Creating DCP for 4096x2160 full container?

[owlknight182]

Hi there! I'm currently creating a DCP for a film shot and finalized in 4096x2160, full container aspect ratio—to be shown in a theater next week. I'm new to DCP; what is the best way to export this with minimal letterboxing and avoid image stretching or a "floating window" effect? Thanks!

[Carsten]

Full containers should only be used for test purposes, not actual content. You need to crop it to a flat 4k container, 3996 bs 2160.


Theaters have no presets to show full containers properly.

- Carsten

[owlknight182]

Can't I just show it in 16:9 with black bars at the top and bottom?

[carl]

If you're happy with pillar/letterboxing you can show it either in 1.85:1 (choose "DCI Flat" in the DCP tab) or 2.39:1 (choose "DCI Scope"). DCP-o-matic will add the black bits.

[owlknight182]

Thanks! Which one of those would you recommend? What will fill the screen / avoid a floating window?

[carl]

Not sure what you mean by "floating" window but since your ratio is 4096/2160 i.e. 1.9 you are closer to 1.85 than 2.39 so I'd probably go with that...

[Carsten]

As I said, use a flat 4k container at 3996/2160 and crop away the small side bands.

[IoannisSyrogiannis]

Either that, or deliver it in full frame and the Flat preset on the projector will do the cropping.
There is no benefit on letterboxing to Flat, 1,77:1 or anything else, since you will be actually resizing and thus loosing resolution and (more importantly) definition.
If by "Can't I just show it in 16:9 with black bars at the top and bottom?" you are asking if the projectionist will be able to create a preset with no mask, so the whole panel will show and then manually zoom to show as letterboxed on a Flat or 1,77:1 masked (with curtains) screen, then I seriously doubt that the projectionist will have the ability to do the first and the lens of the projector will be able to do the second. While, the idea that someone would also measure and set a new lamp/laser luminosity preset to match the new frame is extremely unlikely.

There are a lot of disadvantages on delivering a full frame DCP, and it doesn't get better if and when that material hit the commercial TV screen. If you aspire to the highest resolution for archiving reasons, that is not a bad idea. But, in practice, you can't preserve that high quality on presentation. So, your goal is not achieved and -for presentation purposes- you should follow the presentation standards. Carsten is writing exactly that, with no that much words.

A policy of "more is better" ends up showing poor on the big screen.

Again, if I was you, and didn't want or hadn't the time to crop or pan-and-scan every scene of the movie, I would ask the theatre to play the ready-made DCP on the Flat preset knowing that the projection system will mask by its own what is beyond that framing.