DCP X'Y'Z' (BT709)

Sort of wondering what this means, and whether it is significant to a projectionist. Its in the metadata inspector.

For those of us who are using plugins (at least for now... but seriously is easyDCP ever going to be less than $Cdn10K to purchase?) there are not that many optional export profiles.

I have been using the CineAsset FCP plugin, and I can load the resulting container into Resolve's easyDCP Player -- and generally see the range of picture values that I expect. However, in a commercial theatre, I see a reproduced image more consistent with (what used to be called the gamma bug) but is more likely to be the full-scale/linear range error. So when I see a profile in the metadata that clearly identifies the container as something that I would assume is compatible with a 64-940 black/whitepoint *709*, is this something that is significant to a projectionist? Or is there some "don't change-this-setting-no-matter-what, under-pain-of-instant-dismissal" post-it note on the server *by order of the theatre manager* on the ingest laptop that assumes or is instructed to ignore any other possible range of picture values, whether it is supported by the DCI convention or not? So DCP's destined for an inflexible venue should… what? somehow be exported full range RGB 0-1023? From an NLE that doesn't really support that and would be troublesome, to say the least, to divert, given that a re-transcode (or several) is going to be the work-around?

Genuinely perplexed.

jPo

Any Rec.709 grade can be converted to XYZ. If you than watch it in cinema it should look like your original Rec.709 master on a grading monitor. This is theory- it will never look the same, but should be close. If you see any levels, gamma etc problems than this suggest bug in conversion step. There is no such a thing like Rec.709 XYZ as far as I know. Conversion should properly 'adjust' levels, gamma etc. regardles if you are coming from full or limited range.
It was interesting to see Christie projector against Sony 4K OLED monitor, where different black levels make whole image look totaly different (even if colors matched almost perefctly).

Or is there some "don't change-this-setting-no-matter-what, under-pain-of-instant-dismissal" post-it note on the server *by order of the theatre manager* on the ingest laptop that assumes or is instructed to ignore any other possible range of picture values, whether it is supported by the DCI convention or not?

You're kind of at the mercy of how well or how badly the theater chain maintains their projectors. They do drift over time, and I've seen some awful problems with focus and keystoning and all kinds of stuff. Overall color and blacks generally seem to me to be in the ballpark of being correct. Having done a bunch of 35mm D.I.'s back in the day, I was appalled at how far off the prints can be and still be considered "acceptable" by the lab. If anything, I think D-Cinema is more predictable and better controlled than in the print days, at least in terms of consistency.

There were issues in the old days of cheap theater managers running the projector bulbs at (maybe) 75-80% normal intensity to try to squeeze out a hundred or so more hours, resulting in dark and dim pictures. I don't think this happens nearly as much as it used to.

75-80%? In the UK it's a plague and it's maybe 50% or less Definitely not a problem of old days, but very current (probably way more than old days). Maybe less visible due to projectors being newer technology.

75-80%? In the UK it's a plague and it's maybe 50% or less Definitely not a problem of old days, but very current (probably way more than old days). Maybe less visible due to projectors being newer technology.

Any london examples? Just so i don't go there...

Pick any cinema and you have huge chance that it runs away darker than it should.
It's common practice to save money.

I was called the night of a premiere because the DCP was "wrong and dark", went there, measured, 4fl in 2D instead of the nominal 14fl. that is 2 stop bloody darker. in a premiere. in Hollywood. (that was 4 years ago).

if a projector is correctly calibrated the color rendition and tonal range is really really close to the DI. we do tons of theatrical movies and usually when we get called and go there is always a problem of calibration.

75-80%? In the UK it's a plague and it's maybe 50% or less Definitely not a problem of old days, but very current (probably way more than old days). Maybe less visible due to projectors being newer technology.

I saw back in the day avatar in reading with a friend and having see it 50 times in our rooms prior ( we where doing international 3d languages) it looked flat almost foggy. . was really a poor experience.

Interesting you mention that cause after seeing avatar i decided never to go to 3d anymore, it was so bloody dark...


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