For Avatar 3 theatrical DCP distribution

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

[...]
I wonder if my NEC variant of IMS1000 would be capable of playing content directly from it. If so, what are the requirements for these sorts of configurations? Is it reliable?

Talking from experience, no. It is not.
Software for IMS1000 didn't go far enough to support encrypted (SMPTE) subtitles. So, if you are looking for subtitled versions, you are out of luck.
Besides that, you need to make absolutely sure that any transfer bottleneck is taken care of, if you don't want dropping frames that don't trigger an alarm on the UI.
The whole system may work if you intent to use the NAS with IMS1000 for non-encrypted SMPTE, or non subtitled SMPTE, or IOP DCPs, of relatively low bitrate and keep the internal storage for the rest.
Yet, that can not always be an option, can it?

[Jim Cassedy]

FYI: The 48fps 2d /Atmos HDR version of Avatar F&I is 615gb. ( ! )
This has practically maxxed out the storage space on our ICMP-X because in addition
to A-F&I, I've got KILL BILL T-W-B-A (4h35min) and One Battle A-A (2h41min) loaded.
on our system, plus several classic Christmas movie titles, and then there's a unique
30min 'pre show' for every one of those flicks, not to mention trailers, bumpers.

We're actually playing K-B-T-W-B-A and O-B-A-A in 70mm, but I've got both those
DCP's ingested for back-up purposes, so they're taking up space even though I
don't really need to have them there for show purposes. We've only lost one 70mm
show about a week ago, when the person filling in for me on a night I wasn't there
had an igniter fail when he went to start Reel 2 of "Kill Bill" - - and had to revert to
the digital version digital for the rest of that show. It wasn't his fault- - it was just a
component failure, and it was just his bad luck that it happened on his shift. We
had an old igniter that he was able to pull parts from, and the 70mm was back on
screen the following day and have had no other problems since.

[Ioannis Syrogiannis]

The point here is the impossible size of the DCP, and I agree with that. I don't expect my advocating maximum effectiveness in compression to be taken up as an idea or practice by anyone, though.
I want to make a note besides the point, nonetheless. Backing up is never a bad idea. And the best back up you have readily available, the better.
Yet, in light of those big fat DCPs you are dealing with Jim, you might want to consider (and put the idea in test) that as far as backup goes, ICPM-X could handle a screening out of a USB 3 connected drive.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Who knew we'd rapidly see a "platter size" conundrum within the digital realm so soon. ;-)

[Carsten Kurz]

ICMP can play directly off a USB 3.0 connected drive. Probably not recommended as a general practice, but possible, and, from my personal experience, robust.

[Agnius Acus]

The 617 GB version (the largest DCP ever?), that Jim has mentioned, runs at something like 400+ Mbps, so it's near the limit of what most media blocks are capable of, with less than 100 Mbps to spare.

In comparison, my 2D 2K 48 FPS copy has a bitrate of 236 Mbps.

[Jim Cassedy]

I was kind of hoping there'd be a 70mm HFR version- - on reels.
That would be challenge! - Jim C-

[Steve Guttag]

My 70mm installations can run 30fps without issue (sometimes at the push of a button)...none are set up for 48fps and 70mm. I only have one site that can do 48fps 35mm (and it could do 3D, if it had a silver screen and suitable polarizers as the projectors can be lock-synced together).