The Birds (which DCP?)

[Ryan Gallagher]

Usually I can tell from the DCI filename when there are choices... but Deluxe's copy of Hitchcock "The Birds" is more of a head scratcher:

TheBirds_FTR-3-1963_F_EN-XX_OV-INT-TD_10_4K_UP_20260310_DLX_SMPTE_OV
Valid From: 7/15/2026 8:00 AM to 7/16/2026 1:00 AM

Run Time: 01:59:22.8
Start of Credits: 01:59:15.17
Start of Crawl: 01:59:15.17



TheBirds_FTR-2-1963_F_EN-XX_US-INT-TD_10-C_4K_UP_20210624_USP_IOP_OV
Valid From: 7/15/2026 8:00 AM to 7/16/2026 1:00 AM

Run Time: 01:59:22.8
Start of Credits: Not Available
Start of Crawl: Not Available


Was one just a 2026 repackage into a SMPTE container?

Or 2026 maybe the anniversary edition? Rescanned?

They are both 4K Mono. I'm not aware what the "-C" represents after the channel count. Runtime doesn't give many clues other than the older one not having credits offsets notated.

In cases like this I would typically default to the newer date stamp version, and provided time look at each one if I have keys for both (which I will tomorrow).

[Ryan Gallagher]

If I had to guess I would assume "10-C" is just restating the obvious, it is 1.0 channels, all CENTER?

But maybe that's just cause i've never seen any other of the possible 1.0 variations (in label form). Though a mono mix distributed to 3 channels should probably say 30, same for stereo and 20. Enlighten please. hah.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Well, I'd choose the one that flies... <insert appropriate jingle here>



1.0 mono should always imply just center... I guess it's just a screw-up...

Besides that, the biggest difference between both is that the one with the extra C is an Interop DCP and the other one an SMTPE DCP...

We've actually stopped producing IOP DCPs for a while now for new content and haven't had a complaint since...

[Jim Cassedy]

Sometimes, if I see that several versions of a particular movie show up on our TMS,
and I'm perplexed on exactly which one to use, I'll just wait and see which one
Deluxe sends keys for. . assuming it's encrypted.
( Sometimes I've got different versions for advance or press screenings. I had one
of these a couple of weeks ago. The press/promo screening had a different FTR
number than the one of the 'public' show a few days later. )

[Ryan Gallagher]

Sometimes, if I see that several versions of a particular movie show up on our TMS,
and I'm perplexed on exactly which one to use, I'll just wait and see which one
Deluxe sends keys for. . assuming it's encrypted.
( Sometimes I've got different versions for advance or press screenings. I had one
of these a couple of weeks ago. The press/promo screening had a different FTR
number than the one of the 'public' show a few days later. )

Great theory, except when they send both keys. But if memory serves I only ingested one DCP... and at least one of the keys matches. I don't think there was anything else except maybe an OCAP version on the drive, but I'll look again when I get in tomorrow.

That Feature Number is really the biggest difference, and I bet if I knew the intent via a one-sheet it would be easy (which was not sent or my email has fallen off the shipping notices).

When in doubt I tend to default to newest date stamp (or the one I have a key for) unless there is some other illuminating feature of the DCP name.

[Marcel Birgelen]

You literally hold the key or rather keys to unlock this mystery. Have you tested both and checked if one is secretly a "30" in disguise?

Maybe, back in 2021, this particular DCP was part of a different collection of DCPs, where there was a difference in sound-mixes between them and someone added the "C" to clarify the difference.

Meanwhile, back in March someone got the memo that it's 2026 now and that it would be great to have an SMPTE version in the inventory.

[Mike Blakesley]

The top one says OV-INT-TD, where the other one says US-INT-TD. What's the difference there?

[Ryan Gallagher]

The top one says OV-INT-TD, where the other one says US-INT-TD. What's the difference there?

I had to look it up too, but the INT-TD bit stands for internationally texted, or something to that effect. Basically if there are localized nuances to how they want to present the burned in text (cards etc) they do so for the different markets.

So at least that is one difference it claims. Original Version International Texted, versus US International Texted? We are used to OV and VF appearing at the end, so these read like two OVs (Feature-2 and Feature-3) manipulated for the distribution market perhaps.

I'll find out at 4pm today if there are spottable differences, assuming both were even on the CRU.

Edit to add: "INT-TL" would mean "International Textless" version.

Source: https://registry-page.isdcf.com/pkgtypes/

[Ryan Gallagher]

Just to close this inquiry. I only one we had on our CRU was the 2021 US-UNT-TD 10-C version.

It was indeed a single channel mix.

[Leo Enticknap]

The Birds (which DCP?)

How about this one?

image.png

[Jim Cassedy]

I ran into this 'which dcp do I play?' again recently with a new release where I had
three different versions, because we not only had the 'release' version, but there
were two different 'pre-release/press/early screening' versions. I had two
different pre-release events on the calendar. One was a press screening and
the other was a private preview screening targeted to mainly people in the the
cinema business. I don't know if there was actually any difference between them
because the running times were all the same, except one had a social media
embargo slide for 20sec at the head. Once again, I just waited to see which
keys matched up with each version on the dates they were due to play.
. . problem solved.
( i actually built a 'master playlist' with all three versions of the feature in it,
and then deleted the two I didn't need on any particular day. This seemed
easier/faster than building three separate playlists)