Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DCP Screening at different cinemas and KDMs for each

This is topic DCP Screening at different cinemas and KDMs for each in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Sayed Faiz (Member # 9714) on 10-20-2016, 07:02 PM:

Hi. Please excuse my lack of understanding. But I am a newbie to this. I live in Sydney, Australia. I am screening a movie from Bangladesh here in Australia wide for all states. The movie is a DCP movie and is encrypted. Now I am trying to understand the following.
Although we have booked several cinemas at each state, depending on how good the response is, we may to have to change the cinema location and cinema venue at the last minute. However, I have already got the encrypted DCP hard drive with me. So my question is, in case I need to go to a complete different venue and location, do I need to send the DCP back to overseas to Bangladesh to update the new location details and new server address etc (since it is encrypted before with different cinema halls)?
Or can it be shown to a different cinema without me needing to courier it back to overseas? If there is last minute cinema location change, then sending the DCP hard drive back overseas and getting them back in time won't be possible. So I am trying to know if we have to send the DCP hard drive back to Bangladesh or can they just send me the KDM for the new location by email, without the need for the cinema DCP hard drive to be transported back to re-encrypt with the new location information. If the DCP can be decrypted at the new location without the need for me to re-transporting back to overseas via courier, then it will make it easy logistically for me.

So please let me know that given I have currently with me the DCP hard drive with me, and so if there is a need in future to change the cinema location and venue, then can I just get the new KDM for the new location via email, without requiring me to re-transport back the DCP to overseas to encrypt with the new location details or getting a new DCP created?

your help would be much appreciated. In your response, if you could explain in details the answer (since I am a newbie), then it will help me in getting the full information and understanding of this system

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 10-20-2016, 07:21 PM:

You need to get a different KDM for each screen it shows on. They are small XML files that can be emailed. They are specific to the feature, mediablock and time period for playback. You can use the same hard drive at multiple locations.You will need to get at the least the make, model and mediablock serial number and the time window and date for playback. You might also need the mediablock certificates. That info will have to be sent to the facility that will generate the KDMs.

Posted by Sayed Faiz (Member # 9714) on 10-20-2016, 07:31 PM:

ok thanks...so just to be clear...even if I have the hard drive DCP with me and then after receiving the hard drive and then I need to change the location, then I don't need to send the hard drive back to get the new KDM??? regardless the new KDM (with new media and location/time settings) is generated 'AFTER' I get the DCP, the new KDM with new location/time block and media details will work on the DCP...so basically we don't need to update anything on the actual DCP hard drive with the new location and media details...its just the new KDM file that we need to get...is that right???

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 10-20-2016, 07:41 PM:

You are correct.
You DO NOT need to send the actual hard drive back.
But you will have to give the distributor, or whoever you got the original
KDM from, drive the server type (Dolby, Doremi, etc) and media block
serial number so that they can generate a new KDM.
They will also need the physical address of each cinema so that they
know which time zone to generate the KDM for. And, hey will also
need an e-mail address to send the new KDM to.

But you do not have to ship the hard drive drive back to get a new KDM.

I hope this helps.

Posted by Sayed Faiz (Member # 9714) on 10-20-2016, 07:44 PM:

thanks a lot...yes this information helps...cheers guys..

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 10-20-2016, 07:47 PM:

In a nutshell, the process is follows:

The HD and the KDMS are simply two separate items in hand.

The content in the HD can be placed in any server anywhere, but to play the content, the key that comes from the studios has checksum in that key that needs to match the server's serial number where the content is stored in. Thus, the key will allow the content to be played.

Example: you have four servers at your location. They would Server "A", Server "B", Server "C", and Server "D". You're scheduled to play that content in the "A" and "B" server. Thus, you would need two keys - one for Server "A" and one for Server "B" to play the content. Now, you get a new schedule to play that content only on Server "C". You ingest the content in Server "C" and will receive a key for Server "C".

Keys remains with the servers, and keys will have a time limit on them when they will allow the content to be played.

Posted by Sayed Faiz (Member # 9714) on 10-20-2016, 10:01 PM:

thanks a lot...its a lot clear now to me...

Posted by Leslie Hartmier (Member # 7053) on 10-24-2016, 08:19 PM:

Everyone else has given you the information to answer your question, but I would give you a warning/recommendation.

If there is a chance, no matter how slight, that you will need to run the content on a different machine, if the distributors are willing, you should get KDMs for every one of those machines.

We have had some experience with last minute KDM requests (Technicolor and Deluxe are less of a problem, since they are basically 24/7), and I can say that it would commonly end up with waits of multiple days, which was very stressful for the location trying to run the content.

If you can get KDMs for all the most likely machines, you will be able to sleep better.