problem creating DCP on Mac Mini (2018), Mojave

[pontorosso]

Hi, I am using a Mac Mini (2018), OS Mojave 10.14.6. When trying to create a DCP on DCP-o-matic 2.12. or any newer, also 2.15.23, the DCPs cannot be read by different servers (it´s been 3 cinemas). So I tried to use an older version 2.6.3, which even crashes immediately when creating a new file.

With all the same settings I was using, I made a DCP (with the same source files) on my older Mac, and this file was working to be read.
So it looks like the Mac Mini is causing some problems, but I don´t know what happens actually. I do not dare to install the new OS Catalina, because many people have really big problems with this System.

So may I ask whether anybody has some experiences with creating DCPs on a Mac Mini. Since I am working professionally with DCP, I urgently need some help.
Thanks a lot.

[Carsten]

This is probably not strictly related to that MacMini, but maybe caused by the new default filesystem APFS (or other peculiarities with Mojave).
However, while I myself are still on Sierra, I guess that many users are running DCP-o-matic on Mojave, and I haven't heard of any Mojave related issues. So, maybe it is a hardware problem with that Mac Mini (memory, disc)?

Do you create the DCP on the internal disc of this Mac mini, or on an external drive? If external, what format does it have?

Shot into the blue - create/use an external drive formatted in HFS+ (->disc utility), put everything - source media and project folder, onto that external drive and create DCP there. Then, after finishing, use 'Verify DCP' in DCP-o-matic player to check file for integrity.

Did you create DCPs on that Mac Mini before successfully? Was that under Sierra/High Sierra?



- Carsten

[pontorosso]

Hi Carsten, many thanks for your quick reply. I made a hardware check and it said, the Mac mini is ok.
I could not find a "Verify DCP" and when trying to "Open DCP on Player", I got the answer: Could not find player. - Did I something wrong?
I always created DCPs on internal drive.
Ive got the feeling I have created DCPS successfully before, because I was so happy about the speed. But to be honest, sometimes I doubt it, too - I tried so many different things....
Thanks again

[Carsten]

Go to dcpomatic.com and download the latest stable version (2.14.11). You should download at least DCP-o-matic main application and player (probably don't need batch converter, encode server and KDM creator for now). You probably know already that the first start of both applications need some time for Gatekeeper to inspect for security issues.

The player should be started on it's own. DCP-o-matic main application will only load the DCP in player if the player is already running in the background. Maybe later it will be capable to start up the player itself.

Can you check wether your internal disc is APFS formatted, or is it HFS+?

How long are the DCPs you create typically?

- Carsten

[pontorosso]

Many thanks.

1) I downloaded 2.14.11 and created a DCP on an external hard disk (also the source was on this external HD). The DCP-o-matic player was playing the movie, but it was very very jerky.
I also played a DCP from the internal drive with the same result.

The DCP Integritätsprüfung in the DCP player was ok.

My normal DCP player is the Quvis player (version 2.3.1) - with this player I can play the DCP without jerk and very smoothly. But even though I normally can play DCPs from DCP-o-matic, it does not mean that cinema servers can read these DCPs properly (we tried it).

2) The internal disc is APFS formatted.

3) My DCPs normally are about 80 minutes long.

I really don't have any idea how to solve this problem.

[Carsten]

Try to play that movie created on the external disc on a cinema server.

Can you try to verify and play one of the DCPs that failed?

It is normal that DCP-o-matic player plays jerky in default config. Try to reduce decode resolution and/or window size.

What happens when you try to ingest on a cinema server? Does ingest fail, or playing after successful ingest? What type of server/projector is it?

- Carsten

[pontorosso]

Hi Carsten, many thanks for advices.

* I have sent a DCP made on an external disc to the cinema in my hometown. Waiting for the result.

* I tried to load one of the failing DCPs onto the DCP Player - I could NOT load it. It says: could not open MXF file for reading. Error - 101

* Please, what do you mean by "try to ingest on a cinema server"?

* One server , where I've sent my DCP was Barco Alchemy ICMP with SMPTE, where my DCP did not work. The other one is the one in my hometown and its a Doremi DCP 2K4.

[Carsten]

Alright. Don't know the reason, but if player fails on loading, there may be a serious file corruption. Let's see what the cinema says.

For now, I would try to create DCPs only on external discs. However - natively, external discs on a Mac means HFS+ - but servers (except for some very few) can not read HFS+ discs. After creating a DCP on an HFS+ disc, you need to copy it over to an ext2/3 or NTFS formatted disc.
You may also try to create a DCP directly on an external NTFS or ext2/3 formatted disc if you installed a suitable file system driver (Tuxera NTFS, Paragon, etc.).

- Carsten

[Carsten]

Can you check wether your internal disc is HFS+ or APFS?

- Carsten

[pontorosso]

It is really strange, that the file seems to be damaged, don´t know why.

The internal disc is APFS.

And, of course, I can create DCPs on an external disc (ext3) directly.

Let´s see whether the cinema can read the DCP Ive already created on an external drive. This would be the best. I cannot go back from Mojave to High Sierra.
There exists a Paragon program which is able to convert a hard disk from APFS to HFS+, but it could be dangerous for the files.

Thanks for your help
Gerhard