DCP Container for 16mm film transfer - original ratio 4:3

[dewshi]

What is best practise for the DCP of a 16mm film transfer - original print ratio 4:3?

The film neg has been transferred to ProRes movie file 1920x1080... pillarboxed so it has black borders at the sides, i.e a 4:3 image in a 16:9 box.

DCP-o-matic automatically scales the Video content to 16:9. This looks fine with container setting Flat. BUT... would the projectionist know to set the presentation, curtains etc, for a smaller 4:3 image???

I've figured an alternative is to crop the Video content (Left: 240 pixels & Right: 240 pixels), scale it to 4:3, and set the DCP Container to 4:3. This also looks fine... but the hint warns about non-standard size containers (ie not Scope or Flat).

Naturally there's a clue in the naming convention for the DCP, F-133 or 133. But I'm wondering if there's info in the XML that affects projector settings.

Any recommendations about what is standard?

[scorpio81]

Hi!

Use Flat as the most suitable standard format.

If you are worried about the projectionist setting up the presentation correctly then it doesn't matter what format to use. Projectors always show the full container - 2048x1080. That's the signal they receive from the server and the server always adds black paddings to non-full images. The projectionist will have the format info from the title (F-133). And XML files do not affect projector settings at all.

[dewshi]

@ scorpio81
Thanks a lot!!

[Carsten]

F-133 is the only useful option. Quite a few cinemas will not have sidemasking or options to adjust for arbitrary pillarboxing, but those who do will be glad for a F-133 designation.

- Carsten

[dewshi]

F-133 is the only useful option. Quite a few cinemas will not have sidemasking or options to adjust for arbitrary pillarboxing, but those who do will be glad for a F-133 designation.

Thanks for this. Good to know!