Master file setting for DCP

[iamadeep]

Hi,
I want to create DCP for my short film of 11 minutes shot in 1920x1080 25 fps. I am on windows system running Premiere Pro and got a suggestion to export film as master file as DNxHD. What setting should I be exporting in order to create DCP?

[Carsten]

DNxHD 1080p25 sounds fine to me.

Is it stereo audio, or multichannel/surround? Do you have an easy option to separate dialogue/spoken word and music/whatever for an Left/Center/Right Mix?

- Carsten

[iamadeep]

Hi It is stereo and single wav file audio

[iamadeep]

There are many settings under DNxHD, what will be the bitrate to be chosen

[Carsten]

I think DNxHD uses preset data rates for certain resolution and frame rate combinations. I guess 121 or 184 MBit/s would be suitable for 1080p25 (DNxHD 185/120). DNxHD is a similar codec to the J2K used in DCPs, so, as a rule of thumb, you could use a similar bitrate. DCPs use between 100 and 240 MBit/s. No need to 'match' them, though. You can use 184 MBit/s for DNxHD, and anything between 150 and 240 MBit/s in DCP-o-matic.

https://www.avid.com/static/resources/U ... /dnxhd.pdf

- Carsten

[iamadeep]

Thanks. Any software that can test DCP is playing correctly on windows system?

[Carsten]

Yes and no - DCP-o-matic can load the DCP you just created and play it in preview. Or you download the current test version and test the new standalone player. However, the software of any PC based player is not the same as the software running on proper DCI servers. So, a successful test with a PC based player does not guarantee that your DCP will play 100%. It just gives you some confidence that your basic choices in DCP-o-matic were correct.

The more complicated your project is (audio channel assignments, levels, subtitles, etc.), the more you should try to test it in a real cinema.

For most basic jobs, DCP-o-matic is known to be very dependable. As long as I work with a known stable version, I trust DOM as far as I create slides and trailers for our cinema, ingest them immediately to our cinema server, and play them without prior QC in front of audiences. At least while I am on site myself and take responsibility. Once the content is known to play ok, it will not cause issues when other staff is on site.

The trouble for beginners is to know which of the many parameters of DCP creation and DOMs preferences are critical, and which are not.

In a standard installation, the creation of a DCP from standard sources like images, movie files, etc. needs 3-4 clicks and will produce a perfectly playable DCP - given that you use standard prefs (like e.g. a flat container).

- Create new project, give a name
- Add content
- Click 'Make DCP'

But you need to know what 'standard sources' are, and you need to know what to look for if they need special treatment, like non 24/25 fps frame rates, other than 16:9 aspect ratios, letter/pillarboxing, etc.


- Carsten