Digital Cinema Package
questions, answered.

A DCP is not a single video file; it is a directory of separate assets that follow the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) specification. Inside, picture and sound are stored as JPEG 2000 image sequences and uncompressed (or PCM) audio, both wrapped in MXF containers, with XML files (CPL, PKL, ASSETMAP, VOLINDEX) that describe how everything fits together.

DCPs are designed for theatrical playback, not consumer devices. You cannot open a DCP directly in QuickTime, VLC, or Premiere the way you would a ProRes file. To play one, you need a DCI-compliant cinema server connected to a digital projector, or a software player like easyDCP Player or DCP-o-matic Player for QC purposes.

Cinema projectors are paired with cinema servers (Doremi, Dolby IMS, GDC, Qube, etc.) that are built around the DCI specification. They expect a JPEG 2000 image sequence wrapped in MXF, with specific color, audio, and metadata conventions. A festival accepting a non-DCP master would need to re-encode each film into a DCP themselves — which is expensive, time-consuming, and risks color or sync issues.

Providing a DCP means your film can be ingested in minutes and projected at the same quality the festival expects from every other film in the program.

A typical DCP folder contains:

• One or more picture MXFs — JPEG 2000 image sequence wrapping picture reels.
• One or more sound MXFs — PCM audio wrapping the matching reels.
• ASSETMAP — index that tells the server which file is which.
• VOLINDEX — describes the storage volume layout.
• PKL (Packing List) — manifest with hashes of every asset for integrity checking.
• CPL (Composition Playlist) — the timeline that ties picture, sound, and (optionally) subtitle tracks together for playback.
• Optional subtitle / caption files (PNG-based for Interop, XML for SMPTE).

The folder name follows the ISDCF naming convention so projectionists can tell at a glance what is inside.

ProRes 4444 is excellent for editing and color grading because it is visually lossless, supports an alpha channel, and decodes fast. But ProRes does not match the DCI cinema specification — wrong color space (Rec.709 instead of XYZ), wrong gamma, wrong file structure, and no MXF/JPEG 2000 wrapping.

Making a DCP from a ProRes master is exactly what StellarDCP does: we take your finished ProRes (or DNxHR, MP4, MXF, etc.) and produce a DCI-compliant DCP that any cinema server can play.

H.264 (and H.265) are designed for streaming and consumer playback: temporal compression, smaller files, GPU-friendly decoding. Cinema is intra-frame, mathematically lossless-leaning JPEG 2000 wrapped in MXF, with strict timing and integrity requirements.

It is not just a codec swap — color space, audio packaging, naming, and metadata all differ. A DCP is a self-contained package the server can verify, ingest, and project deterministically.

IMF is a SMPTE standard for component-based mastering — separate video, audio, and subtitle assets that downstream platforms (Netflix, broadcast) re-version into final deliverables. A DCP is the final, locked-and-played artifact for cinema. They share the use of MXF and JPEG 2000 but solve different problems.

Typical sizes you will see in practice:

• A 15-minute 2K short: roughly 25–50 GB.
• A 90-minute 2K feature: roughly 150–300 GB.
• A 90-minute 4K feature: roughly 300–600 GB.

Size is why festivals ask for hard drives or fast cloud transfers. StellarDCP gives you a 7-day cloud download window with every purchase, with optional extended storage if you need more time.

Unlike H.264, JPEG 2000 has no inter-frame dependencies, so any frame can be decoded standalone — critical for trick-play, error resilience, and cinema-grade quality control. The 12-bit XYZ color space gives DCPs the headroom to look right under the high-luminance, wide-gamut conditions of a cinema projector.

A practical rule of thumb:

• If your project is 24 fps and you want maximum compatibility, choose Interop.
• If your project is 25, 29.97, or 30 fps, use SMPTE.
• If your project is 23.976 fps, StellarDCP conforms it to 24 fps cinema rate automatically.
• If your festival or venue specifies SMPTE, use SMPTE.
• For 4K and modern captioning workflows, SMPTE is the safer choice.

Notable cases:

• 25 fps PAL-region festivals: SMPTE is effectively required.
• 29.97/30 fps projects: SMPTE is required.
• North American multiplex screenings: Interop usually plays everywhere for 24 fps content.
• Newer arthouse and 4K-equipped venues: SMPTE is increasingly preferred.

If in doubt, ask the festival directly. They will tell you exactly what their server expects.

A typical ISDCF name looks like:

MyFilm_FTR-1_F_EN-XX_US-13_51_2K_20260101_SMPTE_OV

Reading left to right:

• MyFilm — title.
• FTR-1 — content type (feature, version 1).
• F — Flat aspect ratio.
• EN-XX — main audio language.
• US-13 — territory and rating.
• 51 — 5.1 surround.
• 2K — resolution.
• 20260101 — date.
• SMPTE — standard.
• OV — Original Version.

The naming convention helps projectionists pick the right DCP from a server full of them without opening anything.

That said, real-world venues vary in firmware, server age, and ingest policies. We strongly recommend testing your finished DCP on a player such as easyDCP Player or DCP-o-matic Player before shipping to a hard festival deadline. The DCP is correct; testing protects you against the rare venue with a quirky setup.

A KDM (Key Delivery Message) ties a DCP to a specific cinema server and date range, requiring a separate cryptographic key per venue. That logistics overhead is overkill for festivals — and it actually creates risk, because a missing or expired KDM at the venue means your film cannot screen. Unencrypted DCPs always play and are the standard for indie and festival workflows.

A few practical notes:

• 23.976 → 24: standard cinema convention; StellarDCP applies a slight speed-up (~0.1%).
• 29.97 → 30: StellarDCP conforms to a 30 fps DCP by occasional frame replication (about one duplicate frame every 33 seconds), while preserving wall-clock runtime.
• 24 fps delivery can be authored as Interop or SMPTE depending on your venue requirements.
• 25 and 30 fps deliveries are authored as SMPTE.
• 50 fps, 60 fps, and high-frame-rate (HFR) formats are not currently supported in StellarDCP.

If you have a 3D project, contact us at hello@stellardcp.com and describe your master (left/right separate, side-by-side, frame-packed) — we can advise whether a custom workflow is feasible.

7.1 is more than enough for the vast majority of festival and indie theatrical screenings. If a venue specifically requires Atmos, contact us — for most projects the correct answer is to ship a robust 5.1 or 7.1 mix that down-mixes cleanly and plays in any cinema.

Common containers: MOV, MP4, MXF, AVI. Common codecs: Apple ProRes (4444, 422 HQ, 422), Avid DNxHR / DNxHD, H.264 / AVC, H.265 / HEVC, XAVC, IMF essence (J2K, MPEG-2).

We recommend a high-bitrate intermediate codec (ProRes 4444, ProRes 422 HQ, DNxHR HQX) for the best DCP quality, but consumer codecs work fine — the DCP can only be as good as the master, so use the highest-quality export your NLE will produce.

Why these formats:

• ProRes 4444 / DNxHR HQX are visually lossless intermediate codecs that survive a DCP encode without compounding compression artifacts.
• 24-bit / 48 kHz audio matches DCI sound packaging exactly, so we do not need to resample.
• Rec.709 is the most common editing color space, but StellarDCP also supports P3 and other source spaces. During configuration, you explicitly choose source color space and gamma, and StellarDCP converts to XYZ for cinema.

If you can only export H.264, use the highest bitrate your NLE allows (50 Mbps or higher) and 10-bit color when possible.

StellarDCP also supports Full container (the entire 2K or 4K canvas). In practice, this is most useful for films whose native aspect ratio falls between Flat (1.85) and Scope (2.39), where the 1.90 Full container can be the best fit.

How this works in practice:

• Clean native export (no baked-in black bars): do nothing. StellarDCP auto-detects the image ratio and picks Flat, Scope, or Full.
• Letterboxed or pillarboxed source (black bars baked into the file): mark that in configuration so StellarDCP can override auto-detection and choose the correct container.

Why the apparent shift on a projector:

• Cinema is a dim-surround viewing environment with much lower screen luminance than a desktop monitor.
• Gamma 2.6 in cinema vs gamma 2.4 / sRGB on monitors is intentional — it compensates for the perceived contrast difference.
• Color is the same numerically; perception is what changes.

For festival-critical color, the gold standard is to grade in a calibrated DCI-XYZ environment or QC the finished DCP in a screening room. Rec.709 is the most common source master, but P3 masters are also supported. In all cases, set source color space and gamma explicitly in StellarDCP configuration.

Stereo plays cleanly on any cinema chain — when in doubt, ship stereo. 5.1 and 7.1 are common for finished mixes; deliver a stem export from your DAW with channels assigned to the standard cinema mapping.

Practical guidance for indie and festival mixes:

• Treat 85 dB SPL on a calibrated cinema monitoring chain as your reference, with dialog landing around -31 LKFS integrated.
• Leave 6 dB or more headroom under 0 dBFS for surround and effects peaks.
• A streaming-loud master will sound aggressive and harsh in a cinema. If your only mix is streaming-loud, reduce overall level by roughly 10–15 dB before delivery.

For very large uploads we recommend a wired internet connection and the modern Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox browsers — they negotiate large multi-part uploads cleanly. See the Terms of Service for the exact published cap.

StellarDCP supports both:

• OCAP: pick "burned-in subtitles" in configuration. The text is rendered into the picture before encoding; nothing extra is required at the venue.
• CCAP: upload a subtitle file (SRT or VTT) during configuration. Configuration packages it as a closed caption track in your DCP.

Tips for clean subtitles:

• Time codes should match the master frame rate and start at the same point as your video timeline (no extra leader).
• UTF-8 encoding handles non-ASCII characters cleanly.
• Keep lines short (no more than two lines on screen, around 40 characters per line).

For maximum control, render your subtitles into the picture during your final export — your NLE has more typographic control than the DCP standard exposes.

Most festivals are happy with a single DCP that has the subtitles already burned in for their territory.

The end-to-end workflow:

• Step 1 — Finish your edit and color in your NLE (Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, Avid).
• Step 2 — Export a high-quality master at the project frame rate, in the color space you graded in (Rec.709 is most common; P3 is also supported). ProRes 4444, ProRes 422 HQ, or DNxHR HQX in a MOV or MXF wrapper is ideal.
• Step 3 — Upload your master to StellarDCP. Anonymous upload is fine; you can sign in and pay later.
• Step 4 — In configuration, choose 2K and/or 4K, audio layout, subtitle handling, and your source color space and gamma. Aspect ratio is automatic: StellarDCP detects your native image and chooses Flat, Scope, or Full. Only mark letterboxed/pillarboxed sources when you need to override detection.
• Step 5 — Sign in and pay via Stripe to queue the render.
• Step 6 — Download your DCP within the 7-day window, or order a physical drive shipped to you.
• Step 7 — QC the DCP on a player like easyDCP Player or DCP-o-matic Player before sending it to a festival.

In Adobe Media Encoder / Premiere export:

• Format: QuickTime
• Video codec: Apple ProRes 4444 (preferred) or ProRes 422 HQ
• Frame rate: match sequence (typically 23.976, 24, or 25)
• Field order: progressive
• Color space: Rec.709
• Audio: PCM, 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo or 5.1
• Render at maximum depth: enabled
• Use maximum render quality: enabled

If the master must be H.264, use VBR 2-pass at 50 Mbps or higher.

Resolve Deliver settings:

• Format: QuickTime
• Codec: Apple ProRes 4444 (preferred) or ProRes 422 HQ
• Type: QuickTime
• Resolution: project resolution (do not upscale)
• Frame rate: match project (typically 23.976, 24, or 25)
• Data levels: Auto
• Color space and gamma: keep your graded timeline/output color space (Rec.709 is common; P3 is also supported)
• Audio codec: Linear PCM, 48 kHz, 24-bit

StellarDCP assumes standard codec defaults for data levels and does not read metadata color-space/gamma tags. Set source color space and gamma explicitly in configuration. Do not add an extra manual color-space conversion at export unless you have a deliberate managed workflow.

Final Cut master file:

• Settings → Format: Video and Audio
• Video codec: Apple ProRes 4444 (preferred) or 422 HQ
• Color space: Standard — Rec. 709
• Audio format: Linear PCM
• Roles as: Multitrack QuickTime Movie or single mix, depending on your audio configuration

A pre-flight test catches almost every avoidable issue:

• Open the DCP folder in DCP-o-matic Player or easyDCP Player.
• Check that the CPL loads without errors and the runtime matches.
• Spot-check picture quality at full resolution.
• Check audio sync at multiple points (start, middle, end).
• Verify subtitles appear and read correctly.
• For a hard deadline, ask a local cinema or post house if they will ingest the DCP on a real server. Many will, for a small fee.

Full pricing by tier:

Project length | 2K only | 4K only | 2K + 4K bundle Short (15 minutes or less) | $49 | $79 | $99 Episodic (16 to 40 minutes) | $99 | $149 | $199 Feature (41 to 120 minutes) | $179 | $279 | $349 Epic (121 minutes or more) | $249 | $399 | $499

Add-ons: physical DCP shipped on a CRU drive (US, free shipping) is $349 for 2K, $349 for 4K, $499 for the 2K + 4K bundle. Extended cloud storage is available as a small monthly or annual subscription, priced per project length.

For a hard festival deadline, upload as early as you can.

Pricing is duration-based with separate prices for 2K, 4K, and the 2K + 4K bundle. There is no subscription required to make a DCP — the base purchase is one-time. Optional extended storage is available as a monthly or annual subscription if you want to keep the cloud download active beyond the standard 7-day window.

See the full Terms of Service for the canonical refund language.

See the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for canonical retention windows. The short version: do not treat StellarDCP as long-term archival storage — download or order a drive within the included window, or buy a storage subscription if you need the cloud copy to persist.

It is a great fit if you have a finished master in your NLE and you need a DCP for a festival deadline, a private screening, an indie theatrical release, or a corporate / branded cinema event. It is not the right tool for major studio releases that require KDM-encrypted DCPs and elaborate version management.

CRU drives are the de facto standard format that every major cinema server can ingest from. Festivals routinely accept CRU drives via mail or hand-delivery on screening day.

Practical guidance:

• CRU drive: highest compatibility, expected by most festival projectionists.
• NTFS or HFS+: avoid — many cinema servers cannot read these.
• Always include a clearly labeled folder named with the ISDCF DCP filename so the projectionist can identify it instantly.

For deadline-driven filmmakers, elapsed time is not the issue — active risk is.

What usually burns teams in a DIY desktop workflow:

• DCP authoring is technically dense: Interop vs SMPTE, frame-rate conformance, color conversion, audio mapping, naming, and packaging all interact. Every manual decision increases the chance your package fails QC or ingest and has to be rebuilt.
• You own QC and validation. If ingest fails, subtitles break, or a CPL mismatch appears, you are the support desk.
• You own retry loops. If a setting is wrong, you rerun and re-QC the entire package yourself.
• You own delivery logistics end to end: drive sourcing, formatting, copy verification, labeling, and shipping.

What StellarDCP changes:

• You upload once and keep working while the render runs in the cloud.
• The package is generated with automated structural validation before delivery.
• Pricing and turnaround are fixed up front, so you can plan backward from the festival deadline.
• You can deliver by shareable download link or order a CRU drive shipment without managing separate vendors.
• When something needs clarification, support comes from the team that built the renderer.

DCP-o-matic is a solid tool for technical users who want maximum manual control. StellarDCP is built for filmmakers who want high confidence their film will look right on screen, be rendered and packaged correctly, and pass QC before deadline day.

What you are actually paying for at a post house:

• Opaque four-figure quotes — often itemized for the same render configuration choices you make once at upload on StellarDCP.
• Multi-week scheduling. You wait for an open slot in their bay.
• A chain of manual hand-offs (intake email, spec sheet, encode, internal QC, delivery) where any step can introduce a frame-rate, color-space, audio-layout, or Interop-vs-SMPTE mistake. Spec errors usually surface on screening day, not before.
• Lock-in to their delivery format and revision policy. A re-encode for a different festival is usually another invoice on another schedule.

When a post house is genuinely the right call:

• You need final color or sound finishing under the same roof as DCP authoring, and you want a single vendor of record.
• You need KDM-encrypted DCPs for a major theatrical release with key delivery to specific cinemas.
• You need an Atmos, 3D, or other specialty deliverable that StellarDCP does not produce.

For everyone else — independent filmmakers, festival applicants, indie distributors, branded cinema events, film schools — the master is already locked when DCP authoring begins. Paying skilled human labor to drag and drop your file into a queue is overkill, and every additional hand-off is a chance to ship the wrong spec.

A pre-flight checklist:

• Verify the drive is exFAT or CRU-format — not NTFS or HFS+.
• Verify all files copied (compare folder size to the StellarDCP download).
• Confirm the festival accepts your chosen standard (Interop or SMPTE).
• Test in DCP-o-matic Player or easyDCP Player before mailing the drive.
• For physical drives, eject cleanly before unplugging.

Reduce surprise on screening day:

• Grade in a calibrated environment with cinema-appropriate viewing conditions when stakes are high.
• Test the DCP at a real cinema or screening room ahead of the festival when possible.

23.976 and 29.97 are handled differently:

• 23.976 source: conformed to 24 fps for DCP delivery with a slight speed-up (~0.1%).
• 29.97 source: conformed to 30 fps DCP delivery by occasional frame replication (no wall-clock speed change).
• 30 source: kept at native 30 fps in SMPTE DCP.

If your source is already 24, 25, 29.97, or 30, upload it as-is and choose the correct DCP standard (SMPTE is required for 25/29.97/30).

For 29.97 projects, the source can carry DF timecode (`HH:MM:SS;FF`) or NDF timecode (`HH:MM:SS:FF`). Both are valid and describe the same frames, but their clock labels differ. StellarDCP handles both and still delivers a 30 fps DCP.

Practical rules:

• If the source is DF, export subtitle files from a DF timeline.
• If the source is NDF, export subtitle files from an NDF timeline.
• Do not hand-edit subtitle timecodes when switching modes; re-export from the NLE timeline.

Why this matters: mixed modes can drift by about 3.6 seconds per hour of timecode. StellarDCP assumes source and subtitle exports use the same TC mode, which matches default behavior in major NLEs.