4.2 BETA Linux cinema playback for workstations and dedicated appliances

DCP Cine Player

DCP, IMF and EAR-Tech playback, from ingest to screen.

DCP Cine Player combines DCP and unencrypted IMF packages, EAR-Tech encrypted-at-rest media, KDM workflows, SPL playlists, scheduling, audio routing, calibration and TMS/SMS integration. D-Cine Display Lock adds approved-display controls to protected playback.

User manual Download current beta Obtain a FREE licence

The current 4.2.13 public build is beta. Test your selected media, outputs and hardware before production use. Feedback on the design and feature set is welcome.

DCP Cine Player dashboard showing storage, player state, content counts and scheduler summary
Dashboard status, storage, content and scheduler information at a glance.
Release4.2.13 beta
PlatformUbuntu 26.04 Desktop, amd64
Install modesWorkstation or Appliance
Web controlLocal network, port 8080

Built for the people running the room

Professional playback without hiding the operational detail

DCP Cine Player brings content preparation, playback, scheduling and automation into one browser-controlled system. It is designed for cinema exhibition, post-production and QC, museums and galleries, screening rooms, education, and other automated content playback environments.

The player combines operational playback, content preparation and theatre integration in one inspectable system, with clear safety boundaries around calibration, scheduling and device changes.

New media workflows

IMF, EAR-Tech and approved displays

Unencrypted IMF

Ingest compositions, resolve referenced MXF tracks and play supported IMF through the FFmpeg path. Graphical type markers keep DCP, IMF, EAR and ordinary media distinct.

Explore IMF playback

EAR-Tech

Protect MOV, MP4, M4V and MKV media at rest using chunk-authenticated AES-256-GCM, without transcoding or writing a clear temporary playback file.

Explore encrypted media

D-Cine Display Lock

Approve several displays for one player, apply the protection level requested by a KDM and review enrollment history. DDL3 remains subject to hardware qualification.

Explore Display Lock
EAR-Tech workflow from clear source through AES-256-GCM packaging and KDM delivery to protected player output
EAR-Tech protects stored media; it is not a DCP, a DCI/FIPS validation or a facility security certification.

Production feature set

One player, from ingest to screen

Explore the complete feature catalogue, including supported paths and qualification limits.

Playback & media

DCP, unencrypted IMF, EAR-Tech and ordinary media in a shared playback workflow.

DCP playback

Available

SMPTE and Interop discovery, CPL selection, JPEG 2000 picture, multichannel sound, timed text and KDM preflight.

IMF compositions

See limits

AssetMap and CPL discovery with FFmpeg playback of supported unencrypted IMF compositions. Encrypted IMF is rejected pending qualified key delivery.

EAR-Tech

See limits

Authenticated AES-256-GCM encrypted-at-rest media, bound package metadata and two-component KDM authorization. Playback reads decrypted chunks in memory, without a clear temporary media file.

Ordinary media

Available

FFmpeg-backed MOV, MP4, M4V, MKV and other supported containers for trailers, advertisements and event material.

Audio matrix & calibration

Available

Named profiles, per-route gain, live preview, meters, cinema channel-order presets, speaker identification and picture test patterns.

Picture, SDI & HUD

See limits

Source/output telemetry, SDR DCP SDI colour profiles, supported 8/10/12-bit formats, native/fit/fill image handling and embedded or local audio. SDI is for unencrypted playback; protected DCP/EAR uses the protected display path.

Interface highlights

Designed for repeated cinema operation

Clear status, dense information, direct control and visible operational boundaries.

DCP Cine Player control page with playlist, timeline and playback controls
Player control Load SPLs, inspect timeline items and cues, start immediately or use Delay Play for a visible synchronized countdown.
DCP Cine Player weekly scheduler with a calendar grid and session block
Scheduling Plan sessions in a weekly view, copy days or weeks, and keep automatic operation under explicit operator control.
DCP Cine Player audio calibration page with channel tests and output order
Audio calibration Send pink noise to one or more channels, verify speaker wiring and choose the channel order that matches the output hardware.
DCP Cine Player configuration page with grouped navigation and system details
Player configuration Move between grouped site, security, playback, output, content, scheduling and system settings from touch-friendly navigation.

Licensing

FREE FOR NOW

There is no licence charge today. If DCP Cine Player is widely adopted and requires ongoing active support, the expected licence price is approximately USD $500, no earlier than two years from now. This is a future estimate, not a current charge.

Registered accounts can currently create free two-year licences for up to five players, including use of the integrated Kakadu JPEG 2000 decoding engine.

Create a FREE licence

JPEG 2000 technology partner

Kakadu Software

DCP Cine Player integrates the Kakadu SDK for its high-performance JPEG 2000 decoding path. Kakadu provides a complete JPEG 2000 software toolkit used for professional image and motion workflows.

Kakadu website Kakadu SDK

Download and install

Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop, amd64

Download 4.2.13

Workstation

Default. Installs the player application without changing the computer login or desktop behaviour.

Appliance

For a fresh, dedicated player only. It creates a player account, enables automatic login and starts the player as the machine interface.

Terminal installation 
curl -fL -o dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb \
  https://authority.d-cine.net:38443/dcp-cine-player-releases/dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb &&
curl -fL -o dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb.sha256 \
  https://authority.d-cine.net:38443/dcp-cine-player-releases/dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb.sha256 &&
sha256sum -c dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb.sha256 &&
sudo apt install ./dcp-cine-player_4.2.13_amd64.deb
# After successful installation in Appliance mode, reboot:
# sudo reboot

Package integrity: Download the published SHA-256 checksum. The player's signed update workflow also verifies release signatures.

Manual: the installer places the illustrated guide in ~/Documents/D-Cine Player/Documentation. Read the installation and upgrade guide before commissioning.

Workstation: no appliance account, autologin, service autostart, suspend policy or screen-lock policy is changed.

Appliance: runtime settings are stored in /etc/dcp-cine-player/player.env. The web interface is available on port 8080 after startup.

Updates: package and online upgrades preserve the selected installation mode.

Deployment boundaries

Supported paths and qualification

Review the security overview and operating manual before working with protected content.

  • Encrypted IMF is detected and rejected until compatible key delivery is configured and qualified.
  • EAR-Tech version 0 requires qualification against each external KDM manager and operational environment before production use.
  • DDL3 hardware qualification is in progress. No GPU is currently advertised as production-qualified; the signed driver installer remains gated to qualified hardware.
  • EAR-Tech is not a DCP or a claim of DCI/FIPS validation. Player security controls do not, by themselves, establish MPA/TPN assessment or conformance.
  • Protected DCP/EAR playback requires the appropriate protected display path. SDI output is for unencrypted playback.
2026 © D-Cine.net.
Developed by James Gardiner