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Is there something where a projector needs to be connected to the internet? This seems as silly as bluetooth speakers like Sonos needing an internet connection.

Is there something where a projector needs to be connected to the internet? This seems as silly as bluetooth speakers like Sonos needing an internet connection. Perhaps someone can share what is needed here and why it's connected.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
buro9 3y ago
IIUC, movies are delivered to local storage via the internet, and those files are heavily DRMd, the DRM is checked synchronously when films are played.
- joezydeco 3y ago
  So maybe this was a key rotation issue instead of what we think of as a software update (e.g. bugfixes)?
- 542458 3y ago
  That sounds roughly correct based on when I worked at a theatre, although back then they mailed you drives. Worth noting that the movies are encrypted and you only get decryption keys at release. But Sony hasn’t made projectors in a while. I suspect this was something like an expired certificate rather than an actual software update.
  - joseph8th 3y ago
    It hasn't changed much. Most features are still delivered on drives. They're just too damn BIG otherwise. Keys are sent separately, and are valid only for a certain date-range, and for a specific cinema server. In this case, Sony servers only work with Sony projectors, and vice-versa. Each device has its own certs, but for encrypted feature encoding, the standard is Key Delivery Messages, which unlock the feature Digital Cinema Package (DCP). DCPs are a general purpose cinema package, and is also used to deliver unencrypted clips like ads and trailers. But the key is the Key. It's only valid for the specific cinema server, and the cinema server is "married" to the projector by encryption. This protects against on-site MITM attacks. If there's a server update that doesn't update the certs on either the server itself, or the projector (in Sony's case), then the marriage breaks, and the silver screen stays dark. Nothing anyone else can do about it, either, since any valid certs would have to be issued by Sony, and nobody has the private keys except Sony.
Baldbvrhunter 3y ago
DRM and no unauthorised screenings outside of approved show times. Although you can use them for non DRM showings.
rblatz 3y ago
Sonos isn’t Bluetooth speakers, they have a couple in their portable lineup that do offer Bluetooth, but last I checked the majority don’t offer Bluetooth and to be honest I like it better this way. Not having my phone locked up to only play music is awesome, being able to use voice control to play specific songs and have them play throughout the house is awesome. Bluetooth is a pain, not being able to use Instagram (or any other app that wants control of audio) while my daughter listens to a song sucks.
happyopossum 3y ago
> as silly as bluetooth speakers like Sonos needing an internet connection Where are you getting your information? Sonos speakers that support bluetooth don't need an internet connection to use bluetooth. They only need an internet connection when you want them to stream music from the internet.
joseph8th 3y ago
No, the projector is never connected to the internet. It's connected to a cinema server. In the case of Sony, it's always a Sony server. This is not usually connected to the internet either. Instead, the usual topology is to have a Theater Management System (TMS) that pre-ingests content in the form of Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) and then propagates it to each auditorium's server. This TMS is also not connected to the internet in most cases. Digital cinema is locked down tight as an ATM. Most theaters have pretty meager on-site IT, so email and thumb-drives and hard-drives still rule. I work in cinema IoT including KDM and DCP delivery and ingestion to TMS or cinema server, and our solution is to have a separate agent inside the private cinema network that can broker communication with cinema devices like projectors, calibrators, and audio processors. Some of these have their own UIs in the local network, or if you've got the company VPN, but in general for monitoring we just rely on SNMP or server API. The cinema servers are different. They all have APIs that provide varying levels of monitoring, control, and automation for the server, itself, as well as connected devices including limited monitoring and control of projectors and audio. They all support RDP or VNC, so if you're behind the same firewall you can get to their UI. Same with TMSes... they have UIs that you can access remotely, if you're on the company VPN. But the projector itself? Never on the internet. It's "married" to the cinema server, and will only work with that particular server, based on their respective certs. In Sony's case, it sounds like the projector certs have expired, so now they are invalid when used with the updated server certs.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

buro9 3y ago

IIUC, movies are delivered to local storage via the internet, and those files are heavily DRMd, the DRM is checked synchronously when films are played.

joezydeco 3y ago
So maybe this was a key rotation issue instead of what we think of as a software update (e.g. bugfixes)?
542458 3y ago
That sounds roughly correct based on when I worked at a theatre, although back then they mailed you drives. Worth noting that the movies are encrypted and you only get decryption keys at release. But Sony hasn’t made projectors in a while. I suspect this was something like an expired certificate rather than an actual software update.
- joseph8th 3y ago
  It hasn't changed much. Most features are still delivered on drives. They're just too damn BIG otherwise. Keys are sent separately, and are valid only for a certain date-range, and for a specific cinema server. In this case, Sony servers only work with Sony projectors, and vice-versa. Each device has its own certs, but for encrypted feature encoding, the standard is Key Delivery Messages, which unlock the feature Digital Cinema Package (DCP). DCPs are a general purpose cinema package, and is also used to deliver unencrypted clips like ads and trailers. But the key is the Key. It's only valid for the specific cinema server, and the cinema server is "married" to the projector by encryption. This protects against on-site MITM attacks. If there's a server update that doesn't update the certs on either the server itself, or the projector (in Sony's case), then the marriage breaks, and the silver screen stays dark. Nothing anyone else can do about it, either, since any valid certs would have to be issued by Sony, and nobody has the private keys except Sony.

Baldbvrhunter 3y ago

DRM and no unauthorised screenings outside of approved show times. Although you can use them for non DRM showings.

rblatz 3y ago

Sonos isn’t Bluetooth speakers, they have a couple in their portable lineup that do offer Bluetooth, but last I checked the majority don’t offer Bluetooth and to be honest I like it better this way. Not having my phone locked up to only play music is awesome, being able to use voice control to play specific songs and have them play throughout the house is awesome. Bluetooth is a pain, not being able to use Instagram (or any other app that wants control of audio) while my daughter listens to a song sucks.

happyopossum 3y ago

> as silly as bluetooth speakers like Sonos needing an internet connection Where are you getting your information? Sonos speakers that support bluetooth don't need an internet connection to use bluetooth. They only need an internet connection when you want them to stream music from the internet.

joseph8th 3y ago

No, the projector is never connected to the internet. It's connected to a cinema server. In the case of Sony, it's always a Sony server. This is not usually connected to the internet either. Instead, the usual topology is to have a Theater Management System (TMS) that pre-ingests content in the form of Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) and then propagates it to each auditorium's server. This TMS is also not connected to the internet in most cases. Digital cinema is locked down tight as an ATM. Most theaters have pretty meager on-site IT, so email and thumb-drives and hard-drives still rule. I work in cinema IoT including KDM and DCP delivery and ingestion to TMS or cinema server, and our solution is to have a separate agent inside the private cinema network that can broker communication with cinema devices like projectors, calibrators, and audio processors. Some of these have their own UIs in the local network, or if you've got the company VPN, but in general for monitoring we just rely on SNMP or server API. The cinema servers are different. They all have APIs that provide varying levels of monitoring, control, and automation for the server, itself, as well as connected devices including limited monitoring and control of projectors and audio. They all support RDP or VNC, so if you're behind the same firewall you can get to their UI. Same with TMSes... they have UIs that you can access remotely, if you're on the company VPN. But the projector itself? Never on the internet. It's "married" to the cinema server, and will only work with that particular server, based on their respective certs. In Sony's case, it sounds like the projector certs have expired, so now they are invalid when used with the updated server certs.