Metadata Types

Transform supports numerous types of sample based metadata. Each metadata type defines specific sample information and where that information is stored in the container. There are two categories of metadata:

  • metadata embedded in the media sample data (e.g. VBI, MPEG-2 user data, AVC SEI messages, etc.)
  • metadata stored in a seperate track or elementary stream (e.g. MXF 436M ancillary data, MOV captions, SCTE-35 splice information)

By default all available metadata in both categories is read from the input container and added to the appropriate samples. Similarly all sample metadata is written to the output container if supported by the container and stream formats.

Metadata Ordering

In many compressed formats (e.g. AVC and HEVC) video samples may be temporally reordered i.e. the samples are stored in a different order than they are displayed. Metadata elements are added to the video samples with a specific order based on the metadata type:

  • storage order metadata remains with the associated sample (i.e. the metadata is reordered for storage)
  • display order metadata is not reordered (i.e. the metadata is moved to different samples for storage).

The metadata elements are reordered when the stream is encoded, decoded or merged with a stream in a different order.

Metadata Tree

Each media sample contains a collection of root metadata elements. A metadata element may itself contain other elements forming a tree as illustrated below. The leaf elements of this tree contain the sample information.

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The example above illustrates an MPEG-2 transport stream containing an h.264 video elementary stream. Each video sample contains several root metadata elements:

  • ATSC A/72 Caption Data a72c stored in an AVC Supplemental Enhancement (SEI) message (in storage order).
  • SMPTE RDD11 Ancillary Data rd11 stored in a seperate packetized elementary (PES) stream (in display order).
  • SCTE-35 Splice Information sc35 also stored in a seperate PES stream (in display order).

The leaf elements representing the sample information include:

  • CEA-708 Closed Captions c708.
  • CEA-608 Closed Captions c608.
  • ATSC A/65 Caption Service Descriptor csd .
  • SCTE-35 Slice Information sc35 (also a root element).

Note that the metadata tree can contain multiple instances of the same metadata type (c708 in this case).

Metadata Operators

Use the Metadata Operators to attach or detach a leaf element to (or from) a specific root element.

Supported Types

RootLeafDescription
a53aafd ATSC A/53 Active Format Descriptor
a53bbar  ATSC A/53 Bar Data
a53cc708ATSC A/53 CEA-708 Closed Captions
a72aa53a ATSC A/72 Active Format Descriptor
a72ba53b ATSC A/72 Bar Data
a72ca53cATSC A/72 CEA-708 Closed Captions
adm Audio Definition Model (BS.2076-1)
atc JCTVC-W1005 Alternative Transfer Characteristics
afd  SMPTE ST2016-1 Active Format Descriptor
afdbafd bar SMPTE ST2016-1 Active Format Descriptor Bar Data
anc anc6 ancc anca anct ancs ancd anceSMPTE ST291 Ancillary Data
anc6c608SMPTE ST291 Ancillary Data C608 Packet
ancccdp SMPTE ST291 Ancillary Data CDP Packet
ancaafdbSMPTE ST291 Ancillary Data AFD Bar Packet
ancttimeSMPTE ST291 Ancillary Data Time Code Packet
ancssdp SMPTE ST291 Ancillary Subtitle Distribution Packet
ancddvb SMPTE ST2031 Ancillary DVB/SCTE VBI Packet
ances104SMPTE ST291 Ancillary SCTE104 Packet
MDPMtimeSEI AVCHD Metadata
avc1timeAVC-Intra SEI Message Type-1
avc2anc AVC-Intra SEI Message Type-2
bar  SMPTE ST2016-1 Bar Data
c608c618 c628CEA-608 Closed Captions
c618CEA-608 Closed Captions (Field 1)
c628CEA-608 Closed Captions (Field 2)
c708CEA-708 Closed Captions
cdp SMPTE ST334-2 Caption Distribution Packet
cdpttimeSMPTE ST334-2 Caption Distribution Packet Time Code Section
cdp7c708SMPTE ST334-2 Caption Distribution Packet C708 Section
cdpscsd SMPTE ST334-2 Caption Distribution Packet CSD Section
clliCTA-861.3 Content Light Level
csd ATSC A/65 Caption Service Descriptor
cvt4CTA-861.4 Color Volume Transform Type 4
difaanc DV/DVCPRO Ancillary Data
difc c608DV/DVCPRO CEA-608 Closed Captions
diftltc DV/DVCPRO LTC Time Code
divic608Divicom MPEG-2 User Data
doviDolby Vision (PHDR)
rpu Dolby Vision Reference Picture Unit (RPU)
dvb dvbtDVB VBI Data
dvbtttxtDVB Teletext
dvd c708DVD MPEG-2 User Data
ebp0OpenCable Encoder Boundary Point (EBP)
ebifOpenCable ETV Binary Interchange Format (ETV-BIF)
eissOpenCable ETV Integrated Signaling System (EISS)
esi SMPTE ST328 Elementary Stream Editing Information
esvpSMPTE ST328 ESI Vertical Phase Section
eshpSMPTE ST328 ESI Horizontal Phase Section
est1timeSMPTE ST328 ESI Time Code 1 Section
est2timeSMPTE ST328 ESI Time Code 2 Section
espoSMPTE ST328 ESI Picture Order Section
esviSMPTE ST328 ESI Video Index Section
esadanc SMPTE ST328 ESI Ancillary Data Section
eshdSMPTE ST328 ESI History Data Section
escfSMPTE ST328 ESI Flags Section
esudSMPTE ST328 ESI User Data Section
gxfaanc SMPTE ST360 GXF Ancillary Data
sR!7c608SMPTE ST360 GXF CEA-608 Closed Captions
gxfttimeSMPTE ST360 GXF Time Code
gxtttimeSMPTE ST360 GXF Track Time Code
gxsttimeSMPTE ST360 GXF Striped Time Code
sR!6time c608 ttxtSMPTE ST360 GXF VBI Line
gxfvvbi SMPTE ST360 GXF Vertical Blanking
ID3 ID3
ipv IPV SEI User Data
ltc LTC Time Code
lxfaanc LXF Ancillary Data
lxfttimeLXF Time Code
lxfvvbi LXF Vertical Blanking Interval
mdcvSMPTE ST2086 Mastering Display Color Volume
movttimeQuickTime Time Code Track
mov6c608QuickTime CEA-608 Closed Captions
movcc708QuickTime CEA-708 Closed Captions
gophMPEG-2 GOP Header
gopttimeMPEG-2 GOP Time Code
mp4aanc MPEG-4 Ancillary Metadata
mxfaanc SMPTE ST436 MXF Ancillary Data
mxfstimeSMPTE ST377 MXF System Item Time Code
mxfmtimeSMPTE ST377 MXF Material Package Time Code
mxfftimeSMPTE ST377 MXF File Package Time Code
mxfptimeSMPTE ST377 MXF Physical Package Time Code
mxfvvbi SMPTE ST436 MXF Vertical Blanking
neontime c608 vbi Omneon MPEG-2 User Data
rd11anc SMPTE RDD11 Ancillary Data
sdp SMPTE RDD8-2008 Teletext Subtitle Distribution Packet
sc20c608SCTE 20 MPEG-2 User Data
sc21c608SCTE 21 MPEG-2 User Data
sc35SCTE-35 Splice Information
s104SCTE-104 Automation System to Compression System Communications Applications Program Interface
seaaanc Seachange Ancillary MPEG-2 User Data
seavvbi Seachange Vertical Blanking MPEG-2 User Data
pic timeSEI Picture Timing
seittimeSEI Time Code
socaSony Video Camera Parameters (SMPTE RDD 18)
teleid3 Telestream MPEG-2 User Data
ttxtEBU Teletext
t35 SEI T.35 User Data
timeltc vitcSMPTE ST12 Time Code
tiq Telesteam IQ
tiqutiq Telesteam IQ SEI User Data
uid SEI Unregistered User Data
vbi vbi6 vbit vbieVertical Blanking Interval
vbi6c608Vertical Blanking Interval C608 Line
vbitvitcVertical Blanking Interval VITC Line
vbiettxtVertical Blanking Interval Teletext Line
vitcvtc1 vtc2VITC Time Code
vtc1VITC1 Time Code
vtc2VITC2 Time Code
x264SEI x264 User Data
x265SEI x265 User Data