Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Anything and everything to do with DCP-o-matic.
vinnie_pooh
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2024 5:51 pm

Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by vinnie_pooh »

I've got a 16:9 film (3200x1800) which keeps appearing with pillar boxing as a DCP!

The similar discussion posts I've read so far seem to accept this as inevitable, and that 16:9 is not native to DCPs - is that the case? The manual also doesn't tackle this, that I've found. I've messed with the scaling (which seems to only add letter boxing) and the cropping (which crops more of the image, while I want none cropped). I feel there's something obvious eluding me. I'm a first time DCP maker, what is your more experienced take?

Attached are the pillar boxed picture and corresponding settings...
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Carsten
Posts: 2806
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:11 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Carsten »

Cropping or pillarboxing are your only options for 16:9. Choose a 2k or 4k flat container.

- Carsten
Kewl
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Kewl »

vinnie_pooh wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2024 6:02 pm I've got a 16:9 film (3200x1800) which keeps appearing with pillar boxing as a DCP!
The projector lens zoom has to be adjusted so as to put the black outside the visible screen.
Carsten
Posts: 2806
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:11 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Carsten »

That will also move top and bottom outside the visible area, and is the same as cropping to a flat container.
Last edited by Carsten on Fri Jun 21, 2024 10:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kewl
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Kewl »

OK, I should have said that on our fixed 16:9 screen, when 16:9 content is in a flat DCP, we zoom the projector so as to fit vertically, thus projecting the black pillars outside the 16:9 screen.
Carsten
Posts: 2806
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:11 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Carsten »

We have adjustable horizontal masking, basically, we can adjust to approx 10cm accuracy. So, whenever possible, we have all lens presets set to use the full height of the screen, then adjust the masking to fit the sides.
Kewl
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2022 5:13 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Pillar Boxing in 16:9 Ratio

Post by Kewl »

This is our fixed 16:9 screen. With Denis Villeneuve in front of it. ;)
Image