Inputting and Outputting Media > Exporting Media Files > About the Export Image Menu Options >
DPX Transfer Characteristics Group

When exporting DPX files, you can choose a DPX Transfer Characteristic. A DPX Transfer Characteristic is information that is stored in the DPX image file header. It identifies the attributes associated with a particular film or video format, such as resolution, frame rate, and colour space.

Setting a Transfer Characteristic in no way changes the image information stored in the DPX file. The Transfer Characteristic simply indicates the attributes of the DPX file to another device or application. Some devices or applications may take advantage of this information to improve workflow. For example, selecting Logarithmic can allow a film recorder to adjust its parameters to print film-originated DPX files with the correct densities.

(a) Transfer Characteristics box

Transfer Characteristics box
  Select a DPX Transfer Characteristic to identify the attributes associated with a particular film or video format, such as resolution, frame rate, and colour space. Transfer Characteristics is only active when File Format is set to DPX.

Select: | For:
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Z depth homogeneous, Z depth linear, PAL, NTSC, CCIR 601 (525), CCIR 601 (625), CCIR 709-1, SMPTE 240M | Images that you want to identify as one of these types. Although the SMPTE 268M standard defines these DPX Transfer Characteristics, it does not provide usage specifications for them. As a result, these Transfer Characteristics are not generally used in the industry.
Unspecified | Images where the format is not specified.
Logarithmic | Negative film scanners recording status M densities.
Linear | Video images which have built-in gamma correction. This refers to images having a true linear quantization scheme (such as CG-originated material).
Printing Density | Negative film scans which use the SMPTE Printing Density settings. SMPTE Printing Densities use status M density measurements with a higher gain in the red component.