DCP Mastering & Conversion Services

A DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is the industry-standard digital format used for the distribution and theatrical projection of films. It was developed by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a consortium of major Hollywood studios, to ensure unified quality, security, and compatibility across all digital cinema systems worldwide.

DCPs are typically delivered on hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, or via satellite and secure digital delivery channels. They are played back using certified cinema servers and projected using professional digital projectors in accordance with DCI specifications.

Flat and Scope are the two standard aspect ratio formats used in digital cinema.

• Flat has an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and corresponds to a DCP resolution of 1998 × 1080 pixels. This format has a slightly taller frame and is often used in dramas, comedies, and films with a more traditional visual composition.
• Scope has an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and corresponds to a DCP resolution of 2048 × 858 pixels. This widescreen format is commonly used for large-scale, cinematic productions such as action films or visually expansive features.

When preparing a DCP, your film should fit one of these two formats or be properly adapted during the conversion process.

For best results, your film should be prepared in one of the standard digital cinema resolutions:
• Flat format: 1998 × 1080 pixels at 24 frames per second
• Scope format: 2048 × 858 pixels at 24 frames per second

If your film was completed in a different resolution, we can adapt it during the DCP conversion process to ensure correct display on the cinema screen.

2K and 4K refer to the resolution of a DCP, indicating the approximate number of horizontal pixels in the image. A standard 2K DCP has a resolution of either 1998 × 1080 (Flat) or 2048 × 858 (Scope). A 4K DCP doubles the resolution, reaching approximately 4096 × 1716 or 3996 × 2160 pixels, depending on the aspect ratio.

At the moment, creating a 4K DCP is often unnecessary for several reasons:
• Source material is frequently not available in true 4K resolution.
• Even when high-resolution footage exists, the visual difference between 2K and 4K is barely noticeable on cinema screens up to 20 meters wide due to the limitations of human visual perception.
• In many regions, including Russia, only a limited number of cinemas are equipped with 4K-capable projectors.

For most films and theatrical screenings, a 2K DCP is fully sufficient and widely accepted by festivals and distributors.

If your film was completed in 1920 × 1080 (Full HD) and cannot be re-edited in a cinema-compliant resolution, there are two options for adapting it to DCP format:
1. Stretch and crop the image
The frame is scaled to match the Flat or Scope resolution, with minor cropping at the edges.
2. Preserve the original resolution with black borders
The film is placed within the DCP frame without distortion. In the Flat format, small black bars will appear on the left and right sides, which are generally unnoticeable on a cinema screen. In the Scope format, the side borders will be slightly wider.

Both options are acceptable for theatrical projection, and we will help you choose the most suitable approach based on the visual composition of your film.

Every DCP undergoes mandatory technical testing in a cinema environment. We perform playback monitoring using certified servers such as Dolby DSS200 and Dolby DSP100. If needed, we can provide photos from the screen to reassure you that the image and sound are displayed correctly.

A KDM (Key Delivery Message) is a digital key required to play an encrypted DCP. Each cinema server needs its own unique KDM, which includes a validity period specifying when playback is allowed. For non-commercial festival screenings, encryption and KDMs are usually not required unless explicitly requested by the festival or distributor.

Subtitles, alternate audio tracks, or additional content (such as ads or intros) can be added using a Supplemental DCP package. This type of package uses the existing media files from the main DCP and only contains the updated or additional elements.
Both the main DCP and the supplemental DCP must be present on the cinema server for playback. This method is especially useful when releasing a film in multiple languages, as it saves time and reduces file sizes.

DCPs are traditionally delivered on hard drives in protective shockproof cases. When shipping abroad from Russia or other regions, supporting documentation may be required by customs.

For short films or festival submissions, USB flash drives (up to 64 GB or higher) or portable hard drives are now widely accepted. It is important to use media with high read/write speeds to avoid long transfer times.

Most cinema servers support standard Windows file systems such as FAT32 and NTFS. If the DCP file is larger than 4 GB (which is typical), the drive must be formatted in NTFS, since FAT32 does not support files exceeding 4 GB.

We recommend using drives that contain only the DCP package without any additional files. Digital delivery via satellite or secure internet platforms is also becoming increasingly common and is supported by services such as Cinelab and DCP24 laboratories.

You can use Stereoscopic Player, which supports unencrypted DCP playback (without a KDM key). A trial version is available for download at www.3dtv.at. The full personal-use license costs approximately 39 euros, while the demo version allows up to 5 minutes of video playback.

A typical short film of around 15 minutes may take approximately 30 GB and can easily fit on a USB flash drive. A feature-length film of about 120 minutes may exceed 100 GB in size, depending on the bitrate and resolution.