Free tool · No signup · Nothing uploads
Verify a DCP before it ships, and after it lands.
Drop in a DCP folder and see in seconds whether it’s complete: every file the ASSETMAP and packing list expect, with the right name and size, and a CPL to play. Then run the full verify to check every picture and sound file, byte for byte, against its packing-list hash. It runs in your browser. Your files never leave your computer.
DCP Verifier
Just downloaded a DCP? Choose the folder you saved it to: the top folder, the one with ASSETMAP inside. If it came as a ZIP, unzip it first. The quick check runs straight away; then choose Run full verify to confirm every file arrived exactly as it was sent.
Ready to deliver it? Send the whole folder with Send Atlas.
The problems that put a DCP at risk at ingest
- Files the ASSETMAP lists that aren’t in the folder, usually from a copy that skipped something.
- Names that differ only in upper or lower case. Cinema servers treat them as different files.
- Files whose size doesn’t match the packing list, the sign of a copy that stopped partway.
- Packing-list assets the ASSETMAP doesn’t point to.
- A missing composition playlist (CPL), or a CPL that plays assets the package doesn’t include.
- CPL and other XML files that changed after the package was made (their hash no longer matches).
- System files like .DS_Store and Thumbs.db mixed into the folder.
- With the full verify: any picture, sound or subtitle file whose contents don’t match its packing-list hash, even when the name and size are right. That’s damage a size check can’t see.
Every problem comes with what to do about it. The full verify proves the files are identical to the package that was made; it doesn’t judge the picture or sound itself, and encrypted (KDM) packages are checked the same way without being decrypted. Before a premiere, still play the DCP through on the server it will screen from.
Delivery verify, not mastering QC
There are two kinds of DCP verify. A mastering verifier, like the one in DCP-o-matic, checks that the package was made to the standards. This one checks that the package you have now is the package that was made: complete, and identical byte for byte. Most delivery problems happen after mastering, in a copy, an upload or a download, and that’s what this catches.
| Check | Send Atlas DCP Verifier | Mastering verifier (e.g. DCP-o-matic) |
|---|---|---|
| Every file present, with the exact name | Yes | Yes |
| File sizes match the packing list | Yes | Yes |
| Every file’s hash matches the packing list, picture and sound included | Yes | Yes |
| CPL assets present, VF/OV references flagged | Yes | Yes |
| XML files valid against the DCP schemas | No | Yes |
| Picture and sound settings (resolution, frame rate, bitrate, audio) | No | Yes |
| Reel durations, subtitles and SMPTE Bv2.1 rules | No | Yes |
| Runs in a browser, nothing to install, nothing uploaded | Yes | Desktop app |
Use a mastering verifier once, when the DCP is made. Use this one every time the package moves: before you send it, and on the copy the cinema or festival downloads.
DCP verifier FAQ
Is the DCP uploaded when I check it?
No. The check and the full verify both run in your browser. They read the files from your computer and never send them anywhere.
What does the DCP verifier check?
The quick check confirms that every file the ASSETMAP lists is in the folder with the exact name, that every packing-list asset is in the ASSETMAP, that file sizes match the packing list, that there is at least one CPL and the assets it plays are present, and that the small XML files match their packing-list hash. It also flags stray system files like .DS_Store. The full verify then reads every file and checks it against its packing-list hash.
Does it verify the picture and sound hashes?
Yes. After the quick check, choose Run full verify. It reads every byte of every file in the packing list, picture and sound MXFs included, and compares each file’s SHA-1 hash with the one in the packing list. A match proves the copy is identical to the package that was made.
How long does the full verify take?
It depends on your drive, because every byte has to be read. Expect roughly a minute per 10 GB from a fast SSD and up to 2 minutes per 10 GB from a USB hard drive, so a 150 GB feature takes around 10 to 25 minutes. Keep the tab open and the drive connected until it finishes. You can stop it at any time.
What does it mean if a file doesn’t match its hash?
The file’s contents changed after the package was made, usually because a copy or download went wrong or a drive is failing. Copy or download that file again from the source and verify again. If it still doesn’t match, ask the sender or the DCP maker for a fresh copy, and don’t ingest the package as it is. Copy report gives you the details to send them.
Is this the same as DCP-o-matic’s verifier?
No. It checks that every file is present and byte-for-byte identical to the package that was made, against the packing-list hash. That’s what goes wrong when a DCP is copied, uploaded or downloaded. A mastering verifier like DCP-o-matic’s also checks the package against the DCI and SMPTE standards: XML schema validity, picture and sound settings, reel durations, subtitles and SMPTE Bv2.1 rules. Run that when the DCP is made, and this one after every copy, upload or download.
Does it work with SMPTE and Interop DCPs?
Yes. It reads both packaging standards and tells you which one the package uses.
Why does it say assets are missing from my VF?
A version file (VF) usually plays some reels or tracks from its original version (OV). Those assets live in the OV package, so the checker warns you rather than failing the package. If your DCP isn't a VF, that warning means something is missing.
Which browser should I use?
Any current browser on a computer can run the check and the full verify. To send or download a large DCP, use Chrome or Edge on a computer. Safari, Firefox and phones hold a download in memory first, so very large files can't finish there.
Then send it the same way.
Upload the whole DCP folder, every file and name intact. A free account sends up to 15 GB per transfer, enough for shorts and trailers. A feature needs Pro: up to 1 TB per transfer for a flat $14.99/mo, with a receipt from every venue.