Free online converter for converting files to DPX.
We ensure quality, convenience, and support for all formats.
| Data type | Image |
| MIME type | image/dpx |
| Developer | SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) |
| Primary use cases | Film scanning (frame sequences), digital intermediate mastering, VFX plates, archival masters for moving-image workflows |
DPX is a professional raster image format used in film scanning and post-production as a high-quality frame-based interchange.
| Data type | Image |
| MIME type | image/dpx |
| Compression | None (typical) or optional lossless RLE |
| Color depth | Varies by workflow; commonly 10-bit log (film scanning) or 16-bit per channel linear for mastering; implementations may support higher bit depths |
| Color space | Commonly RGB; may also be YCbCr/YUV and other encodings depending on header metadata |
| Transparency support | Yes |
| Animation support | No |
| Metadata | Self-describing binary headers with core fields (dimensions, bit depth, packing/encoding, transfer/colorimetric specs, offsets), plus industry-specific fields; user-defined section can carry arbitrary binary data; some variants can include XML |
| Standard / Specification | SMPTE ST 268-1 and SMPTE ST 268-2 (DPX); originally standardized as SMPTE 268M:1994 |
| Typical file size | Highly variable. Uncompressed sizes are typically tens of MB per 2K/4K frame; sequences can quickly reach hundreds of GB or more |
| Year introduced | 1994 |
The DPX file format offers several advantages that make it suitable for common use cases.
The DPX file format has certain limitations that may affect its use in specific scenarios.
DPX images are widely supported and can be viewed on most devices and platforms.
Treat as untrusted binary input: user-defined header can contain arbitrary binary blobs and some variants can embed XML; DPX allows RLE so decoders need strict bounds checks; no integral encryption/authentication (an encryption-key field exists but no standard algorithm is defined)
Open SMPTE standard; no licensing/patent restrictions noted by the Library of Congress