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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: How to request certs for KDM generation
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Dave Macaulay
Film God
Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 02-13-2017 09:52 PM
The distributors send out a data request form when a cinema is built or converted and needs a feature kdm.
They request a lot of information but the basic info required is the site's email address and their server brand/model plus media block serial number. Some other info is needed to get the right kdm generated - the cpl and thus its kdm will be different for things like 5.1 vs 71, dbox, atmos, different language audio or subtitles, etc.
With that they get the certificates from the server manufacturer as they need them, and keep them on file.
Doremi and Barco have the server certificate files online: probably Dolby, NEC, GDC, Christie, Sony etc also do. That saves having to pay someone to handle cert requests.
I suggest asking for your client cinemas server brand, model, and SM serial #. Contact the manufacturers tech support and ask how to get the certificates to make a kdm. I expect they will give you a login for their cert ftp or web repository. There aren't that many server manufacturers so pretty soon you should have access to all the certs you may need.
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 02-13-2017 11:10 PM
You will need the media block certs provided for every screening venue. You could keep them on your system, but given that venues can and do change media blocks, I would at least ask for confirmation that there hasn't been any change before every KDM issue.
As someone who also does a little bit of DCP making for third party venues, be prepared for a world of pain when it comes to encryption. Problems you may well encounter are:
"Media block cert? What's that?" from multiplex staff who have never had to provide one, or even know what it is, because all the DCPs they get come from Deluxe, who have had their .PEMs in their database since the beginning of (digital cinema) time.
Because the theater staff don't know what they're doing, they give you the wrong cert. For example, they're using a DSS200 with a cat745 IMB, but accidentally give you the serial number for the built-in cat862, which is not in use, because that's the easiest to find serial # sticker, in the most obvious place. They may also give you the server's chassis serial number rather than the media block or IMB serial.
If you will be doing jobs for customers in different time zones, be very careful of open/close times for KDMs.
Be prepared for panic calls and emails 24/7, expecting a response within minutes, if a KDM doesn't work, and/or they decide they want it open earlier or later for some last minute reason. If you can't provide that sort of response, agree with the customer in advance when you will be available to respond to queries and in what turnaround time and how much you will charge for this ongoing service.
Whenever anyone asks me to make a DCP for them, whether it's for screening in one of our venues or some place else, I always advise against encryption unless they have a very good reason for encrypting. Remember, that when you make an unencrypted DCP, as soon as you've handed over the drive(s), the job is done and you walk away (unless you have agreed to store the DCP and keep it available to make further copies for a set period, which, if it were me, I'd charge extra for). If you've encrypted it, however, you're going to have to be available to make and troubleshoot KDMs for it, as long as it's in circulation.
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Paul H. Rayton
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 210
From: Los Angeles, CA , USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 02-16-2017 02:23 PM
I'll expand on Lars' message, which came in while I was writing essentially similar advice. Specifically:
If I may humbly offer a slightly contrarian direction ... I'd like to suggest that you, in your business, strongly suggest to your clients that they NOT bother with encryption at all. Firstly, encrypting shows doesn't really save any money, because in these days of the internet, any significant "unlicensed" shows are fairly simple to track down. Secondly, having to deal with KDMs becomes a lifelong job (at least as long as the show is in any circulation). While you plan to proactively ask your clients to obtain the necessary certs for you before you really get started in the full details of rendering their DCP, that's easier said than done. What about the second-run cinemas, who they never thought about as potential location(s) for a screening? What about that obscure film festival in some distant land that suddenly wants to program the show, and no one knows how to contact the organizers to get the appropriate tech information in a hurry? And finally, it just results in so much extra hassle for you, esp. since you don't plan to be a 24-hour source of such info.
Having been involved with numerous film festivals involving DCPs, I think there is almost nothing in exhibition these days that is more vexing and more troublesome than the issue of incorrect KDMs. There seem to be dozens of ways they can go wrong: 1) Time zone differences between the mastering location and the exhibition location. 1a) Daylight (Summer) time clock changes. 2) Clock of playback server drifting a few minutes, just enough so that -- oops! -- the show now becomes "illegal" and won't start. 3) Extremely minor changes (such as a change in a subtitle word spelling) that result in a new "version", but the KDM makers are unaware of it in time, so the show won't play because the version CPL(s) don't match. 4) Festival installs different (better) equipment than is normally on duty in the venue, so all existing venue certificate information is useless. 5) 3D vs. 2D version(s). 6) Various audio configurations.
The list could go on and on. There have been some very high profile shows that failed to play due to issues with "keys", and I know of at least one that then had to be played via a Blu-ray, as an emergency backup mode. All because of troubles with KDMs. At our venues in L.A., I can't even begin to count the number of times we've had frantic, last-minute experiences with incorrect KDMs (and attempting to obtain new ones) due to errors of one sort or another. In particular, certain distributors who are not 24-hour operations cause huge difficulties. More than once we've woken people up in the middle of the night (possibly accidentally, but that phone number was provided to us by someone!), an unintended consequence of such KDM follies.
So, you'll be doing yourself and your clients a favor if you strongly recommend that they not bother with encrypted modes for 99% of your content. Unless they're doing the newest "Star Wars" show, or something that truly needs restricting such as documentation of new patent mechanisms or medical processes, etc., it's a pointless exercise.
That's my takeaway after years at the receiving end of dealing with these issues. Just make 'em unencrypted [open] DCPs, and be done with it! Projectionists around the world will be thanking you for years!
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Leslie Hartmier
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 100
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Registered: Jul 2012
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posted 02-21-2017 09:47 PM
Hmm... well, if your content server is running 40 minutes fast, that would mean that you do not use NTP to control the time.
If it was an hour, than it could be a time zone issue, but 40 minutes could also mean you're actually in the wrong timezone and not using NTP (meaning you're possibly only 20 minutes out)
Nevertheless, you can:
1) have GDC log in to fix it,
2) you can activate the NTP, or,
3) if your content server is at 7.83 firmware, you can arrange (or if you have the skills, do it yourself) to update the server to 8.00 build 256, (as long as your IMB is not one of the ones with the faulty ADSP), as going from 7.83 to 8.xx allows you to set the time ONCE to just about anything - I assume you're already on 8.x, for DCI compliance though, so that might not be an option.
Me, I'd use the NTP thing, since you can just set it and forget it, but you might have your own preference.
Leslie
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