SMPTE PACKAGES

[lemgeo]

Hi all,

I send to a short film festival, an SMPTE package at 25fps (unencrypted), created by DoM.
The festival uses a SONY server.

A friend of mine who send his film to the festival - SMPTE package ,25fps encrypted, created by another application -
told me that they couldn't play his film, they ingest the package but they can't unlock it by the KDM they received.
Do you know any issues about SMPTE packages and SONY servers? The server the festival use, is last updated.

Should I make an 25fps interop package or i'll have problem with other servers?
I want to stay at 25fps(unencrypted).

thanks

[Carsten]

It is still an unresolved issue why encrypted DCP-o-matic SMPTE packages do not play on Sony systems. Unencrypted SMPTE/Interop and encrypted Interop created with DCP-o-matic do work.

Sony recently issued an update of their software, and there is a mentioning of an issue in the release notes. This software is only out since two weeks or so, 1.51

I have yet to install it on our Sony to see if it solves the issue. Yes, this is not a DCP-o-matic problem, as I talked to someone from a software company who had that issue with their own DCP mastering software as well. The only common aspect between them and DCP-o-matic is the use of asdcplib.

There are encrypted SMPTE packages that work on a Sony. While SMPTE packages are still not used often in the cinema world, I received some encrypted test packages from a commercial mastering house (Dolby and Colorfront Software), and they worked on our Sony.

We made Sony aware of the problem last year already, and they said they would be working on the issue. I have no news so far except for the most recent software update. As these encrypted SMPTE packages work on other servers, it is also not yet clear wether it's a Sony or a DCP-o-matic/asdcplib issue. Would you please ask your friend which software he is using?

So, as long as you stay unencrypted, you are safe - btw, both with SMPTE and INTEROP. Yes, formally 25fps should be SMPTE wrapped, but in fact, it does work in INTEROP as well. If your fellow want's to deliver encrypted, tell him to use INTEROP wrapping.

- Carsten

[lemgeo]

Hi

thanks for replying

my friends DCP was created by QUBE MASTER.
I' ve talked to a projectionist who told me that it is the assetmap that causes the problem
and that SMPTE packages should not contain the assetmap file.
Is that right?

Thanks

[Carsten]

No, both INTEROP and SMPTE need assetmap files. The most obvious difference is that SMPTE assetmap files carry the .xml file extension, while INTEROP assetmap files do not. Same for the VOLINDEX files.

Aside from the DCNC/ISDCF naming aspects, if you see a DCP with ASSETMAP and VOLINDEX files, it is Interop. If you see ASSETMAP.xml and VOLINDEX.xml, it is SMPTE. Of course, there are more differences within all those files.

Interesting to know hat Qubemaster has the same issue. So that makes three now...

- Carsten