I prepared a multi-reel SMPTE Bv2.1 DCP using easyDCP Creator 4.3.1. Everything seems fine, but I receive an MCA Sub Descriptors error during validation in easyDCP Player (please see the screenshot). I didn’t encounter this issue when mastering other DCPs with earlier versions of the software.
I’ve tried everything (the audio configuration is set correctly), but the error persists. Validations in DCP-o-Matic, dcp_inspect, and Clairmeta all pass without any issues. The DCP was also successfully ingested on an IMS3000.
Do you have any idea why this error appears in easyDCP Player but not in DCP-o-Matic Verifier or other validation tools?
EasyDCP has a tendency to exaggerate its reports and present such recommendations as rules.
Something that was not like that some years ago, when their CPLs were minimalistic.
Of course, following recommendations is good practice, but I often feel the extend to which they stick to it on EasyDCP verification has to do with marketing.
Hi IoannisSyrogiannis,
I see... Thank you for your reply!
We ended up checking the same DCP using an earlier version of easyDCP Player (4.2.6), and the error no longer occurs. It seems there may be a bug in the validation process of the newer version of easyDCP.
Best,
Denis
"Our developers reported new information on this issue. The validation error you got seems to be a false positive that happens with certain DCPs. So the DCP might be RDD52 conform nevertheless and you can run validation in 4.2.6 to verify this."
That is good news, and it's nice that there wasn't anything concerning behind all this.
Yet, my two cents on the matter is that either it is, or not, a false positive, this specific non-conformity to RDD52 should have been characterized as something milder than "error".
And that is based to the fact that an error is meant to be such a non-conformity that would create an error on reproduction. Something more crucial than failing a recommendation. If one inflates the severity of a warning, one may end up, instead of promoting vigilance, to lose credibility.
I totally agree. It’s quite unfortunate that a DCP could be rejected by someone due to easyDCP validation, despite the fact that it works perfectly well on cinema servers. I know a few festivals that use easyDCP validation before even attempting to ingest DCPs into servers, and it can be quite frustrating to try to explain issues that are specific to easyDCP.
