Digital Camera Systems (DCS) announced that it has acquired UMeT, the frame-accurate media metadata application from CineDev, marking a strategic expansion beyond on-set capture hardware into a broader VFX software and workflow solutions business.
DCS is widely used on set for capturing lens data through its Lens Data Translator (LDT) ecosystem, which records lens values frame by frame into camera RAW files and can stream live lens information into virtual production tools. UMeT adds a dedicated layer of control for post-production, giving teams the ability to extract, modify, and re-inject frame-by-frame metadata from either sidecar files or embedded media, using a node-graph workflow designed for pipeline use.
Across modern VFX and virtual production workflows, lens and camera metadata can determine how quickly teams move from plates to matchmove, comp, and final. Yet even when lens data is captured correctly on set, it can become incomplete or inconsistent as footage moves through the pipeline, particularly for facilities without large proprietary tooling. Through this acquisition, DCS is aiming to help productions achieve over 99 per cent frame accuracy for lens metadata in workflows where DCS is deployed.
“Since founding DCS, we have focused on capturing accurate lens data on set, but we have also seen how often that metadata gets degraded, lost, or becomes inconsistent once it reaches the pipeline,” said DCS general manager Gary Keller. “Bringing UMeT into DCS helps close that gap. It gives VFX and post-production teams practical control to normalise, repair, and carry lens metadata through to final delivery. Our goal is to make metadata reliable enough to trust, shot after shot, frame after frame.”
“We built UMeT to give teams frame-by-frame control of metadata, so it survives the journey from set to post,” said CineDev co-founder Andrea Michelon. “DCS has earned trust in the industry through its lens of data work and its customer-centric mindset. We believe UMeT is in the right hands to scale faster, reach more users, and better serve the wider lens metadata community within the DCS ecosystem.”
UMeT is designed to operate directly on frame-by-frame metadata across camera Raw and common media formats, with both UI and automation pathways. Core capabilities include:
● Frame-accurate metadata hand-off between camera, VFX, and finishing
● Frame-by-frame metadata control using a node-graph interface and operators to modify, interpolate, convert, and conform metadata streams
● Extract, manipulate, and re-inject workflows using embedded metadata or sidecars, saving back into original files or exporting new media and sidecar CSV
● Automation and pipeline integration via CLI and a Python API, designed to fit into studio workflows
● Designed for integration across DCCs and render pipelines, helping teams carry consistent metadata into CG, VFX, and finishing workflows
● Cross-platform support across macOS, Windows, and Linux
DCS plans to build on UMeT’s foundation to expand software development for VFX and post-production teams, including a stronger API-first approach, pathways toward cloud deployment, and expanded format and metadata mapping support commonly required in VFX deliveries. Their longer-term vision is to move beyond lens metadata toward capturing and managing a wider set of camera and scene metadata, supporting a more complete digital representation of production inputs. This acquisition is positioned as the first major step in that roadmap.
UMeT will be rebranded and supported by DCS as it is integrated into the wider DCS ecosystem, with a dedicated support hub and expanded roadmap planned for later in 2026. UMeT will be available for purchase directly from DCS in 2026.
UMeT currently offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and is available as version-locked, perpetual licensing with no subscription needed. Pricing starts at £950 + VAT (one-off payment). Pricing is correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
The DCS team will be attending Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 in Barcelona from 3 to 6 February 2026 and is available to arrange meetings during the show.
