Tips and Tricks handling DCPs

Uploading DCPs and KDMs to FTP-Servers

Before up- or downloading DCPs or KDMs to or from FTP-Servers, the DCPs and KDMs should be zipped. During the upload or download process files which are stored in ASCII format – such as the XML files like Packing List (PKL), Composition Playlist (CPL) or Key Delivery Message (KDM) – are changed and errors may occur during DCP ingest or playback. Some FTP-Servers change line feeds or tabs resulting in bad signature hash values. Mac and Windows often use different line feed in text files. To prevent this source of errors before transferring such data all files should be zipped before transaction. You should zip files for E-Mailing, too.

A single DCP should consist of at least five files:

VOLINDEX or VOLINDEX.xml The volume index is important if you deliver your DCP over more than one volume.

ASSETMAP or ASSETMAP.xml The Assetmap contains a list with all of the files to find for the server.

…_pkl.xml A packing list (PKL) containing a list with all of the files to be ingested.

…_cpl.xml A composition playlist (CPL) containing information of a single composition.

…_j2c.mxf A Track containing JPEG 2000 pictures.

…_pcm.mxf A Track containing PCM waveform.

…_sub.mxf A Track containing timed text.

…_kdm.xml A KDM for a specific D-Cinema playback system.

There may be more files regarding to the complexity of your package.

Every single DCP shall be stored in its own directory. No more than one DCP shall be stored in one folder.

Opening XML files in text file editors

Opening XML-files of a DCP (e. g. PKL, CPL and KDM) in a text editor is a dangerous thing. After opening the files for viewing please make sure you do not save the files. Do not simply edit the XML-files. For example if you want to

change your company name or correct a typo error you have to recreate the whole DCP. One changed character is enough to fail the signature test and errors may occur during ingest or playback of the DCP on a D-Cinema Server. Some editors are running in auto-save mode thus overwriting the original files (i.e. changing line delimiters due to the specific operating system) resulting in bad signature hash values. These corrupted signatures cannot be ingested on a D-Cinema playback system. So don’t touch the files of a DCP. Do not rename any files of the DCP. Only store one DCP in its own folder. Two or more DCPs cannot be stored in the same folder, because the assetmap.xml and the volindex.xml will be overwritten.