Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DCinema CPL Naming Convention

This is topic DCinema CPL Naming Convention in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-20-2013, 03:28 AM:

I just wanted to share this graphic I received a while ago, which explains the CPL naming conventions studios are starting to use. This was developed by the NATO technologies committee and SMPTE. I had to size this down about 15% for FT to accept the upload, so I apologize if the text isn't clear. I can share the full res graphic with the admins if desired.

Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 11-20-2013, 07:54 AM:

The full graphic with lots of other details is at http://digitalcinemanamingconvention.com .

I think http://www.isdcf.com did a lot of work on this.

Also, there's a SMPTE group working on a specification for CPL metadata. This would allow data about the DCP to be reliably parsed out (before ingest, I think) making it much easier to figure out which DCP to ingest or play. I think a server should be able to, if desired, sort DCPs to show them ordered by compatibikity with the auditorium or sort on any field.

Harold

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-20-2013, 12:00 PM:

I think that the capabilities of the auditorium (picture and sound) should be able to be configured into each server. And then the correct version is what is ingested for that auditorium (with manual overrides, of course). Yes, all capable versions should be there but the default should be the one with the best sound format and such.

If the house doesn't have 3D...don't even offer the 3D titles or trailers.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 11-20-2013, 12:15 PM:

But what if the house is 3D capable, and there is a 3D version of the title that is playing, but that house is playing the 2D version? (Say, for example, there is an abundance of 3D screens in the complex and not all of them are needed for 3D content that particular week.) Would the system still automatically ingest and schedule the 3D version, require manual override to schedule the 2D version?

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-20-2013, 02:26 PM:

Ken, what he means is that if you schedule a 3D show in an auditorium, it will automatically transfer the correct 3D version - 5.1 or 7.1, 3.5fl or 6fl, silver or white. Same thing if you schedule a 2D show.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-20-2013, 04:50 PM:

Of course you will still be able to ingest ANY content available. Metadata will just offer a default or preferred choice.

- Carsten

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 11-20-2013, 04:57 PM:

Plus metadata could also be used for things like preventing red band trailers on features that aren't rated R or NC-17. As of right now the studios are including very little, if any, metadata in the average dcp.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 11-20-2013, 05:37 PM:

If I had my way, a house with 3D capability would have the option to set, AS ITS DEFAULT, the preference to ingest BOTH the best match for 2D and 3D.

Posted by Mark Hajducki (Member # 1732) on 11-20-2013, 08:38 PM:

To add to the confusion there have (in the UK) been features released simultaneously at more than one BBFC age classification (with other edits to avoid sensitivities)

18 Rated, 82m 32s (not released)
18 Rated, 81m 16s long (Michael Jackson reference removed) and
15 Rated, 79m 06s

For anime films some cinemas show dubbed versions during the day and subtitled versions at night, how would the automatic system deal with these.

-------
BBFC classifications are provided as guidance to local authorities who may choose to impose their own ratings.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-21-2013, 08:50 AM:

We are NOT talking about automatic systems. Metadata is there to make human decisions easier.

- Carsten

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 11-21-2013, 10:59 AM:

Um... Evidently, some of "us" are! [Razz]

What's wrong with defaults?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-21-2013, 12:49 PM:

Is LtRt now a valid soundtrack configuration for DCPs? This page suggests that it is.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-21-2013, 01:15 PM:

If Lt/Rt means matrix encoded, it would be hard to believe they include Lt/Rt but not plain stereo. Thus I doubt they actually mean matrix encoded 2ch.

- Carsten

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-22-2013, 08:55 AM:

I emailed ISDCF and they confirmed, it's a mistake, it should read 'Left/Right'/'Stereo', not 'RtLt', they will change the table.

- Carsten

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-22-2013, 10:23 AM:

quote: Manny Knowles
What's wrong with defaults?

Nothing, of course, but 'defaults' are not 'automatic', they leave a choice, only suggest a potential candidate initially. ;-)

- Carsten

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-22-2013, 02:30 PM:

Good to hear that they clarified the 2-channel option, but since when is left/right 2-channel stereo a legitimate cinema sound format? Normally, the minimum number of channels would be one, for mono, and then three for left/center/right multichannel.

Posted by Paul H. Rayton (Member # 1817) on 11-22-2013, 02:49 PM:

OMG! This situation just continues to get worse and worse! I was under the delusional (though perhaps hopeful) assumption that the current set of revisions (V.9) -- the ones posted by Justin -- were the ISDCF finally getting things right. But NO! In our own case, one of my projectionists did a nice color printout and was going to get them laminated, since "maybe" they'd be stable for some time.

Ha! Just another bad dream!

But what makes it worse is that, like my colleague, others will have duly printed out that set of naming conventions and will continue to use it [them] as a guide of sorts. And that mis-identified Lt/Rt will certifiably mislead others, as time goes by, into believing that they can simply throw on the theatre matrix mix (or the home stereo mix) and it will play just fine out there in theatreland. Pause for Graemlin ... [Mad]

Glad to learn that ISDCF will now amend their V.9 specs with a new version (maybe V. 9.1?) but really, actually no one should be issuing DCP audio as two-channel audio (hard left and hard right) as it simply doesn't sound good in a large theatre venue. You may be able to get away with it in home video rooms, but in a theatre, there's a big audio "hole" in the middle of the sound field. I and others have addressed this in the past in other threads.

So I guess we are condemned to watch this technology continue to evolve in front of us (while we get to deal with the complaints when things don't sound "correct" out there). Har-rumph!

[thumbsdown]

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 11-22-2013, 05:50 PM:

Oh, well, if you have followed the DCNC issues for a while you would hardly ever think of laminating a printout.

Yes, I think it will 'slow down' now somewhere between v9 and v10, but, laminating, no... ;-)

Scott - Stereo may not be a 'good' option, but it would be a mistake to not have it in the scheme. As a matter of fact, if you do festivals, you come across more plain stereo mixes than any of the others. Same for a lot of advertising which is often converted from ordinary video sources.

- Carsten

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-22-2013, 06:10 PM:

Another good reason for test screening, if not the whole movie, at least up until the point where you hear some normal dialogue.