Flat
1998×1080- active picture
- 1998×836
- pixel utilisation
- 77.4 %
- code in the DCP name (DCNC)
- F-239
black bars top and bottom, 122 px on each side
tools / dcp aspect ratio
DCP aspect ratio: Flat or Scope?
Enter the aspect ratio of your picture and see how it sits in the 2K and 4K DCI containers (SMPTE ST 429-2): active pixels, black bars, pixel utilisation and the DCNC code. Then check how big the picture gets on a real screen.
Picture aspect ratio
Pick or type the width-to-height ratio (e.g. 2.39 or 239).
: 1
Resolution
Placement in the container
Scope
2048×858- active picture
- 2048×856
- pixel utilisation
- 99.8 %
- code in the DCP name (DCNC)
- S-239
black bars top and bottom, 1 px on each side
Full
2048×1080- active picture
- 2048×856
- pixel utilisation
- 79.3 %
- code in the DCP name (DCNC)
- C-239
black bars top and bottom, 112 px on each side
Mastering recommendation
For ratio 2.39 the Scope container carries 5.0 % more picture pixels. Unless a specific screen dictates otherwise, master as Scope.
The Full container (C) uses the whole projector chip. Cinemas rarely have it in their presets; it suits one-off content for a known auditorium, not distribution.
How big the picture will be on your screen
Enter the usable width and height of the screen in metres (the area the projector really lights after masking). The tool shows how big the picture comes out when delivered as Flat and as Scope.
typical screen:
delivered as Flat
12.00 × 6.49 m- picture
- 12.00 × 5.02 m
- picture area
- 60.25 m²
delivered as Scope
12.00 × 6.49 m- picture
- 12.00 × 5.02 m
- picture area
- 60.19 m²
On this screen both deliveries give practically the same picture size.
How to read the result
The three cards show the same picture placed in the Flat, Scope and Full containers of SMPTE ST 429-2, drawn to one scale. The lit area is the picture, the dark area the black bars. Pixel utilisation says how much of the container the picture really uses; the highlighted card carries the most picture pixels.
The screen section is for the auditorium: enter the usable screen size and the tool scales each container into it the way a projector preset would, so you can compare the picture size of a Flat and a Scope delivery in metres, not just in pixels.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Flat and Scope containers?
A container is the fixed pixel frame the picture is placed into in a DCP. SMPTE ST 429-2 defines for 2K Flat 1998 × 1080 px, Scope 2048 × 858 px and Full 2048 × 1080 px; 4K doubles them (3996 × 2160, 4096 × 1716, 4096 × 2160). A picture with a different aspect ratio gets black bars inside the container.
What do F-185, S-239 or C-190 in a DCP name mean?
It is the aspect-ratio code of the DCNC naming convention. The letter names the container (F = Flat, S = Scope, C = Full) and the number is the picture aspect ratio times one hundred. S-239 is a 2.39:1 picture delivered in the Scope container, F-239 the same picture in the Flat container with bars top and bottom.
When does mastering 2.39 as Flat make sense?
Pixel-wise the container closer in shape to the picture always wins: 2.39 in Scope carries 2048 × 856 px, in Flat only 1998 × 836 px. The container does not decide how big the picture will be on the screen, though; the projector preset (lens zoom, masking) of the given auditorium does. The screen section shows the difference for a specific auditorium.
What is the Full (C) container for?
The Full container uses the whole projector chip (2048 × 1080 or 4096 × 2160). It is typically used by 1.90:1 content (C-190). Cinemas rarely keep it in their presets, so it suits content made for one known auditorium rather than wide distribution.
Why does the tool round the picture height to even numbers?
So both black bars are the same height (or width) and the picture sits exactly centred in the container. The difference from the exact value is at most one pixel.