TANDBERG 3000: Integration Woes

[MACC the AVCOtek]

I got my first look at the new 3000 MXP on friday.... and my first look was much longer than it should have been.

We integrated the codec into a VTC room with a couple of plasmas and a Vaddio Control View with two EVI-D100s. No Wave Camera is being used.

The problems started when I set the Data port setting to Data instead of control - big, BIG mistake. Doing this will crash your codec. Recoverable only by a 'eee' restart. So, I triple-E the codec and everything seems hunky-dory until about 4pm HST (when everybody on the mainland has gone home) I realize there is 0kbps bandwidth available. I am unable to make calls and the end user has a conference the next morning at 8am. The Triple-E wiped the bandwidth key! To 0kbps! What in the world is the point of that? And nowhere in my paperwork is there a bandwidth key.... *grrr* Luckily, I had a second codec to swap out.

So, after the end-user's conference and after I have restored the bandwidth at my office, I take the codec back to reinstall it. Then I upgrade the bugger to F1.3. And, after the required restart, I get nothing by dual monitor outputs on both the video and VGA outs - in other words, no MENUS! This requires a defvalues set factory fix. No problem. I do that, I get the Menu back.

Because I don't have a Main Cam attached, I set the default video source to AUX. Then, after a restart (the rack had been turned off for another reason - a restart isn't need after setting the default video source) I discover that again I have no MENUS. This requires another defvalues set factory fix.

Ok, anybody lost count yet? I had to wipe the codec three times! It is operational now, but not completely useful to the end user because I can't set the default video to AUX.

Now, I dearly love TANDBERG codecs - I think they are the best there is. But I have a bad, bad feeling that the 3000 was severely rushed to compete with Polycom. And I vehemently hate being the one who pays with my time and my company's money for capitalistic BS.


*sigh* I guess this may count as a rant.... :tired: and :disappoin

[robertk]

I agree with you, Tandberg is too keen on releaseing products without proper testing. Ie they keep it locked in until release-time and noone or very few people outside R&D have the chance to test the products. SO when the products are "released" WE become their beta testers, or even worse our customers. (yea I'm a Tandberg reseller :)

I don't like this at all.

This aproach has worked good for Tandberg in the past, when they had 100% control of the Hardware and Software (ie their codecs) BUT when they now release windows software, this plan failes miserably.

Tandberg has to understand that every Windows installation is uniqe and requires the software to be rock solid... To get there they need beta-testers, and lots of them.

//Robert

[Morgan81]

I haven't noticed these problems with the MXP's I've gotten my hands on, but I think thats only becasue we try to keep things as simple as possible and don't try to do anything fancy with integration. However I am right there with you for the rest of Tandberg's line (especially TMS). A few beta testers would go a long way so we don't have to call up the TAC with the answer to a question we asked to begin with.

[Glen Sykes]

I agree with you, Tandberg is too keen on releaseing products without proper testing. Ie they keep it locked in until release-time and noone or very few people outside R&D have the chance to test the products. SO when the products are "released" WE become their beta testers, or even worse our customers. (yea I'm a Tandberg reseller :)

I don't like this at all.

This aproach has worked good for Tandberg in the past, when they had 100% control of the Hardware and Software (ie their codecs) BUT when they now release windows software, this plan failes miserably.

Tandberg has to understand that every Windows installation is uniqe and requires the software to be rock solid... To get there they need beta-testers, and lots of them.

//Robert

By windows software are you referring to TMS and IM or the codecs?

As far as I am aware the codecs are still built on Tandbergs own OS.

[robertk]

I'm refering to the TMS.

However, the *new* MXP has bugs, loads of them :) But I'm quite confident with tandberg there... I'm more worried about the TMS.

Also, if we install one or a few brand new MXP and it has some bugs in a network with 50 other codecs, that's not so much to worry about.

But upgrading the TMS from version 8 to 9 on the same network.... you do the math!

However, the TMS 9 is quite ok, the most problems I've encountered is within the Conference Control Center of the TMS, haven't got it to work propery yet.

//Robert

[MACC the AVCOtek]

I goofed a detail in my saga above. I did not have to do the defvalues set factory to fix the AUX default video setting. I did instead an xconfig startupvideosource: 1 (to set the default back to Main Cam). A small detail, but it still required a terminal session and was still more work than I should have had to do.

[panzer]

Afternoon all,
I agree, Tandberg were really good about releasing products that were rock solid. They must have hired some ex-Ptel people that were part of the Swiftsite II developement :) JK

It sort of started back when they released thier first MCU. It came out and it was ISDN only. Still they have the better platform when it comes to integration. I'm still not sold on the DVI in/outs but time will tell if that takes off or they just use the VGA adapter cables.

Off topic: There are 2 types of baseball fans. Yankee fans and those who hate the Yankees. Any predictions on tonights game. I say the BoSox blow it and the curse will continue. The last 3 games have been great!

[MACC the AVCOtek]

I agree with you, Tandberg is too keen on releaseing products without proper testing.

To be fair, I don't think TANDBERG is the only one who does this. I haven't been too pleased with the VSX7000 either....

[Sean Lessman]

I'm refering to the TMS.

However, the *new* MXP has bugs, loads of them :) But I'm quite confident with tandberg there... I'm more worried about the TMS.

Also, if we install one or a few brand new MXP and it has some bugs in a network with 50 other codecs, that's not so much to worry about.

But upgrading the TMS from version 8 to 9 on the same network.... you do the math!

However, the TMS 9 is quite ok, the most problems I've encountered is within the Conference Control Center of the TMS, haven't got it to work propery yet.

//Robert

Robert, I suggest you work with your TANDBERG representative. If you suspect its a problem. When we see issues with CCC working properly, its typically a bad Java install on the PC you are using. You can test your Java installation at http://www.java.com/en/download/help/testvm.jsp

Sean
Sean

[robertk]

Belive me Sean, I'm working with them :)

I'm quite happy to see some of my ideas have made it into the MXP platform, although I would have liked to see them on the old platform aswell... but that will probably never happen.

//Robert

[Glen Sykes]

In some ways Tandberg have made life difficult for themselves with the MXP in that every software release prior to this on classics and even codecs before that have been rock solid. They set the bar very very high indeed.

When you have a product like the MXP, it's a very tough decision to allow the channel partners to test this given that Tandbergs' share prices could be adversely affected by any leakage of information prior to its release. It is true that the product could have been released a little prematurely due to market pressures, but what we have on our hands is a platform for the future.

I am as frustrated as anyone about the bugs witnessed in versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 and am engaged in some difficult conversations with customers about these at the moment, but I do beleive that within a short time these problems will be ironed out and we will have a codec that is true of the standards that Tandberg have set previously.

I only hope that now the platform is released that further versions of software are issued to trusted beta testers becuase I beleive that a lot of the problems seen in version 1 could have been avoided.

[robertk]

I agree with you, Glen, the MXP might have been released a bit too soon... however I'm sure Tandberg will make it rock solid.The old platform(s) had problems in the beginning too (or still have on some parts if you ask me :^D )

//Robert - PS. You know that F1.3 is released now.

[robertk]

Afternoon all,
I agree, Tandberg were really good about releasing products that were rock solid. They must have hired some ex-Ptel people that were part of the Swiftsite II developement :) JK

Huh, don't even think that thought... :^D


It sort of started back when they released thier first MCU. It came out and it was ISDN only. Still they have the better platform when it comes to integration. I'm still not sold on the DVI in/outs but time will tell if that takes off or they just use the VGA adapter cables

But this is the beuty of the DVI standard, you have the option to go DVI or VGA. Tandberg would send atleast one DVI to RGB adaper with every system.

I've installed some MXPs on 61" Plasmas with DVI-digital connection... it's really nice. The downside is ofcourse the lenght of the DVI cables :^(


Off topic: There are 2 types of baseball fans. Yankee fans and those who hate the Yankees. Any predictions on tonights game. I say the BoSox blow it and the curse will continue. The last 3 games have been great!

What is baseball? :^D

//Robert

[SparkyIEEE]

I have a customer running TMS 7 and it works well. I am told by Tandberg that there have been alot of improvements in Version 9
Has any seen any major problems with it ? I don't want to break it by upgrading

Thanks,
Sparky

[Glen Sykes]

I have a customer running TMS 7 and it works well. I am told by Tandberg that there have been alot of improvements in Version 9
Has any seen any major problems with it ? I don't want to break it by upgrading

Thanks,
Sparky

Yeah one thing to watch out for is if you are running any codecs on IP only and you have all your ISDN ports disabled. When adding your systems to the database this can result in an error msg. The workaround we found was to enable line 1 in order to register with TMS and then turn it off afterward :squareeye

[Morgan81]

I have a customer running TMS 7 and it works well. I am told by Tandberg that there have been alot of improvements in Version 9
Has any seen any major problems with it ? I don't want to break it by upgrading

Thanks,
Sparky

I've noticed quite a few:
If you are monitoring any Polycoms, the functionality decreases considerably. There are no web snapshots. There are less event notifications. There are no trap logs. You can't access individual statistics by going to the system first....

I can go on but I'll stop there, those are my main complaints with it. No real software glitches (haven't noticed anything not being able to load), but some of those features I use on a daily basis, and for me, I'll keep on using v8 and be happy with it. (On a side note upgrading from v7.2 to v8 had virtually no impact, I still couldn't tell you what the difference is between the two.

I still feel that there is deffinate potential for TMS however, Tandberg isn't there yet but v9 was started from scratch so it will take some time to iron out the bugs, but once they do it will be worth it. (Not to say v8 was that bad to begin with.)

[Sean Lessman]

I've noticed quite a few:
If you are monitoring any Polycoms, the functionality decreases considerably. There are no web snapshots. There are less event notifications. There are no trap logs. You can't access individual statistics by going to the system first....

I can go on but I'll stop there, those are my main complaints with it. No real software glitches (haven't noticed anything not being able to load), but some of those features I use on a daily basis, and for me, I'll keep on using v8 and be happy with it. (On a side note upgrading from v7.2 to v8 had virtually no impact, I still couldn't tell you what the difference is between the two.

I still feel that there is deffinate potential for TMS however, Tandberg isn't there yet but v9 was started from scratch so it will take some time to iron out the bugs, but once they do it will be worth it. (Not to say v8 was that bad to begin with.)

FYI,

Many of the issues you guys are talking about have been addressed in the 9.1 and 9.2 dot releases.

Sean

[MACC the AVCOtek]

I was back at my customer site today and noticed another thing: the Screensaver delay doesn't work.

I, too, am confident that TANDBERG will get the MXP platform working rock solid. I'm just disappointed that I even have to say that.

[skydive069]

I got my first look at the new 3000 MXP on friday.... and my first look was much longer than it should have been.

We integrated the codec into a VTC room with a couple of plasmas and a Vaddio Control View with two EVI-D100s. No Wave Camera is being used.

The problems started when I set the Data port setting to Data instead of control - big, BIG mistake. Doing this will crash your codec. Recoverable only by a 'eee' restart. So, I triple-E the codec and everything seems hunky-dory until about 4pm HST (when everybody on the mainland has gone home) I realize there is 0kbps bandwidth available. I am unable to make calls and the end user has a conference the next morning at 8am. The Triple-E wiped the bandwidth key! To 0kbps! What in the world is the point of that? And nowhere in my paperwork is there a bandwidth key.... *grrr* Luckily, I had a second codec to swap out.

So, after the end-user's conference and after I have restored the bandwidth at my office, I take the codec back to reinstall it. Then I upgrade the bugger to F1.3. And, after the required restart, I get nothing by dual monitor outputs on both the video and VGA outs - in other words, no MENUS! This requires a defvalues set factory fix. No problem. I do that, I get the Menu back.

Because I don't have a Main Cam attached, I set the default video source to AUX. Then, after a restart (the rack had been turned off for another reason - a restart isn't need after setting the default video source) I discover that again I have no MENUS. This requires another defvalues set factory fix.

Ok, anybody lost count yet? I had to wipe the codec three times! It is operational now, but not completely useful to the end user because I can't set the default video to AUX.

Now, I dearly love TANDBERG codecs - I think they are the best there is. But I have a bad, bad feeling that the 3000 was severely rushed to compete with Polycom. And I vehemently hate being the one who pays with my time and my company's money for capitalistic BS.


*sigh* I guess this may count as a rant.... :tired: and :disappoin
I have the same problem and or I did the same thing--I set the Data port setting to Data instead of control and I can do NOTHING! I guess I made the same big, BIG mistake. When you say recovery can only be a 'eee' restart, what and how do you do that? Actually, I made the same mistake TWICE so I have two codes that are kaput.

[Sean Lessman]

I have the same problem and or I did the same thing--I set the Data port setting to Data instead of control and I can do NOTHING! I guess I made the same big, BIG mistake. When you say recovery can only be a 'eee' restart, what and how do you do that? Actually, I made the same mistake TWICE so I have two codes that are kaput.

What version of software is on the codec?

Do not 'eee' anything unless you are on the phone with the support team. This will erase all your option keys.

Sean

[skydive069]

What version of software is on the codec?

Do not 'eee' anything unless you are on the phone with the support team. This will erase all your option keys.

Sean
I have software version F1.2

[djackson]

You probably want to upgrade to F3 on all your codecs. Looks like you need to get get tandberg tech support on the line and 'eee' the systems with issues.