Theater can't play DCP file

[pangiaxiong]

Hello

I really need help ASAP. I'm planning to show this 24 sec screening ad in a theater but they kept on saying that it's not in a DCP file which I'm just totally lost.

First I used Adobe Premiere to export it to DCP and it was all put inside a DCP folder. However it separated the audio and video which I found by searching that it's normal for DCP format. Mind you this is my first time creating a DCP too. I uploaded the folder to my google drive and sent the link to the theater but they said the video doesn't have audio. I told them it's was exported separately and even ask that they make sure they download everything in that folder.

They came back and recommended me to use DCP o matic because they're now saying it's not DCP file, which I'm more confused. However I converted it again in DCP o matic and it still came out as separating the audio and video. So really I'm at a lost because I don't understand why they said it's not DCP when I already exported out as DCP. I'm always trying to understand how the theater would play a DCP so maybe I can understand why they're having an issue.

Can anyone help me? The 15th is the day I need to have this in by. Thanks

[carl]

Perhaps you can show us what you have put in Google Drive.

[Kewl]

https://dcpomatic.com/manual/html/ch14.html

file-structure.png

[Carsten]

If you uploaded a DCP to a Google drive and they downloaded it, chances are that they ended up with the DCP in a ZIP file. Maybe they don't understand that.

If it's in a Google drive, and if the content is not under heavy security restrictions, post the link here, and I will have a look at it. You can later remove that link. You may also try to send me a private message through the forum, although I'm not sure wether you're allowed yet as a new user.

It is true, though, that in a DCP, video and audio are not contained in a single file as in MP4, MOV, etc, but in two separate MXF files.However, that is irrelervant, there are more files in the DCP that help the playout server to get things together.

[IoannisSyrogiannis]

That's an old story, now, but I will speculate, just in case it helps someone else:

1) I have in the past received DCPs exported from Premiere Pro having zero audio. An error on export, probably. I strongly suggest taking such questions to a Premiere Pro specific forum. Yet, since you are here, I think you would be safer to make your first DCP by exporting a ProRes from Premiere Pro and then using DCP-o-matic to make the DCP. That program will do the job times better and is more novice-friendly.

2) I have many times downloaded DCPs from Google Drive. Different issues came up. The most common are:
2a) The download was not finishing because of some time out or lack of memory (even by using chrome).
2b) The download would conclude, the result would be a .zip folder with the text based files and -maybe- the audio .mxf file and separately the video .mxf file.
Then, the .mxf file that would be too big to get zipped, would have its file name altered. If it was originally nomdebandevideo-Reel01.mxf, it would end up as nomdebandevideo-Reel01-001.mxf.
And if there were many reels, or the audio file was too big as well, it would end up like nomdebandevideo-Reel02-002.mxf nomdebandevideo-Reel013-003.mxf etc.

For all the above, Google drive sucks big time, when it comes to share DCPs.
And, since you are in this forum, you can do much better with making a DCP, than using Premiere Pro.

[RAY-NUE]

-The drive must be empty.
- The drive must be formatted with Ext2 or exFAT.
- DCP packages can only be inserted into the drive.
-The DCP folder will only have 6-7 files in it in case the story ends in a single reel.

[RAY-NUE]

If sending DCP files via Cloud
There are delivery techniques as follows.
- Start by moving large image/audio files from the package to another location. There are only 4 small files left in the package. Then we compress the package and upload this zip file to the Cloud. Then upload the image and audio files as well.

-Downloading from the Cloud, download the zip file first, then unzip it to get the DCP package folder where the files are not renamed at all. Then download the video and audio files into this DCP package, then put this DCP package on an HDD/ SSD drive formatted as Ext2 or exFAT without any other work files mixed in, and ingest it on the projector.