio and video becoming incorrectly synchronized.
• In certain conditions, when playing or recording SD material, and starting and stoppping frequently over a
period of days, the MIP-6220 and MIP-6320 series MediaPorts intermittently failed.
• For the MIP-6100, MIP-6220, and MIP-6320 series MediaPorts, when using VDCP to play 1080i clips, the
audio lagged behind the video by four frames.

Compatibility and Packaging

Compatibility
The components of an Omneon Spectrum System (SystemManager, MediaDirector, MediaStores, and MediaPorts)
are designed and tested to run together. Interoperability between components running different versions of the
system software is not supported. All components of an Omneon Spectrum System should be upgraded to Omneon
System Software Release 5.4.1 together.
This release is compatible with SystemManager version 5.11.0.2
After upgrading the SystemManager, upgrade all MediaPorts and MediaDirectors on a given EFS immediately
thereafter and restart together. Contact Omneon Support for upgrade planning or to discuss specific configuration or
interoperability issues.
Since there may be subtle differences in interaction with third party applications, Omneon recommends on-air
customers consult with third party providers before upgrading the Omneon system to this new release to
verify operation of third party applications prior to on-air use.

MXF Compatibility
The Material eXchange Format (MXF) is an open file format used for the interchange of audio visual material with
associated data and metadata. Omneon’s support of MXF in the Spectrum Release 4.6 to MediaDeck 5.4.1 transition
is forward compatible. That is, MXF clips that were generated with Spectrum Release 4.6 will play correctly on
MediaDeck Release 5.4.1 systems. However, due to changes in the standards controlling MXF, clips produced by
MediaDeck Release 5.4.1 are not backwards compatible. This applies to MXF OP1a and MXF OP1b wrapped clips.
MXF eVTR clips are not impacted. Contact Omneon Technical Support for assistance.

For a summary of interoperability limitations across video formats and wrapper types, refer to the MXF

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Compatibility Information document located at:

http://www.omneon.com/support/documentation/spectrum/index.html

System Software Release Packaging

Software updates are available from the Omneon Support Server. The components of Release 5.4.1 are available at
the following location:
ftp://ftp.omneon.com/Updates/Omneon/Current/Spectrum/
The full download consists of several files:
• System Software (including software for MediaDirector, MediaPorts, Disk Drives, and Windows ClipTool)
SMediaDeckAndSpectrumFirmware5.4.1.exe
• Release Notes
SSpectrumRlsNotes5.4.1.exe
• User Documentation (including Quick Reference Guides, Getting Started Guide, Hardware Orientation
Guide, and Protocol Reference Guide)
SSpectrumDocs5.4.1.exe

Software Installation Instructions

Please carefully review the Spectrum Getting Started Guide Version 5.4 and the Omneon SystemManager
Installation Guide Version 5.11 and the release notes for each product prior to commencing firmware, or
SystemManager application installation.

Quiescent System State during Upgrade

When upgrading MediaPorts and MediaDirectors, ensure that no recording or playback is taking place; make sure all
players are stopped. Also ensure that no file copies or transfers are in progress internally or on the Ethernet port.
Upgrade all MediaPorts and MediaDirectors at the same time. Before commencing any player or file activity, verify
that all MediaDirectors and MediaPorts are running the same version of firmware as shown on the SystemManager
Upgrade Firmware page under the Home tab. In addition, prior to upgrading disk drive firmware, stop the file
system on every MediaDirector.

Handling Device Upgrade Failures

If a failure occurs when upgrading a device, the SystemManager will generate an Upgrade Failed alarm. If a device
has an Upgrade Failed alarm, the SystemManager will not let you perform another upgrade until the Upgrade Failed
alarm is cleared. To clear alarms, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Diagnostic tab on the SystemManager menu bar.
2. Click on the View Alarms icon on the left of the screen to display the View Alarms field.
3. Click on the Clear alarms button to clear the Upgrade Failed alarms.
4. Start another upgrade.

Installing or Upgrading the SystemManager Software

Since SystemManager Release 5.4, the application is packaged in a comprehensive installer file which installs the
SystemManager application and other components required for the successful operation of the SystemManager. An
installation wizard is available to guide you; however, you will need to choose between options during the

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installation process. Refer to the Omneon SystemManager Installation Guide for an explanation of the procedure
and the choices you need to make during the installation process.

Installing or Upgrading the SystemManager Online Help System

Since SystemManager Release 5.4, the online help system gets installed along with the SystemManager application
and other components required for the successful operation of the SystemManager. Refer to the Omneon
SystemManager Installation Guide and the Omneon SystemManager Release Notes for additional information.

Upgrading MediaPort Firmware

Important!
When upgrading any of the MIP-5xxx MediaPorts from a pre-5.3 version to version 5.4, you must perform the
following upgrade procedure, including the restart, twice in order for the upgrade to take effect. Once the
MediaPort has been upgraded to 5.4, further upgrades to 5.4 or later may be performed successfully by
following the upgrade procedure only once.

Note
Bring the system to a quiescent state as discussed on page 11 before commencing any MediaPort upgrades.

Customers with 3000 series MediaPorts who are running Release 3.0 or 3.1 will need to upgrade their 3000 series
MediaPorts to 4.0 prior to upgrading to Release 5.4. If you are running 3.1 or earlier software and do not have MIP-
3003 or 3006s in your system, you can upgrade directly to Release 5.4.

Before upgrading to the latest version of software, check with your automation, archival, and third party software
vendors for compatibility information.

Use the following steps to upgrade MediaPort firmware using the Upgrade Firmware page. This method allows
you to upgrade one or more MediaPorts. If you have received a new SystemManager CD-ROM that includes a specific
MediaPort upgrade, the Software Installation instructions must be followed completely. This ensures that new
software is placed properly in the D:\Upgrades directory.

To upgrade a Spectrum MediaPort:

1. With the SystemManager software properly installed, log on to the SystemManager application.
2. Click the Home tab.
3. In the left-hand column, click the Firmware Selection icon to display the Firmware Selection page.
4. Click the radio button for the desired version of firmware. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click
OK.
5. Click the Home tab.
6. In the left-hand column, click the Upgrade Firmware icon to display the Upgrade Firmware page.
7. Scroll to the MediaPorts section of the page.
8. Click the check boxes for the MediaPorts whose firmware you want to upgrade, or (recommended), click the
Select all button to select all MediaPorts. You cannot have MediaPorts with different revisions on the same
system.
9. Click the Upgrade MediaPorts button. The Upgrade MediaPorts Now page appears with a list of the selected
MediaPorts.
10. Click OK to upgrade the selected MediaPorts, or click Cancel to exit the procedure safely.
11. When the upgrade process is complete, select the MediaPorts again, and then click the Reboot MediaPorts
button. The Reboot MediaPorts Now page appears.

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12. Click OK to restart the selected MediaPorts or click Cancel to exit the procedure safely.

Upgrading MediaDirector Firmware

Note
Bring the system to a quiescent state as discussed on page 11 before commencing any MediaDirector upgrade.

Before upgrading to the latest version of software, check with your automation, archival, and third party software
vendors for compatibility information.
Use the following steps to upgrade MediaDirector firmware using the Upgrade Firmware page. This method
allows you to upgrade one or more MediaDirectors.
1. From the Home tab, click the Upgrade Firmware icon in the left-hand column to display the Upgrade
Firmware page.
2. In the MediaDirectors section, click the Select all button. You cannot have MediaDirectors with different
revisions on the same system; to ensure file system integrity, upgrade all MediaDirectors at the same time.
3. Click the Upgrade MediaDirectors button. The Upgrade MediaDirectors Now page appears with a list of the
selected MediaDirectors.
4. Click OK to upgrade the selected MediaDirectors, or click Cancel to exit the procedure safely without
upgrading.
5. When the upgrade process is complete, select the MediaDirectors again, and then click the Reboot
MediaDirectors button. The Reboot MediaDirectors Now page appears.
6. Click OK to restart the selected MediaDirectors, or click Cancel to exit the procedure safely.

Verifying Disk Drive Firmware

1. From the Configuration tab, click the Disk Utilities icon in the left-hand column and then click the icon for
any MediaDirector to open the Disk Utilities page for that MediaDirector.
2. Click the Upgrade Disk Firmware button.
3. Compare the Firmware Rev. Level and New Firmware Available columns for each drive. If any drives are
running earlier firmware than is available, proceed to upgrade disk drive firmware.

Upgrading Disk Drive Firmware (if necessary)

Note
Bring the system to a quiescent state as discussed on page 11 before commencing any disk drive firmware
upgrade. Be sure to stop the file system on each MediaDirector (via the Configuration tab, Disk Utilities page,
file system link, STOP FS button). Prior to upgrading drive firmware, upgrade the SystemManager and the
MediaDirectors and MediaPorts to the latest version of software; then perform the disk drive firmware
upgrade.

Caution!
Be sure to maintain power to the system throughout the drive firmware upgrade procedure. Loss of power
during upgrade may render a drive inoperable and require a replacement or cause a loss of content.
1. Open the Disk Utilities page for any connected MediaDirector.
2. Click on the Upgrade Disk Firmware button.

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 Omneon, Inc.

3. Check the box next to any drives running a prior version of firmware (most conveniently using the Select All
Drives button) and then click the Start Drive Firmware Upgrade button. This process will take several
minutes.
4. Once all disk drive firmware has been successfully upgraded to the latest rev, restart the file system on all
MediaDirectors.

Verifying that MediaDirectors in EFS Have Common View of Disks, RAID Sets and File
System
Prior to taking any action on a Disk Drive, RAID Set, File System, MediaStore or Fibre Channel interface, it is
important to verify that all MediaDirectors in an Extended File System (EFS) have a common view of disks, RAID
Sets and MediaStores. This procedure can be found in the Omneon SystemManager User’s Guide. It is also available
in the Help System and can be found by entering “Common View of Disks” in the Search box and selecting the
“Verifying that MediaDirectors in EFS have a Common Views of Disks, Raid Sets, and File System” link.

When a drive is dead and has been removed from the system, the drive’s information still remains on the Disk
Utilities screen and in the SystemManager database. Select the Remove Drive button on the Drive Properties page
of the SystemManager to remove the drive from the associated MediaDirector. In an EFS setup, you must remove
the “dead” drive from each of the MediaDirectors in the system or you will receive alarms in the SystemManager
stating F/C Loop views are inconsistent between MediaDirectors.

Warnings, Issues & Exceptions

On MIP-6320, MIP-6220, and MIP-6100 series MediaPorts, alternating between play

and record modes may cause errors in the first clip recording
For the MIP-6320, MIP-6220, and MIP-6100 series MediaPorts, alternating between Record and Play modes will
result video errors at the beginning of the very first recording; the second recording will not have the corruption. It
may also result in errors in the log.

For the MCP-2102, a Data Abort Fault in the RAID relay can result in very slow
response time

With an EFS system, disk addition/removal in the same RAID set may result in file
system abort
In very rare cases, with an EFS configuration, if there is a lot of bad block activity affecting two disks from the same
RAID set, a timing error between MediaDirectors may cause one MediaDirector to abort the file system while a
second MediaDirector is attempting to repair it.

Issue with earlier versions of PlayerTest when recording MXF files

When using PlayerTest to record MXF files, Omneon recommends that you use the version included with release
5.4. Using earlier versions may result in problems when recording MXF formats such as OP0a.

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MXF system element timecode is off by one frame when recording clips with MPEG-2
Long GOP
When recording an MPEG-2 Long GOP clip, the start timecode is marked correctly, but every system element
timecode is off by frame.

Frames from previous clip may appear at the beginning of new clip playout on MIP-
5500 or MIP-4000 series
After playing and ejecting an HD clip from a player configured for HD only, any other HD clip loaded and played
out on the MIP-5500 or MIP-4000 series may show a few frames the previous clip at beginning of playback. The
displayed frames occur before the actual playout timeline starts.

Apple Final Cut Pro may hang when exporting a sequence to Spectrum 5.4
Apple Final Cut Pro may hang when exporting a sequence to Spectrum or MediaDeck version 5.4 if the source
selectors on the left of the timeline are not set to Vid1 and AUD1/AUD2. The Finder may also hang. These hangs
occur when running on Macintosh OSX 10.5.6. The workaround is to set these selectors to Vid1, Aud1 and Aud2
prior to exporting the sequence. Another option would be to not upgrade to OSX 10.5.6.

Error messages for incomplete MXF files

Attempting to load an incomplete MXF file can result in error messages stating that the file length is either too long
or too short. These messages can be safely ignored.

VBI data is missing from some frames when playing in offspeed or loop modes
When playing Spectrum-generated content with VBI data in offspeed mode, the VBI data may be missing from
every third frame. Additionally, when looping a clip, the VANC packet may also be missing from the first frame of
the clip after the loop.

Issues with Audio Scrub on the MIP-5500 when configured for 720p
On a MIP-5500, when the player is configured for 720P/59.94 and an SD clip is played at an off-speed setting,
within the audio scrub range the audio sounds garbled and error messages will appear.

One frame difference between start timecode in MXF essence file and burned-in
timecode for XDCAM HD and OP0a files
For XDCAM HD and OP0a files, the Start Timecode in the MXF essence file is one frame off from the burned-in
timecode.

Upgrading the MIP-5000, MIP-5200, MIP-5300, and MIP-5500 series MediaPorts more
than 500 times will result in failure
Attempting to upgrade the MediaPort after the 500 limit is reached will result in failure with an error message
reported in the system log after the unit is reset. If you have rebooted the MediaPort 500 times, it will require a
redboot reset. Contact Omneon Technical Support for assistance.
 Omneon, Inc.

Issue with transfer while recording a long MXF OP0A or OP1A clip from a Spectrum
Host to MediaGrid back to Spectrum
When the Internal Media API is used to transfer while recording a long MXF OP0A or OP1A clip from a Spectrum
host to MediaGrid back to a Spectrum host, the transfer can be prematurely terminated.

Error messages when using the IRT MXF Analyzer

For MXF clips containing AES3 audio recorded with Spectrum firmware preceding release 5.3, an IRT MXF
Analyzer older than version 1.7.0.79 produces the following error message:
1590 Error: The correct value for property Quantization bits is 16 and not 24 as
encoded in the file.
For MXF clips containing AES3 audio recorded with Spectrum firmware release 5.3, an IRT MXF Analyzer older
than version 1.7.0.79 produces the following error message:
1590 Error: The correct value for property Quantization bits is 20 and not 24 as
encoded in the file.
For MXF clips containing AES3 audio recorded with any version of Spectrum firmware, IRT MXF Analyzer
version 1.7.0.79 and later produces an informational message indicating that the MXF Quantization Bits property
exceeds that encoded in the file.

These error messages can be safely ignored.

Follow upgrade procedure twice when upgrading the MIP-5000, MIP-5300, and MIP-
5200 series MediaPorts
When upgrading al MIP-5xxx series MediaPorts, to 5.3, you must follow the MediaPort upgrade procedure,
including the restart, twice for the units to be fully upgraded and function properly. (Note that it is not necessary to
update other components, such as MediaDirectors or other MediaPorts, twice.) Once the MediaPort has been
upgraded to 5.3, further upgrades to 5.3 or later may be performed successfully by following the upgrade procedure
only once.

Audio issue when playing proxies with VLC media player

When playing Spectrum-generated proxy files with later versions of the VLC media player (including versions 0.9.4
and 0.9.8), attempting to switch to an individual right/left audio channel, versus stereo audio, may result in the
player not responding. If this occurs, the player must be closed and restarted to play additional clips.

Using KDE drag and drop copier to copy files to Spectrum system may result in files
changing to no stripe
As a workaround, Omneon recommends that you use a Windows or Macintosh computer to copy files to a Spectrum
system or, if using a Unix computer, use the “cp” command from a terminal.

Descriptive metadata cannot be set in some MXF IF50 clips

In certain circumstances, the descriptive metadata cannot be set for MXF IF50 clips.

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Failure to enable “Trim Audio Precharge” feature when editing a file with TrackTool
may cause audio distortion
Editing a file with TrackTool without enabling the “Trim Audio Precharge” feature can result in audio distortion
during playback of the edited file.

Index Start Position in some OP1a eVTR clips may result in audio defects
In certain Spectrum-generated OP1a eVTR clips, the Index Start Position item may incorrectly appear in a material
package when it should only appear in an index table segment. As a result, when played back, these clips may
contain audio defects such as “popping” or “fuzzy” noise.

In rare cases, MCP-2101 fails to power up after upgrade and restart

Very rarely, an MCP-2101 will not power up when performing a “soft” restart (restart without removing power)
after a system firmware upgrade. Cycling power on the device will correct the issue.

MediaDirector shows incorrect data for available disk space when queried from a
Samba client
Use SystemManager to see available disk space.

Change to precharge pattern when recording Long GOP MPEG-2.

When recording one Long GOP MPEG-2 video track plus audio tracks from multiple players, or one track of long-
GOP MPEG-2 plus one or more additional video tracks, all tracks may be padded with black or silence frames to the
maximum GOP length of any long-GOP video track. This is due to a change to the precharge pattern produced by
the Spectrum 5.1 release (5.1) .
When recording one Long GOP MPEG-2 video track plus zero or more audio tracks from a single player, the
precharge pattern is unchanged from the previous release: the video track will not be padded with black frames, and
the audio tracks will be padded with silence frames to match the video precharge.

On the MIP-5300, recording “difficult” HD MPEG-2 Long GOP video content at 18

Mb/s may result in encoder errors
Attempting to encode MPEG-2 Long GOP video which contains difficult content, such as “strobe” or heavily
flashing lights, at a bit rate of 18 Mb/s, may result in encoder errors on the MIP-5300 series MediaPorts. These
errors may include video artifacts when the recorded content is played back.

On the MCP-2101, first frame of audio from MPEG clip created with pre-5.4 software is
played incorrectly
In some circumstances, when playing MPEG clips created using pre-5.4 software and the MCP-2101, the first frame
of audio is replaced by the last audio frame plus one from the previous clip. If the current clip is the first clip
playing, then the first audio frame is silence. Note that when playing clips back to back that were recorded back to
back, the audio plays correctly.

Release Notes • Page 12 of 18 Omneon Spectrum System • 7/1/2009 • Release 5.4.1

Cache parity error not reported by SystemManager
A cache parity error is a low level fault in the processor cache of the MediaDirector, which can be observed in the
log file for the MediaDirector. This error should rarely occur. In some cases, this error can result in a file system
shutdown, loss of video playback, or record failure. If the error does occur more than once with the same hardware,
the hardware should be replaced.

Decoding during active transfer of MXF file results in error

In certain cases, an MXF file being decoded does not transfer from scan-mode to normal-mode quickly enough,
resulting in a collapsed picture.

Additional cable kit for MIP-5301 MediaPort playback available upon request
If you plan to use the second port (Port B) on the MIP-5301 for playback of video and audio, you may need
additional RS-422 adapter and IEEE-1394 cables. You may request a cable kit from Omneon. This kit includes an
RJ-45 to DB-9 adapter cable, and two IEEE-1394 cables, one with “B to B” connectors to connect the MediaPort to
an MCP-2102 or MCP-2102B MediaDirector, and the other with “B to A” connectors to connect the MediaPort to
an MCP-2100 or MCP-2101 MediaDirector. To request this cable kit, contact Omneon Technical Support.

Upgrading the MIP-5300 series MediaPorts for improved image quality

If you purchased the MIP-5300 series MediaPorts prior to version 5.1, Omneon recommends that you upgrade to the
5.2 version firmware for the best results. Refer to “Upgrading MediaPort Firmware” for instructions.

Incorrect Daylight Saving Time for most time zones

Spectrum hardware and software must be manually adjusted for Daylight Savings Time in most time zones outside
of the continental United States, except for Mexico.

Setting the Time Zone in an Omneon server

There are two ways to set your time zone in a Omneon video server:

• As an offset from GMT, such as “GMT +5”. If the time zone is set this way, the Omneon video server will not
attempt to implement Daylight Savings Time.
• As an abbreviation for the time zone name, as in “BET” for Brazil Eastern Time. If the abbreviation is used, the
system will attempt to automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time.

Because the use or non-use of DST varies frequently world-wide, Omneon recommends against using the second
option for time zones outside of the continental United States. Instead, use the GMT offset technique and, if your
company honors Daylight Savings Time, reset the system manually at the appropriate times.

Playout of partial MXF files may not be frame-accurate

In cases where a partial MXF file is created, moving the player head to a different location or playing the file off-
speed and then returning to 1x speed may result in an error message in the log and frame inaccuracies in the playout.
Repeated drive auto-fails on MCP-2101 may result in drive failure
Certain conditions on the MCP-2101 MediaDirector that result in repeated drive auto-fails can cause the following
SCSI errors in the system log: "fcdAllocSlot: Cannot allocate scsiReq". These errors will result in the failure of any
further disk I/O.

Delay in playback of DNxHD clip with MXF wrapper

Playback of a DNxHD clip with an MXF wrapper on a Spectrum system is delayed for up to three seconds.

XDCAM-HD 4:2:2 50 Mb/s clips exported from Final Cut Pro require greater than
nominal 50 Mb/s player bandwidth
This release adds support for recording Apple Final Cut Pro exported XDCAM-HD 4:2:2 50 Mb/s clips on MIP-
5300, MIP-5320, and MIP-4000 series MediaPorts. The previous Spectrum release provided support for play out of
such material. The supported clip formats are 1920x1080i 29.97, 1920x1080i 25, 1280x720p 59.94, and 1280x720p
50. Since clips generated by Final Cut Pro often require more bandwidth than expected, in order to play back
XDCAM-HD 50 Mb/s clips exported from Final Cut Pro, Spectrum players must be set higher than the nominal 50
Mb/s. While this value will vary depending upon the clip, a value of 60 Mb/s should be sufficient.

To record and play Final Cut Pro-exported XDCAM-HD 4:2:2 50 Mb/s clips, Omneon recommends that you create
two separate players using the Simple configuration: one player for record set at 50 Mb/s, and another player for
play-out, with the bit rate set high enough to account for any variances in the exported file (60 Mb/s or above).

For more information on creating players, refer to “Player Configuration” in the Omneon SystemManager 5.11
User’s Guide.

A Spectrum-created 436M clip containing closed captioning, which exceeds 20 VANC

packets, may lose the closed captioning data when decoded

Removing the 1394 cable from an MCP-2102/B MediaDirector while recording a 50Hz
DNxHD clip results in a stopped/failed record

QuickTime parser on a Spectrum system may hang when parsing corrupted clips
generated by third party equipment

Incorrect FTP log messages displayed

On a Spectrum system, if a client drops an FTP connection, the FTP log will incorrectly show a “timeout” log
message instead of a “client close” log message.

Drives on the MSS-4000 incorrectly reported as “unknown-1”

In some cases, when using the MCP-2101 MediaDirector with the MSS-4000 MediaStore, system alarms may
incorrectly indicate that a disk hot spare is queued for failure; such drives are reported as “unknown -1”. If this
occurs, contact Technical Support.
 Omneon, Inc.

Deleted file system appears in Windows* Explorer*

If a file system belonging to a Spectrum system is deleted and then recreated with a new name, both versions of the
file system will appear as available in Windows* Explorer. This issue is resolved by restarting the MediaDirector.

Enabling 405M Timecode support results in a perceptible loss of performance on

MediaDirectors
Omneon recommends that 405M Timecode functionality remain disabled unless it is required.

MCP-2102, in some cases, incorrectly attempts to log in a drive that has been auto-
failed
In some cases, the MCP-2102 loses the “failed” status of a drive that has been auto-failed and, incorrectly, attempts
to log in the failed drive.

Exceeding the performance capabilities of the MCP-2102 MediaDirector may result in

a “MsgPoolAlloc failed: <error>” error message in the log file
Avoid running MediaDirector over the maximum recommended channel count. For recommended channel counts,
contact Omneon Technical Support or your Sales person.

Incorrect I-Frame movie length reported

The Media API may incorrectly report the length of an I-Frame movie that has more than one clip per track.

Playing multiple MPEG-2 Long GOP MXF Op1a clips, recorded at 20 Mb/s, on multiple
hosts of the same MediaDirector produces errors in the log file
With MIP-4000 and MIP-4100 series MediaPorts, the following error message is generated:

E Host1 SspD4::WaitHwIdle: Kicking owner to release: <hex address>

The error message is harmless and can be ignored.

Data abort fault occurs while processing EFS-list of disk addresses

Error messages when recording with early MIP-5000 series MediaPorts

In rare cases, when using early releases of the MIP-5000 series MediaPorts to record, error messages such as the
following may appear:
GenlockTapA::ServiceInterrupt: duplicate field 1.
If this occurs, restart the MediaPort.

Omneon Spectrum System • 7/1/2009 • Release 5.4.1 Release Notes • Page 15 of 18

Do not connect the MediaDeck or the MCP-2102(b) MediaDirector to a 10 Mb/s
Ethernet hub
A 100Mb/s or faster device must be used for networking.

Timecode on XDCAM clips played back on MIP-4100 Series MediaPorts cannot be

decoded by a timecode reader
The standard timecode configuration does not work properly with the current implementation of XDCAM. To
enable the correct operation of timecode for XDCAM clips, the MIP-4100 Series MediaPorts must be configured as:
Playback Timecode Source: Internal (TCG on),Timecode Generator mode: Locked to Clip’s First Timecode.

MIP-4100 Series MediaPort reference black source error

MIP-4100 Series MediaPorts log errors after switching from 525 to a 625 reference black sources. Video output is
unaffected. Switching from 625 to 525 reference does not generate errors.

The error message is harmless and can be ignored.

Player and recorder Internal Time Code Generator note

When “Play and Record” Players are configured for Internal Timecode Generator and Locked to Clip TC, recorded
clips are produced with starting times of 00:00:00.00 with VITC times from the original source, not 00:00:00.00.

Unable to set user data for some MXF files

The User Data bits cannot be set for some third party MXF files.

MCP-2102 MediaDirector host is unresponsive after power up

In approximately 1 in 50 power-cycled restarts, one or all of the MCP-2102 MediaDirector hosts begin the boot-up
process, but do not finish, leaving the chassis in an unresponsive state. This only occurs as a result of a power-cycle.
A soft restart will not initiate this issue. The solution is to perform another power cycle. This will recover all hosts.

DelayTool using MPEG-2 I-frame encoding at 50 Mb/s may display video disruptions

Bad audio playback occurs when using a MIP-4010 MediaPort to demux an HD stream
when multiple audio channels are present

"Refused OPN" errors reported by drives

In some rare cases, a drive may report a “Refused OPN” ISP timeout error.
On an MCP-2101, playing a clip less than 10 seconds after it is recorded may result in
errors
On an MCP-2101, if you play a clip with a non-low latency file type, less than 10 seconds after it was recorded,
error messages may appear. These messages can be disregarded.

Clips with file names longer than 26 characters cannot be imported into Final Cut Pro
There is a known incompatibility issue with long file names between Final Cut Pro and OSX. Currently, there is no
resolution or workaround available.

Video channel count is severely degraded when multiple mono audio files are
present

ClipTool Pro record issue

During the record process, clips become 2 frames longer than allowed and cannot be played back in ClipTool Pro
3.1.

No warning is issued when more than 96 audio channels are configured per video
clip
A maximum of 96 audio channels and 48 audio tracks can be configured for a video clip. Omneon does not
recommend configuring more than 96 tracks. The Multi-Language Audio enhancement supports a workflow that
manually adds audio tracks to an existing clip using TrackTool. The system can simultaneously play 48 channels of
the resultant clip correctly. Note that some subsystems such as CopyClip do not process these clips correctly.

VITC issue under certain offspeed play conditions

VITC timecode from the MediaPort does not display current time on media in reverse mode or on jumping to an
arbitrary still frame. This does not affect VITC output via BVW protocol or the Omneon Player Control API.

Last frame of a clip displayed on MIP-3000 series MediaPorts

The last frame of the previous clip on a 3000 Series MediaPort may appear transiently during cueing, but the first
frame of the cued clip will be displayed when cueing is complete.

MIP-4000 Series MediaPorts record errors in Monitor Logs when a clip with 16
channels of audio is cued to play
Although the clip will play correctly, an error is recorded eight times in the Monitor Logs.

VITC configuration using the SystemManager

The SystemManager allows the user to configure VITC lines between 6 and 22. Supported VITC lines for MIP-
1001A, MIP 1003A, MIP 1010A, MIP 3003 and MIP 3006 are 7 – 23 inclusive at 50 Hz and 10 – 25 inclusive at
59.94 Hz. A player configured with an illegal VITC insert value will prevent CC and VITC information from being
Omneon, Inc.

inserted into the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI).

Note on MXF clips

With an eVTR Op1a wrapper, IMX 50 4:2:2 accompanied by 8 channels of 24-bit AES3 audio is supported. While
the SystemManager will allow the creation of an IMX 30, 40, or 50-only recorder (i.e. no audio), you will not be
able to record MXF with a video only player. When creating MXF recorders you must specify one MPEG track
configured for IMX 50 4:2:2 and one audio track with 8 channels of 24-bit AES3 audio.

MXF and QuickTime clip names are distinguished by extension (.mxf vs .mov), however many applications refer to
clips without extensions. Therefore, mixing clips of the same name but different extensions (for example, foo.mxf
and foo.mov) in the same directory will lead to unpredictable results.

QuickTime players cannot playback 24-bit AES3 MXF audio. If you intend to operate your system using both QT
and MXF files, you should change all players to MXF including playback players. MXF playback players allow the
playback of both MXF and QuickTime audio.

False alarm: power supply failure

Power supply monitoring in the MCP 2101 as currently programmed is sensitive to transients, including plugging
and unplugging the redundant AC supply connection. A power supply alarm is not necessarily an indication that the
MCP-2101 hardware is faulty.

Harmless log messages

Please ignore error messages that appear in the monitor log starting with AudioNode::TruncateHeader. These
messages are cosmetic, with no audible side effects.

1394 dubbing fails when a MediaPort is not present

Since release 4.7 SR3, 1394 dubbing without a MediaPort is no longer supported.

Connect Reference for MediaPorts

External reference must be connected when using MIP-3000, MIP-4000, MIP-4100, MIP-5000, MIP-5200, MIP-
5300, MIP-5500, MIP-6100, MIP-6320, and MIP-6220 series MediaPorts. The reference for all of these MediaPorts
must be common with the reference for the MediaDirector.

Release Notes • Page 18 of 18 Omneon Spectrum System • 7/1/2009 • Release 5.4.1