What is the DPX file format?
.dpx (Digital Picture Exchange) is a single-frame professional cinema and broadcast image format standardized by SMPTE as ST 268M. Each .dpx file holds one image frame; motion picture sequences are stored as numbered file sets (e.g., frame_000001.dpx through frame_129600.dpx for a 90-minute feature at 24 fps).
The format was derived from the Kodak Cineon film-scanner format and first standardized in 1994. Its fixed 2048-byte header stores comprehensive metadata: image geometry, pixel packing and bit depth, colorimetry, timecode, frame rate, film roll ID, and TV broadcast parameters. Up to eight simultaneous image elements per file are supported.
Byte order is self-describing: files beginning with the ASCII magic SDPX are big-endian; files beginning with XPDS are little-endian - the reversed magic encodes the byte order choice. The current standard is SMPTE ST 268M V2.0 (2003), re-balloted in 2021.
Typical cinema use is 10-bit log-encoded data using the Cineon logarithmic transfer function for scanned film, or 10-bit to 16-bit linear for digital camera capture. Pixel data is uncompressed in mastering workflows, making individual frame files large - a 2K 10-bit RGB frame is roughly 6 MB.
DPX remains the archival format required by many film studios and archives. For HDR multi-layer VFX production, OpenEXR is the preferred complement.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWProfessional image data with no executable content. Files are large and typically part of numbered sequences; no security concern. Verify source is legitimate post-production delivery, not a malware disguised as a DPX frame.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open DPX files
Windows5 apps
Adobe Photoshop
Paid File > Open - Photoshop opens individual DPX frames. Use Camera Raw plugin for tone mapping. 
XnConvert
Free Batch-convert DPX frames to PNG/TIFF/JPEG; drag frames into XnConvert and select output format. 
DaVinci Resolve
Free Import DPX sequences via Media Pool - drag the folder or use File > Import to add the image sequence for grading or review.
Nuke (Foundry)
Paid Read node with file pattern (frame_%06d.dpx) to load the DPX sequence into a node graph for compositing. 
macOS4 apps
Linux3 apps
DaVinci Resolve
Free DaVinci Resolve Studio is available for Linux - import DPX sequences via Media Pool.
Picture Resize (pictureresize.org)
Free Upload single DPX frames for online conversion to common formats. Limited to 8-bit output. Technical details
deep spec| Magic bytes | 53 44 50 58 (SDPX) at offset 0 for big-endian; 58 50 44 53 (XPDS) for little-endian - reversed magic encodes byte order |
| Header size | Fixed 2048 bytes: File Information, Image Information, Image Orientation, Film Industry-specific, TV Industry-specific header sections |
| Byte order | Self-describing - big-endian or little-endian, indicated by magic bytes |
| Color depth | 8, 10, 12, or 16 bits per channel; standard cinema use is 10-bit log (Cineon logarithmic transfer function) |
| Image elements | Up to 8 simultaneous image elements (channel groups) per file |
| Compression | Uncompressed (standard for mastering) or optional RLE per channel |
| Typical file size | ~6 MB (2K, 10-bit RGB) to 24 MB (4K, 16-bit RGB); full 90-min feature approximately 175 GB as DPX sequence |
| Maximum image dimensions | 65535 x 65535 pixels (32-bit pixel count fields) |
| Colorimetry | Linear, Cineon log, ITU-R BT.709, ITU-R BT.601, YCbCr (V2.0+) |
| Checksum | Optional CRC-32 field in File Information header (not always populated by encoders) |
| Frame model | One file = one frame; sequences use zero-padded numeric filenames |
| MIME type | image/x-dpx |
| Standard versions | V1.0 (SMPTE ST 268M-1994); V2.0 (SMPTE ST 268M-2003); re-ballot 2021 (no structural change) |
| Released | 1994 (SMPTE ST 268M-1994, v1.0) |
| Latest version | SMPTE ST 268M-2003 (v2.0, most commonly used; v2.0 refinements released 2021 as ST 268M-2021) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.smpte.org |
DPX conversions
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