Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Can You Watch DCP's?

This is topic Can You Watch DCP's? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 09-03-2012, 08:08 PM:

I've been wondering if any of the systems allow you to actually WATCH a portion of the DCP's you have just ingested into your library server? I want to see trailers, etc. on the monitor. I dont like building shows blind like this, and I feel like the big projector is a tad expensive to use as a viewer. What do you think?

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-03-2012, 10:02 PM:

Didn't you have to fire up the projector to test out 35mm shows too? It's really not all THAT different.

The money you save on using the projector will be spent buying a monitor. Such a monitor would not come cheap.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 09-04-2012, 03:08 AM:

No way.

I don't know how the Cinelink encryption is applied within a mixed playlist of blacks, trailers, main features, etc. Theoretically it could be possible to add an HD-SDI display or converter to a server-projector link, and maybe that could at least display the unencrypted parts of a playlist without powering on the lamp. But even if, that path would no longer be there with an IMB.

Of course it would be very handy if one could at least see a stampsize preview of your SPL on the monitor. If think DCI does not even forbid this actively.

- Carsten

Posted by Kris Verhanneman (Member # 5562) on 09-04-2012, 03:11 AM:

You can watch uncoded DCP with this link (not for free) but I find it easyer to create a show with all the new clips and enjoy the show.

Posted by Pietro Clarici (Member # 4937) on 09-04-2012, 07:48 AM:

Stereoscopic Player works decently too, and it's much cheaper. Full-res payback requires at least a quad-core i5 CPU.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 09-04-2012, 09:23 AM:

quote: Manny Knowles

Didn't you have to fire up the projector to test out 35mm shows too?

Sure thing, Manny. With digital, I see absolutely nothing but a load of letters and numbers. I hate it.

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 09-04-2012, 01:51 PM:

Depending on your implementation you could play them out with FFMPEG or MPLAYER on a Linux system.
I've done this a few times. However you would need to make a script (I did it in Perl at one point or another) to parse out the CPL so you can match up the audio and video tracks. For trailers it's pretty straight forward.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 09-04-2012, 05:48 PM:

BTW, with film you can look at it as you are building it up. At least you will have an idea of what is there.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-04-2012, 09:20 PM:

Really? I did not know that.

With film, you still gotta project it to really test it out -- if you're doing it right -- that's my point.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 09-15-2012, 11:57 AM:

Thanks for the replies.

I'm just wanting to look at trailers that I might need to add to a trailer pak to replace something that is opening. Sometimes, just using a PG trailer just doesent cut it.

It's like flying blind around here, and I dont like it.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-15-2012, 12:02 PM:

Another DCP player:

http://www.digitall.net.au/products/dcpplayer.html

It too isn't free but there is a demo version.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-15-2012, 09:36 PM:

I think that it should be possible to watch a non-encrypted DCP on the server monitor. I like to pre-view trailers before showing them to audiences (to check if they're audience-appropriate, and also to weed out any chain-specific crap that might have sneaked in), and sometimes I need to remind myself what some of the "cell phone warnings" or "preview of coming attraction" snipes look like. It'd be nice to be able to see these without having to go to a computer or turn on the projector.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 09-15-2012, 09:42 PM:

C'mon Mike, what are you thinking? You're expecting the server makers to implement something that is useful, common sense, would make theatre operators' jobs easier, and should require minimal software changes....get real. [Big Grin]

Never gonna happen.

Posted by Yinghong Wu (Member # 6908) on 09-16-2012, 09:56 PM:

I use Stereoscopic Player 1.81 to show DCP,It is pretty good.^-^