You’ve finished the picture lock, the grade, and the mix. Then a distributor, sales agent, or festival emails: “Please send your master.”
But which master? DCP, DCDM, and ProRes are often used interchangeably but serve different purposes, sit at different points in the pipeline, and go to different people. Sending the wrong one costs days, sometimes money, and occasionally a screening slot.
At DCP Solutions, we help filmmakers and distributors choose the right film delivery format first time, so there’s no re-encoding, no extra QC, and no missed deadlines. Here’s how the three differ.
The short answer: a DCP is a delivery format, a DCDM is a source format, and ProRes is a general-purpose video master. Most disputes come from treating them as interchangeable.
DDCP vs DCDM: What is the difference?
The DCDM is the uncompressed source; the DCP is the finished package a cinema plays. ProRes sits alongside them as the flexible video master used for sales, broadcast, and streaming.
| Format | Main purpose | Typical recipient | Compression | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCDM | Uncompressed cinema source master | Studios, archives, post facilities | None (16-bit XYZ TIFF) | Making DCPs, preservation, future versions |
| DCP | Cinema delivery package | Cinemas, festivals, theatrical distributors | JPEG 2000 | Theatrical and festival screenings |
| ProRes | General-purpose video master | Sales agents, broadcasters, streamers | Compressed (ProRes codec) | Post-production, sales, broadcast, streaming |
What is a DCDM?
The Digital Cinema Distribution Master is built for maximum fidelity rather than convenient playback. The picture is a 16-bit XYZ TIFF image sequence and the audio is uncompressed WAV. DCI specifications map DCDM pictures to TIFF with 16 bits allocated to each X’, Y’, and Z’ channel, with 12 significant bits used for the image code values.
That fidelity makes a DCDM valuable for future localisation, remastering, new subtitles, different audio versions, and archive preservation. It also makes it enormous: a feature runs to around 1.7 TB at 2K, so storage planning matters.
The BFI requires a DCDM alongside the DCP and ProRes deliverables for certain funded projects. Outside studios, archives, and post facilities, though, it’s rarely requested. If a smaller distributor asks for a “DCDM”, they usually mean a DCP, so we always clarify before rendering anything.
What is a DCP?
A A digital cinema package is the set of files a cinema server ingests to play your film, the digital successor to the 35mm print. Our guide to what a DCP is goes deeper, but a typical package contains:
- JPEG 2000 picture track files, wrapped in MXF
- uncompressed 24-bit PCM audio at 48 kHz (5.1, 7.1, or other supported versions)
- subtitles or timed text
- XML metadata and Composition Playlist files
- packing and integrity information for checking the package
- encryption information where required.
The DCI Digital Cinema System Specification governs image quality, security, and interoperability for cinema playback.
DCP vs ProRes: why aren’t they interchangeable?
A ProRes master is a video file. A DCP is a cinema package with a defined structure and playback ecosystem. ProRes is a codec, not a cinema format.
Apple describes ProRes as a professional codec family supporting HD through 8K and beyond. ProRes 422 HQ is the deliverables workhorse (Apple lists a target of about 220 Mbps at 1920×1080 and 29.97 fps), while ProRes 4444 and 4444 XQ suit HDR, wide-gamut, and graphics-heavy work.
Because ProRes can hold many colour spaces, the colour space, gamma, and frame rate must be stated clearly, otherwise the distributor is left guessing. A ProRes file can be an excellent distribution master without ever being cinema-ready.
DCDM vs ProRes: which master should you keep?
A ProRes master is far easier to move between editing systems, sales platforms, broadcasters, and post facilities. A DCDM preserves the digital cinema representation with no picture compression, which makes it the better long-term source.
For a sound film archive master strategy, keep the highest-quality approved source alongside the practical distribution versions.
Discover why filmmakers trust DCP Solutions with every master.
What about IMF?
Streamers may require IMF (Interoperable Master Format), a component-based package that generates many territory versions from one master. It is its own workflow and needs its own budgeting, so check the streamer’s spec early rather than assuming a ProRes file will do.
Which Master Does Your Distributor Need?
The request usually reveals the answer:
- Theatrical distributor or festival cinema screening: DCP
- Sales agent: ProRes plus textless, M&E, stems, and subtitle elements, with a DCP possibly later
- Streamer: whatever their spec dictates, ProRes or IMF
- Studio or archive: DCDM, when specifically requested
- “Send your master”: too vague, so ask for the complete distributor specification
Never assume “master” means DCP. Requirements vary between companies and territories.
DCP frame rates, colour and resolution
Frame rate deserves special attention. 24 fps is the safest choice for a DCP, so a 23.976 fps source may need conversion. That decision should be made before the DCP is created, not after it has been delivered.
Common cinema deliverables are the 2K DCP (2048×1080) and the 4K DCP (4096×2160). DCI specifies a maximum compressed image bit rate of 250 Mbit/s.
Colour matters too. Cinema mastering uses DCI XYZ colour with a 2.6 gamma, rather than simply copying a Rec.709 export.
SMPTE vs Interop DCP
SMPTE is the modern default because SMPTE standards define major parts of the digital cinema framework. Interop is the legacy standard, but it is still a safe fallback for older venues and still turns up at festivals. Don’t choose between them out of habit: check the venue’s or distributor’s spec, and if it doesn’t say, ask.
Software such as DCP-o-matic can create DCPs, but software choice doesn’t replace proper technical checking. A cinema-ready package still needs validation and, where possible, playback testing on a real server.
Encryption, KDMs, and physical delivery
An encrypted DCP needs a KDM (Key Delivery Message) to unlock playback on an authorised cinema server during the permitted period. The KDM isn’t the film; it controls access to it. That distinction becomes critical when venues have different screening dates.
Check the drive format. Cinema servers generally read Linux-formatted drives, so a drive that works perfectly on your Mac or PC may not ingest. Depending on the venue, delivery may be on an approved cinema drive or carrier such as a CRU DX115, or via a secure electronic platform chosen by the distributor.
What does DCP creation cost in the UK?
A straightforward UK 2K DCP commonly falls around £70–£300+, depending on running time and service level. DCP Solutions currently lists 2K unencrypted DCPs from £70 for under 15 minutes to £290 for 150–180 minutes.
Longer features, 4K mastering, subtitles, encryption, KDMs, version files, physical media, frame-rate conversion, and rush turnaround can all increase the cost. Market pricing varies, so always compare what QC, delivery, encryption, and revisions are actually included.
Get an accurate DCP quote: contact our team today.
Common Delivery Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
One missed detail can turn a simple delivery into an expensive re-render. Before you send anything:
- confirm the distributor’s specification in writing
- verify resolution and frame rate, including any 23.976 to 24 fps conversion
- confirm colour space and gamma, and never leave colour untagged
- check every audio channel and version
- verify subtitles and timed text
- prepare textless versions and M&E tracks when requested
- confirm SMPTE or Interop
- check encryption and KDM dates
- use the right drive format (Linux-formatted for most cinema servers)
- validate checksums and package integrity
- QC on a real cinema server where practical.
DCP vs DCDM: which one should you send?
The formats serve different stages of the workflow:
- DCP when the film needs to play in a cinema or at a festival
- DCDM when a studio, archive, or post facility needs an uncompressed cinema master for mastering, preservation, or future versions
- ProRes when the recipient needs a flexible video master for sales, broadcast, streaming, or further post-production
Before we render anything, we get the distributor’s spec in writing and confirm every detail. An hour of clarifying beats a week of re-rendering.
Final thoughts
A DCP is for showing your film, a DCDM is for making DCPs and preserving the film, and ProRes is for moving it through sales, streaming, and broadcast. DCP Solutions can confirm the right delivery requirements, prepare and QC cinema-ready files, and handle encryption, KDM generation, and secure delivery, so your film arrives ready for its destination.
Talk to the DCP Solutions team before you render.