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Image Conversion

Convert DPX to BMP — Free Online Converter

Convert Digital Picture Exchange (.dpx) to Bitmap Image (.bmp) online for free. Fast, secure image conversion with no watermarks or registration....

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How to Convert

1

Upload your .dpx file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.

2

Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.

3

Click Convert and download your .bmp file when it's ready.

About DPX to BMP Conversion

DPX (Digital Picture Exchange) is the SMPTE 268M standard for digital film scanning and visual effects production. DPX files carry 10-bit or 16-bit per channel image data in logarithmic color encoding, with extensive header metadata including timecode, film stock information, scanner calibration data, and frame sequence numbers. The format is the backbone of Hollywood VFX pipelines, used in DaVinci Resolve, Nuke, Flame, and Baselight for film scanning, color grading, and compositing at 2K and 4K resolutions.

BMP (Bitmap) is Microsoft's uncompressed raster format, storing raw pixel data in a straightforward header-plus-rows structure. Converting DPX to BMP transforms professional cinema-grade frames into standard uncompressed bitmaps that general-purpose software can read. This conversion involves significant color space transformation — DPX's logarithmic Cineon encoding must be converted to linear or gamma-corrected RGB for correct BMP display.

Why Convert DPX to BMP?

BMP compatibility enables DPX frames to be viewed and processed in general-purpose Windows applications that cannot read the specialized DPX format. Quality assurance teams reviewing frame sequences, editorial assistants preparing stills for press kits, and production coordinators previewing dailies on standard office workstations all need DPX content in a universally readable format. BMP provides uncompressed output that preserves maximum detail from the conversion.

Legacy production tools and some embedded playback systems accept only BMP input. Certain LED wall display systems, broadcast character generators, and archival digitization platforms require BMP. Converting DPX frames to BMP makes film-origin content compatible with these systems while maintaining the highest possible raster quality (no lossy compression).

Common Use Cases

  • Preview DPX film scan frames on standard Windows workstations without VFX software
  • Feed DPX cinema frames to LED wall display systems that accept only BMP input
  • Create uncompressed frame stills from DPX sequences for press kits and marketing materials
  • Convert DPX dailies to BMP for review by production staff without Nuke or DaVinci Resolve
  • Prepare DPX frames for legacy broadcast equipment that requires BMP raster input

How It Works

The DPX header is parsed to extract image dimensions, bit depth (8/10/12/16-bit per channel), color encoding (logarithmic Cineon or linear), and orientation. ImageMagick performs the conversion, applying log-to-linear transformation using a Cineon-to-sRGB LUT (Look-Up Table) when the source uses logarithmic encoding. The 10-bit or 16-bit source data is tone-mapped down to 8-bit per channel for BMP output. The conversion preserves the full spatial resolution of the DPX frame (commonly 2048x1556 for 2K or 4096x3112 for 4K film scans).

Quality & Performance

Converting from DPX's 10/16-bit logarithmic color space to BMP's 8-bit linear RGB involves tonal compression. The source's wide dynamic range (capturing both deep shadows and bright highlights in film) is mapped to BMP's 256 levels per channel. Shadow detail and highlight separation present in the DPX may be reduced in the BMP. The spatial resolution is preserved fully. For critical viewing, the log-to-linear conversion should use a proper film stock LUT rather than a generic transform.

SHARP EngineFastLossless

Device Compatibility

DeviceDPXBMP
Windows PCPartialNative
macOSPartialPartial
iPhone/iPadPartialPartial
AndroidPartialPartial
LinuxPartialPartial
Web BrowserNoNo

Tips for Best Results

  • 1Use a proper Cineon/film stock LUT for log-to-linear conversion rather than the default generic transform
  • 2Expect large file sizes — 4K BMP frames are 30-40 MB each
  • 3Consider PNG instead of BMP for lossless output with smaller file sizes
  • 4DPX metadata (timecode, frame number) is lost in BMP — record this information separately
  • 5For batch sequence conversion, ensure adequate disk space before starting

DPX to BMP conversion makes cinema-grade film scan data viewable in standard Windows applications. The conversion involves color space transformation from logarithmic to linear RGB, which compresses the source's dynamic range into BMP's 8-bit depth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Film captures light in a logarithmic response curve. DPX preserves this with log encoding, which allocates more data bits to shadows and midtones (where the eye is most sensitive). Linear RGB allocates bits evenly across the brightness range.
Without proper log-to-linear conversion, DPX frames displayed in BMP appear flat and washed out. The converter applies a standard Cineon-to-sRGB transform, but custom film stock LUTs produce more accurate results.
A 4K (4096x3112) frame at 24-bit RGB produces a ~38 MB BMP file. This is large but expected for uncompressed cinema-resolution images.
No. BMP does not support timecode or production metadata. DPX header information (timecode, film stock, scanner data) is discarded during conversion.
Yes. DPX image sequences (thousands of frames per shot) can be batch converted to BMP, though the storage requirements are substantial — a 1000-frame 2K sequence produces approximately 10 GB of BMP files.

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