XYZ (X′Y′Z′)

X′Y′Z′ is the color encoding of a digital cinema package (DCP), derived from the CIE XYZ master space (the device-independent space every other color model converts through). Because XYZ describes color without reference to any device, a DCP encoded in X′Y′Z′ can be mapped by any projector, anywhere, into its own P3 gamut and get a consistent result — no display assumptions baked in. You grade on a P3-D65 (or DCI-white) projector and the deliverable is converted to X′Y′Z′ for packaging. When “XYZ” appears on a cinema spec sheet, it’s this encoding, not an error — the theatrical equivalent of choosing a scene-independent interchange so every venue reproduces the same image.

First used in: 3.8 · Deliverables & QC