This chapter describes how to carry out some commonly-required tasks
with DCP-o-matic. The full details are elsewhere in the manual: here
we just discuss different approaches to these tasks and how to carry
them out.
Adding subtitles to an existing DCP
You have three options:
- Make a “Version File” (VF) DCP.
- Make a complete DCP with projector-added subtitles.
- Make a complete DCP with burnt-in subtitles.
Making a VF DCP is usually the best option. This will be a very small
DCP which contains only the subtitles: it refers to your existing DCP
for the picture and sound. The projectionist will ingest both the
existing and VF DCPs and play back the VF. The advantages of this
approach are that the VF is very quick to generate, and small in size,
making it easy to distribute. This is especially useful if you have
to make VF DCPs in many different languages.
Making a complete DCP with projector-added subtitles gives you a new,
single DCP which the projectionist can ingest and play. It will be
the same size as your existing DCP, and fairly quick to create. This
approach relies on the projector (or server) to create the subtitles
and overlay them on the image, which mostly works well but is not
100% reliable.
Making a complete DCP with burnt-in subtitles gives you a new, single DCP
but with the subtitles rendered by DCP-o-matic and copied into your
image. This is slower to create than a DCP with projector-added
subtitles as every video frame with a subtitle must be re-encoded.
The advantage of this approach is that it is less likely to go wrong,
especially if you are using unusual subtitle positioning or character
sets.
- Start a new DCP-o-matic film.
- Click Add DCP... and specify your existing DCP's folder.
- Go to the DCP tab and choose Split by video content for Reel type.
- Go to the Video tab and tick the Use this DCP's video as OV and make VF checkbox.
- Go to the Audio tab and tick the Use this DCP's audio as OV and make VF checkbox.
- Add your subtitles to the film in whatever format you have.
- Check the subtitle appearance in the preview; it will be
slow to respond as it is having to decompress images from the existing
DCP.
- Choose Make DCP from the menu.
Making a complete DCP with projector-added subtitles
- Start a new DCP-o-matic film.
- Click Add DCP... and specify your existing DCP's folder.
- Add your subtitles to the film in whatever format you have.
- Check the subtitle appearance in the preview; it will be
slow to respond as it is having to decompress images from the existing
DCP. Adjust the appearance using controls in the
Timed Text or Closed Captions tabs if required.
- Choose Make DCP from the menu.
Making a complete DCP with burnt-in subtitles
- Start a new DCP-o-matic film.
- Click Add DCP... and specify your existing DCP's folder.
- Add your subtitles to the film in whatever format you have.
- Go to the Subtitle tab and tick the Burn subtitles into image checkbox.
- Check the subtitle appearance in the preview; it will be
slow to respond as it is having to decompress images from the existing
DCP. Adjust the appearance using controls in the
Timed Text or Closed Captions tabs if required.
- Choose Make DCP from the menu.