Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NeoDCP to run shorts programs with various fps sources

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Topic: NeoDCP to run shorts programs with various fps sources

Karim Benmachiche
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
Registered: Oct 2018

posted 04-03-2019 02:37 AM

Hi,

I don't know if anyone in these forums has much knowledge of NeoDCP? (Well I know Carsten is but his inbox is full [Wink]

) I tried contacting NeoDCP twice already but received no reply. Or if you know of another public forum where users exchange knowledge, I'd be happy to ask there.

As mentioned already in another thread, we are a small arthouse theater, and without the means of purchasing a full DCI compliant system, we chose to go the PC + NeoDCP + standard 3LCD projector route. We mainly screen indie movies for which DCPs are supplied unencrypted or for which distributors are to give us the kdms even if we're not DCI compliant.

Anyway, we also run at least one shorts program a month. Until now movies have always been supplied as x264, h264, ProRes, etc so we played them using a regular media player. But we would like to screen shorts in the DCP formats. We usually pick a theme and then do the selection between what we've received, so we don't have a choice on the sources framerate and no control on how the DCPs are created.

So, the question is: Does anyone know if and how it is possible to adjust the signal sent to the projector from NeoDCP depending on the movie framerate? i.e. send a 24Hz signal if the movie is a 24fps DCP, and 50Hz if it is a 25fps DCP? I found how to manually change it in the video settings, this is easy, but it's a global setting. I was hoping the software would be able to change this setting automatically depending on the movie source. Manually setting it is ok when screening the same movie multiple times or if all shorts are at the same fps.

Also, I'd be interested to know how it works for Doremi or other DCI cinema servers in such a case of a shorts program with different sources? What kind of signal is then sent to the projector?

Thanks for your advice and opinion!

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-03-2019 07:21 AM

DCI servers will output at whatever the frame rate of the DCP happens to be. It is possible to make a playlist with DCPs that have differing frame rates. Depending upon the particular combination of equipment, there will sometimes be a flicker or other disruption to the on-screen image (even if it is just black) when the frame rates change.

Note that 24fps is the only valid frame rate for Interop DCPs. Every server/projector combination is able to play 24fps, but support for other frame rates (25, 30, 48) is not guaranteed.

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 04-03-2019 10:26 AM

Hi Karim,

sorry, I never get an explicit warning when my forum inbox get's full. I keep some of the more important msgs there for future reference, so, I usually avoid a 'delete all' as a short term clean up.

As Scott says, strict DCI servers always and automatically output the signal frame rate that the DCP has been created with. While some servers are more limited in their frame rate support, others are able to play nearly everything. Except for some remaining owners of Dolby DSP100 (and maybe some remaining users of even older servers like XDC or Quivis), most servers support 24/25/30/48, and more recent ones also 50 and 60fps. Current state-of-the-art IMBs/IMS support up to 120fps.

NeoDCP currently can not adjust the windows graphics card settings to accommodate for different frame rates. While todays graphics cards have presets for major frame rates, switching is usually not seamless and may introduce visible artifacts on the screen. If you projector has a shutter/dowser, you could mask that resync period. But as far as I know, NeoDCP currently has no means to switch output frame rates.

That said, we only rarely get DCPs with other frame rates then 24fps. Yes, sometimes 25 fps, and I understand your profile may create a need to play a wider variety in mixed programs. So far, as most of your clips are probably unencrypted, you may have a chance to convert them to 24fps (from 25fps) using DCP-o-matic (which is a clean and fast process).

Typically, the NeoDCP people are quite responsive, I don't know why they are not answering your request. Maybe wait a little longer. I would think that other people have inquired for that useful feature to be implemented as well, so, wondering what keeps them from doing it. Typical windows/graphics card APIs should allow it.

- Carsten

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Karim Benmachiche
Film Handler

Posts: 18
From: Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
Registered: Oct 2018

posted 04-08-2019 04:12 AM

Thanks for the replies! I didn't receive the notifications so kind of forgot to check back.

I'll keep harassing NeoDCP then [Wink]

but at least it's good to know I can stop searching, and will check on dcp-o-matic for the future.

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