System Specifications for Digital Cinema in Germany

This document contains suggestions for structures and workflows introducing digital cinema in Germany. Consequences for producers, engineering firms, distributors, cinema operators and advertisement procedures will be taken into consideration. Special technical requirements of German market participants will be described. Furthermore this document contains system specifications and suggestions for equipment of cinemas, to benefit optimally from digital technology.

DCI specifications dated July 2005, DCI Compliance test plan (CTP) dated February 2007 as well as SMPTE standards of DC28 are the starting point for the introduction of digital cinema. They transfer hitherto screening technology to a digital cinema show. To clarify workflows and systems, existing specifications and standards will partly be explained. Within this document the scope will be broadened as well as substantiated on special requirements of German cinema. This also means future digital player systems have to be at least DCI-compatible.

The DCI specification does not include declarations about the distribution structure for DCPs, KDMs and Log records. Therefore this document will present a recommendation, for shaping these structures in Germany. Since DCI and SMPTE solely deal with realization of conventional cinema showings, this document includes also suggestion for equipment towards a further usage of the cinema with other digital media such as business events, live events, DVD screenings and so forth. Altogether this should add value to the cinemas. To what extent these possibilities will be used - thus what equipment is acquired - is left to the owner of the cinema.

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DTS Digital Cinema Launches KeyPort D-Cinema Security Key Management System

"DTS Digital Cinema is announcing its breakthrough digital cinema security key management server, KeyPort, to be shown at ShowEast 2007.

The DTS KeyPort security key management server solves the security key distribution and management problem for distributors and exhibitors by providing a straightforward system for delivering the correct security keys to the theatre. KeyPort is a KDM (Key Delivery Message) management server utilizing open protocols to enable the communication of security keys from any KDM distributor. In addition, DTS KeyPort provides the tools necessary at the exhibition site to simplify and automate the management of KDMs by those entities so equipped and authorized. The device also offers secure VPN (Virtual Private Network) routing and firewall to protect exhibition networks from unauthorized access.

"Delivering the correct security keys to the theatre is the most fundamental problem that distributors and exhibitors face today in digital cinema," says Bill Elswick, Chief Technologist, DTS Digital Cinema. "The KeyPort is offered as a standalone system which can be used with any server and projection system and makes the process of delivering the correct KDM to the theatre open and transparent. Our system is standards-based and eliminates the need for gatekeepers in security key management."

KeyPort is one of several innovative solutions in the complete digital cinema product lineup offered by DTS Digital Cinema which includes the FilmStore digital cinema player, FilmStore Central ingest and central storage system, and the FilmStore Director content management software."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

SmartJog Unveils the 1st Database of Digital Cinema Server Certificates for the French Exhibition Market

"During the 62nd Convention of the FNCF (National Federation of French Theater Owners), taking place from October 2nd to the 4th in Deauville, France, SmartJog, the global leader in secure digital delivery of media, plans to announce the first operational certificate database and device registry for digital cinema servers installed in France. Intended for distributors and laboratories, the database objective is to facilitate the generation of valid Key Delivery Messages (used for decrypting) to the theaters.

SmartJog’s secure website, which is widely used by technical and entertainment industries, will store the information and be the main point of access to the database. The SmartJog service complies with strict security standards while enabling optimum accessibility to the service.

French installers, who manage the equipment in projection rooms, will be able to directly update the database, as well as theater owners. With majority of the installers already agreeing to take part in the initiative, the database information will always come from valid sources.

SmartJog and these installers are thus planning to make the information in the database available to all accredited professional users, according to the following principles:

- The certificate database is intended to be universal, and is designed to gather all certificates for digital equipment in French cinemas. Access to, and referencing in, this database does not require a connection to the SmartJog electronic delivery network.

- Unrestricted free-of-charge access for all distributors, operators, laboratories, KDM generation centres, service providers who work in the duplication and transport of digital copies, equipment manufacturers, federations and institutions.

- On-line updates (with secure access and electronic signature) to be carried out by installers authorized by the theater owners concerned, or directly by the theater owners.

Due to the importance of neutrality, the CNC (National Center for Cinematography) has been asked to participate in establishing the rules for using this database. SmartJog wishes to develop this service with the gradual introduction of new features, to be validated by both the CNC and professional bodies in order to meet the profession's needs as fully as possible."

Source: DCinemaToday

DCI Announces Contract with Cinecert for D-Cinema Compliance Testing & Validation

"Over the next six months, Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) and CineCert will work to take DCI's compliance test program to its next level.

DCI has entered into a contractual arrangement with CineCert to complete the validation of the compliance test program begun by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits.

In February 2006, DCI contracted with Fraunhofer to develop a standardized set of procedures to comprehensively test equipment for compliance with the DCI Digital Cinema System Specification, commonly referred to as the DCI Specification. The output of the Fraunhofer project was Version 0.9 of the DCI Compliance Test Plan, released February 14, 2007.

However, due to the non-compliant status of digital cinema equipment at the time, Fraunhofer was unable to complete a full validation process. The final plan developed by CineCert and DCI will include errata to the DCI Specification and all relevant SMPTE digital cinema standards, most of which were not officially published at the time of the Fraunhofer effort.

In addition to the final test plan, a specification for test materials and the test materials themselves will be created. Specialized test plans will be prepared for a variety of digital cinema hardware and software products, included servers and projectors. Another deliverable will be standardized test reports, which will allow for meaningful comparison of features and test results between tested products.

Concurrent with the CineCert project, DCI will undertake an open process to identify testing entities to perform the tests identified by the DCI compliance test program. That selection process is under development and details will be announced in the future.

The DCI member studios have approved and published version 1.1 of the Digital Cinema System Specification, dated April 12, 2007. Since the initial publication in July 2005 of the DCI Specification, Version 1.0, the specification has received several rounds of errata. Version 1.1 does not include any new revisions; rather it incorporates all 148 previous errata into the body of the specification document, making it easier to read."

source

Draft DCI Compliance Test Plan

In February 2006, DCI contracted with the Fraunhofer Institute to create a Compliance Test Plan (CTP) for the DCI Digital Cinema System Specification, version 1.0. Fraunhofer has delivered the initial version of the CTP to DCI, but it has not been completely validated.

DCI has created a redacted version 0.9 of the CTP, removing certain detailed procedures deemed sensitive to maintaining system security, but retaining the test objectives of the redacted tests to indicate intent.

DCI is currently exploring ways to further refine and validate the current draft of the CTP, which can be downloaded using the link below. This is a draft document that is a work-in-progress :
www.dcimovies.com/compliance/DCI_Compliance_Test_Plan_v09R.pdf

Dolby annonce une solution de création de DCP

Dolby a annoncé aujourd'hui la sortie pour le premier trimestre 2007 du SCC2000 Secure Content Creator, solution complète de création de DCP depuis l'encodage jusqu'à la gestion des KDM, en passant par le packaging.

L'encodage 2K ou 4K est réalisé en soft, l'unité pouvant s'intégrer dans le render farm existante d'un post-producteur, et gérer le calcul distribué sur cette render farm.

En plus du packaging et de l'encryption, le SCC2000 est capable de générer les KDM en lien avec la base de certificats Cosmos de la filiale Cinea de Dolby.

Plus d'informations : www.dolby.com/professional/motion_picture/solutions_securecontent.html

Terminologie pour les KDM

La terminologie des KDMs a été affinée grâce au forum de l'ISDCF :

Naming Convention: KDM Terminology (new)
Distributor KDM –used to create multiple exhibitor KDM’s
Exhibitor KDM - for individual servers

Concrètement, le "Distributor KDM" est le message contenant la clé primaire, et crypté pour l'équipement qui va générer les "Exhibitor KDM", destiné à chaque serveur de lecture.