Category: DCPs

The Digital Cinema Package – the DCP – is 1 folder filled with picture and sound and subtitle files, as well as files that keep them all playing together.

ST2117 – Flat and Scope Tiff Slides

These TIFF files are the proposed set of Flat and Scope slides/drawings for use with the RP 2117 document and DCPs.

You will need a password that is being told to members of the committee. Join SMPTE and the Standards Community so you can entertain the whole family with ideas for the future of Entertainment Technology!

Send a note to [email protected] if you would like to be notified when they are added,

DCPs of the Targeting and Measurement Slides are available at:
ST2117 – Flat and Scope Test DCPs

Measuring Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Scope 2117 Style

2117 Test Files 20May2020 – TIFFs

These TIFF files are the proposed set of Flat and Scope slides/drawings for use with the RP 2117 document and DCPs.

You will need a password that is being told to members of the committee. Join SMPTE and the Standards Community so you can entertain the whole family with ideas for the future of Entertainment Technology!

There are a couple of dimension drawings still to be attached. If this note disappears, that means that they are in this tar file. Send a note to [email protected] if you would like to be notified when they are added, or when the DCPs created from these are added.

ST2117 – Flat and Scope Test DCPs

This download expands into 2 DCPs, one for Flat (Constant Width) and one for Scope (Constant Height) Screens. Each is 20 seconds long, each begins with a targeting slide for 10 seconds which is followed by a black and white measuring slide.

The download password is restricted to SMPTE Standards Committee members – please join the fun.

These DCPs follow the concepts of ST431-2 and ST196 with 9 targets at the edges and corners. There are two major changes though, both part of the new ST2117 document.

First, to diminish the effects of flare and glare in the measuring devices – which can add as much as 10% to a reading – these slides use a constrained measuring spot. Instead of following the directions of the previous standards, to measure in from the corners and edges by 5%, these target spots are placed so that their center is on a 10% of the screen width line. This allows for masking inconsistencies of 5%. The spots are sized at 8% of screen width so that measuring devices with a 2° aperture can easily be used from a distance that is 3 screen heights back.

Preceding the measurement slide is a slide that acts as a targeting slide, grey in color with blue pointers so that the measuring person doesn’t have to stare into a white space to get the device set.


The DCPs work on the presumption that one can stop the DCP for a moment while aiming and  measuring.


At this time, these are not officially the drawings of the new standard. If you notice anything wrong, please let us know.


Further, there are circumstances where your tech team doesn’t want or need to allow for any masking. If requested, we will design a similar pattern that has the 8% spots on a 5% line.


You will notice that the Targeting Slides have names and letter designations for the measuring points. These help when one person is making notations and another is taking the measurements. The letter designations can also be used for database designations. It is an attempt to assist record keeping. Let us know how this might be improved or successes you have had with them.


Finally, the slides for these are available at:

ST2117 – Flat and Scope Tiff Slides

Measuring Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Flat 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Measuring Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Scope 2117 Style
Targeting Slide – Scope 2117 Style

10 Boxes, 4 Colors TIFFs

Once more, an attempt to see what can be seen in HDR / EXR projector systems – then to find which tests can be used to notice any degradation in the system.

This set started out complying with the classic SMPTE required RP 431-2 set of blocks going across. These also have a smooth gradient going across the bottom. Then, instead of just Greys, these also have pluges and boxes of Reds, Greens and Blues in many different luminance values.


There are 3 sets. One starts at 10% luminance and goes to 1%.

To explain, the square on the right is at 65,535 (16 bits) divided by 10. Actually, as it says at the bottom, it is 65,535 (which is the number of 16 bits per color) divided by 100, then multiplied by the number in the box. So, the left box is 655 and the right box is 6554.

The 2nd set starts at 1% on the right and goes to 0,1% on the left. That is, 655 on the right and 66 on the left.

The 3rd set starts at 0,1% on the right and goes down to 0.01% on the left. So, yes, you figured it out…66 on the right and 7 on the left.

And, because you are all such fun people, each slide has an identical slide, with the added feature of an outline around the boxes. Not so important for the bright ones (10%-1%) but very nice to have for the other sets.

That goes on for Red, Green and Blue in addition to the Black. And as a bonus if you download NOW! a special for you only, all four on the same slide.

There is actually a sample in that black morass below. I tried to make a Rec 709 PNG at 6554 – 655 with the outline – it may barely show on your screen. Well, hope you get the idea. It is even in green, because, you know, sensitivity.

So, this is the 4th of this series, attempting to find an objective measurement technique to quantify changes.

As always, QA_b4_QC

The DCP is at: 10 Boxes, 4 Colors DCPs

Sample of the Green colors with outline

Rotary Contrast Dial DCPS

This Dials for Contrast DCP is an experiment – we need your feedback after you play it through a few times.

While one idea is to stress Extended Dynamic Range and 2020 systems, another hope is that we are creating a tool that will help a  non-technical person monitor the stability or degradation of their projection system quality. It is great if you have a radiospectrometer that you can set up every week, but who has the 20 minutes to take a reading of .001 nits?

It starts at the impossible to see blue dial at 1.5% luminance and goes to 0%. If you can see any of that, you have a great system, right? After 5 seconds a set of numbers and marks appears around the outside so you can make a note of where the luminance became impossible to see.

The same thing happens 3 times for blue at 3% to 0%, then 4.5%-0% and finally 6% to 0%. The theory is that even a fumbling xenon system should be able to show some color at 6% and be useful as the bulb fades.

After Blue comes the cycle Red, then Grey, then Green.

Oh, and there is an acoustic piano test that we are working with that is thrown into the different speakers. Composed and Performed by Jeff Mikusky.  We will have a low end section and some strings soon.

We presume that for some systems the 1.5% – 0% dials will be impossible to see, and for some systems the 6% – 0% dials will be so much light that it never disappears – making the dial unusable. First Question: is there a Dial Number that works no matter the system?…which when assembled in a DCP would be a good 40 second test? …is 10 seconds enough time or too much?

Also, would some secondary colors be interesting?

This is a new version. The previous version was created in Final Cut Pro…this one is 16bit/2020 TIFF files straight into the DCP creation tool.

Pass code: QA_b4_QC

The TIFF Files are at: Dials For Contrast TIFFs

A Dial of Red from 4.5% to 0% with tics

Trumpets~! [DCP]

We are not certain if this DCP is just pretty with 4 different views of Trumpets, or if they are usable for some unknown reason.

They are just the first of a series that tries to do for exhibition what MTF style pictures do for lenses. You can’t see from this picture, but there are red lines in there too. Therefore they are also part of the series that attempts to present slides and sounds that can be used by humans with no more tools than their vision and sound systems.

Built with 16 bit, 2020 TIFF files, that can be found here:  Trumpets~! [TIFFs]

Comments to CJFlynn at cinematesttools dot com

Passcode, as always is: QA_b4_QC

Return to Technician’s Tool Box DCPs

Trumpets, White on Black

 

Grey Steps, Filled with Numbers

This DCP is one minute of 4 rows of 4K Grey Boxes. Left to right, each block is 10% less than the previous. Top to bottom, each block is 2.5% less than the one above. These should actually be easy to distinguish on any well tuned digital projector.

What is unique is that within each box is 3 rows of numbers that give the percentage of White in each box. So, the top left box says “100” 3 times. Each instance of 100 is different though. The top is 65353 (16 bits of white) x 1.0(the Box Number) x .9999 [=65,528], the next is 65353 x 1.0 x .999 [=65,469] and the 3rd is 65353 x 1.0 x .99 [=64,480]. The next to the right is the same but substitute the 1.0 for .90 [=58976, 58,923, 58,392], while the one below you substitute .975 instead of 1.0 as the Box Number [=63,890, 63,833, 63,258].

The trick is to see if these numbers show up on a screen. Obviously an experiment and we would appreciate everyone telling us of their experience…with thanks to you.

The new version uploaded on 1 August 2019 exposes one column from the right, until the entire piece is exposed in order to allow people to see without the glare from the whites on the left side. …oh, and it starts with 30 secs of dark so that the eyes can take better advantage of the dark.

The passcode is QA_b4_QC

The TIFF files are at: GreyStepScales TIFFs

These are the numbers that are laid on top of the squares…can your system produce differences for some or most of them?

Numbers above grey steps x 40

Grey Steps x 40

CST Flat Converted to 24

Don’t look at this. It doesn’t exist. It is just an attempt to make a couple of the very cool CST test DCPs into 24 frames per second. (It is said that there are projectors – or perhaps projection software versions – which have problems when there are different rates in the same playlist.)

But they are under copyright, so this is a bad thing to have made. And they will disappear after a few days. So, go to other DCPs here.

Passcode is: QA_b4_QC

Or, go to the CST site yourself…but make certain you can play 25fps without getting into trouble:

<http://www.cst.fr/produits-et-services/mires-numeriques/>

Mires numériques

CST Scope Converted to 24

Don’t look at this. It doesn’t exist. It is just an attempt to make a couple of the very cool CST test DCPs into 24 frames per second.

…and it is not available for download now!!!! So really…don’t look. (Flat is still available.)

But they are under copyright, so this is a bad thing to have made. And they will disappear after a few days. So, go to other DCPs here.

Or, go to the CST site yourself…but make certain you can play 25fps without getting into trouble:

<http://www.cst.fr/produits-et-services/mires-numeriques/>

Mires numériques

SMPTE 2095 Pink Noise and Tones – LCR+

This DCP is 5 minutes long, with the same SMPTE 2095 and tones repeated 5 times in each of the channels, Left, Center, Right, Right Surround and Left Surround.

Sorry; not available…a new version is made and in test…email to get a sample…editor at cinematesttools you know the rest

First is 30 seconds of broadband pink noise (Highpass filter cutoff frequency 10 Hz, Lowpass filter cutoff frequency 22 kHz).
Following that is 5 seconds each of 110 Hz, 220 Hz, 440 Hz and 880 Hz, 1660 Hz and 3320 Hz.

The audio is accompanied by slides of various black and white gradient ramps against various black, white and grey backgrounds, an attempt at a Munsell chart and several variations of colored dots on an alignment grid.
As always, the passcode is QA_b4_QC

And, as always, please let us know your ideas and needs for tech DCPs.

SMPTE Pink Noise and Tones – LFE

This DCP is 2 minutes long. It repeats the same SMPTE 2095 band-limited pink noise and tones 2 times. …and only on channel 4, the traditional LFE channel.
First is 30 seconds of band limited pink noise (Highpass filter cutoff frequency 10 Hz, Lowpass filter cutoff frequency 500 Hz).
Following that is 5 seconds each of 27.5 Hz, 55 Hz, 110 Hz, 220 Hz, 440 Hz and 880 Hz.

…all at -30 dB and again, only on Channel 4, the LFE track.

Why? Just another tool. An essential use is to get a different read on the LFE that full band-width might confuse. The extra tones might let you discover that the band pass of the LFE are letting in frequencies that shouldn’t be there and are playing havoc with the screen channels and surrounds.

The audio is accompanied by slides of various black and white gradient ramps against various black, white and grey backgrounds.
As always, the passcode is QA_b4_QC

And, as always, please let us know your ideas and needs for tech DCPs

Pink and Tones – Audacity shot of the track for layout

 

 

Pink and Tones – Audacity shot of the Pink Noise frequency rolloff

1 Minute times 6; SMPTE Pink 2095-1

Very simple set of 2095-1 SMPTE Pink Noise going around a 5.1 room, one minute in each channel: Left, Center, Right, Right Surround, Left Surround, then LFE. The LFE is last and is not filtered – suggestions on filter frequencies for a future version will be welcomed.

There is also no Fade In or Fade Out.

There are slides every 20 seconds that have a pink dot in a logical on-screen position to designate where the Pink should be coming out of. These slides revolve through 6 sets, all which start with a black slide with spots in a gradient white to 18% grey, and triangles in the center that are 95% and 90% black and a couple of subtleties that should be written up elsewhere. The second slide is a variation of different test panels used in other kits, and finally the system shows a selection of faces.

Suggestions to better this set and suggestions on fitting different use cases are welcomed. Just click on the Contact button above…or, on this Contact Form added for your convenience.

[This DCP has been made but hasn’t yet been tested…therefore, it is not uploaded yet…send a note to tell me to hurry it up…]

And, as always, QA_b4_QC





    xkcd1080 – 4K – Fun Color Science for Cinema

    There is one moment during this DCP when you will think – That guy crazy~! I can see the red and purple over in the corners of my sight…but wait for it! If you stare at the middle for a few more than a few seconds the purple loses its red and the colored parts of the logo in the bottom corner turns grey. None of it means anything, of course, except to learn that what the eyes transmit to the brain is a constantly moving mosaic of segments that are stitched together in the brain.

    Use the passcode QA_b4_QC

    It is just, Fun Science. Take a peek of the quicktime movie of the DCP, which are complete with the subtitles. The DCP that you download includes subtitles derived from an xml file. In other words, they are not burned in, but will be created by the projector.