• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

mkpeReport

top analysis covering digital cinema, 3-D, HFR, and laser illumination

  • Reports
  • About
  • mkpe.com
  • cinepedia.com

ISDCF Plugfest Preview

May 2012 by Michael Karagosian

ISDCF has another Plugfest on the horizon. On June 4th and 5th it will conduct further testing in the effort to learn industry readiness for SMPTE DCP distribution, and more. Included in the test program is the continued testing of subtitle rendering on Sony and DLP projectors, audio routing, and a check that the latest DCI Compliant servers will actually work in a cinema.

In fact, all of the ISDCF tests go beyond DCI Compliance tests in the effort to learn if the product will actually work in a cinema. DCI members aren’t fond of this point, as they like to think that their testing program is all that is needed. But several distribution execs were railing at CinemaCon about how certain products that passed CTP as DCI Compliant won’t play a movie in the cinema. This happens because studios continue to distribute Interop DCP distributions, which are not DCI Compliant. Hopefully, the reader will get the irony.

When using an Interop DCP on a DCI Compliant server, the DCP may ingest without error, but the KDM may not work properly. This is because both SMPTE DCP and Interop DCP use the same SMPTE KDM format today, and it is the KDM that indicates whether or not the DCP is SMPTE or Interop. The correct formulation of KDMs is discussed further in ISDCF Document #5 at

href=”http://isdcf.com/papers/ISDCF-Doc5-Guideline-formulations-Interop-and-SMPTE-KDMs-20120504.pdf.

Audio routing has received a lot of discussion in earlier reports. This is another area where DCI draws the line as to what it will test. DCI tests that a product will correctly respond to the digital label for an SMPTE-standardized sound track. But it won’t check that the device can be configured to output the sound channels in a useable manner. For example, audio channels in Interop DCPs are not routable based on metadata in the DCP. In order to get everyone to do things in the same way, audio channel wiring in cinemas follow that described in ISDCF Document #4 at

http://isdcf.com/papers/ISDCF-Doc4-Interop-audio-channel-recommendations-20110302.pdf.

But a product can pass CTP without being capable of routing each channel of audio to the proper output.

This Plugfest may be the first where 96K-sampled audio will be tested, which appears to be another area that DCI doesn’t test. ISDCF will also test forensic audio marking. DCI does conduct tests on audio marking, but there are some conditions when selective marking is used that need further validation.

There are rumors that Hobbits will be lurking around this Plugfest, while some HFR material packaged in the manner planned for Hobbit’s release will be tested. This is the start of a new phase for ISDCF, with a major studio using the Plugfest as an opportunity to test new formats for new movies.

Last but not least, further demonstrations of Theater Key Retrieval (TKR) will be conducted.

We’ll report on the results in the next issue.

Filed Under: Technical Bodies Tagged With: ISDCF

Primary Sidebar

Search

Topics

  • 3-D
  • Accessibility
  • Alt Content & Advertising
  • Anti-Piracy
  • Color
  • Communications
  • Deployment Entities
  • Distributors
  • Exhibitors
  • Fulfillment
  • High Dynamic Range
  • Higher Frame Rates
  • Installations
  • Patents
  • Projectors
  • Servers and IMBs
  • Sound
  • Technical Bodies
  • Theatre Management Systems
  • Trade Organizations and Shows

Full Archives

a publication of
MKPE Consulting LLC

Footer

Important Stuff

  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Archives

  • Category & Monthly Archives
Archives date back to 2008.

MKPE

mkpeReport is a publication of MKPE, a world-class consultancy building business at the crossroads of cinema and technology.
Learn more about MKPE.

copyright © 2008 - 2023 mkpe consulting llc

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo