Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DCP naming convention questions

This is topic DCP naming convention questions in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-21-2011, 01:28 PM:

This is pretty well covered at this web site, but they leave out a few important options:

- how is the soundtrack to be coded for a DCP with no sound? 00? XX?

- how is the rating to be coded for a DCP with no rating? the appendix says not to use "XX" due to possible confusion with the "X" rating, but does not say what to do in the case of an unrated feature.

Is there a standard or de-facto standard for these situations?

Posted by Jussi Siponen (Member # 5572) on 09-21-2011, 02:02 PM:

I'd say just leave out any parts of the name coding for features your DCP doesn't have.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-21-2011, 02:30 PM:

You add the separate ratings tags to your playlist build-they're not included on the feature content.

The "XX" is a wildcard symbol where you place the appropriate tag needed for the feature.

Also, the "X" rating is long gone. Now replaced with the "NC-17" rating

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-21-2011, 05:10 PM:

What about movies that were actually Rated X? Are they now re-listed as NC-17?

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 09-22-2011, 02:50 PM:

I may be wrong, but to my knowledge there is (read: should be) no DCP without audio track - even if it is all digital zero. Minimum is a stereo track.

- Carsten

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-22-2011, 03:23 PM:

Hmm...that is interesting. Do you have a reference for the track requirement? I see nothing in DCI spec 1.2 that requires it, unless I am mis-reading something. There are, of course, requirements that pertain to soundtracks, but nothing that seems to require that they exist in the DCP.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 09-22-2011, 04:25 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
You add the separate ratings tags to your playlist build-they're not included on the feature content.

He's not talking about the rating card that appears on screen. He's just asking about the portion of the DCP file name that indicates the rating of the feature. Good question. I'd like to know the answer, too.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-22-2011, 04:31 PM:

Question: wouldn't it be just to look at the one-sheet, or booking status to see what rating the film would be?

It could be that the services who load the files on the HD and create the filename doesn't have that rating info-why the tags aren't not at the end of the feature's file.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 09-22-2011, 04:41 PM:

I'm not sure where I picked it up. I do know that some servers don't like it when the DCP comes without audio, or better, when the CPL doesn't address it. As far as single inventory and safe operation goes, I would simply avoid it.

As far as DCI 1.2 goes, though, my statement is incorrect:

---
5.3.1.3. Reel
A Reel is a conceptual period of time having a specific duration, as defined below:
• Track Files are required to be associated with a particular Reel.
• A Track File is required to not cross over a reel boundary that is a playable portion of a track file, between the mark in and mark out points.
• Reels are required to be composed of one or more Essence Track Files (e.g., Picture Only, Sound and Picture, Sound and Picture and Subtitle, etc.)
---

- Carsten

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 09-22-2011, 05:27 PM:

The Dolby server plays DCPs with no track perfectly well. It's good to know, though, that not all servers will, although that strikes me as a bug that should probably be reported and fixed. It seems reasonable that a silent movie or snipe should be able to be made into DCP form without needing to add a digital silence track.

Monte--I'm toying with creating DCPs with various freeware tools. I am not playing back DCPs from distributors.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-22-2011, 06:39 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
I'm toying with creating DCPs with various freeware tools

Okey..gotcha.

Thus, wonder if you could just simply add a letter in the filename string itself designating the rating when creating the filename.

Posted by Terrence Meiczinger (Member # 5059) on 09-25-2011, 05:05 PM:

quote: Carsten Kurz
I'm not sure where I picked it up. I do know that some servers don't like it when the DCP comes without audio, or better, when the CPL doesn't address it. As far as single inventory and safe operation goes, I would simply avoid it.

As far as DCI 1.2 goes, though, my statement is incorrect:

---
5.3.1.3. Reel
A Reel is a conceptual period of time having a specific duration, as defined below:
• Track Files are required to be associated with a particular Reel.
• A Track File is required to not cross over a reel boundary that is a playable portion of a track file, between the mark in and mark out points.
• Reels are required to be composed of one or more Essence Track Files (e.g., Picture Only, Sound and Picture, Sound and Picture and Subtitle, etc.)
---

- Carsten

Currently, the DCI specification allows for no audio track. There have been discussions that a future revision to the specification will require an even number of audio channels with 2 channels being the minimum. It isn't quite clear if that means a DCP will then require an audio essence or if that only matters when you do have an audio essence.

As for DCP naming, there no specification per se, only a convention. It is not a requirement to follow it.