Question

Sony XDCAM MXFs or XML files - reading timecode, framerate and duratrion from

Asked by: butterhook

Hello

I need to be able to read start and end timecode, frame rate and duration  from either Sony XDCAM Proxy MXF files (if there is timecode embedded) or from the associated .XML files, ideally using Python.

I have some MXF files with matching XML files to test with, which could possibly be used to test with. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!

Many thanks,

BH

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Asked On
2009-11-02 at 03:00:12ID24863218
Tags

sony xdcam timecode xml mxf

Topics

Python Scripting Language

,

Digital Music and Video

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Video Editing

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Answers

 

by: munkPosted on 2009-11-03 at 04:36:50ID: 25728287

ffmpeg can open and encode Sony MXF files. Maybe you can get ffmpeg to do the job for you.

 

by: sedgwickPosted on 2009-11-03 at 04:40:05ID: 25728305

if it is xml file and u familiar with its structure use xml parsing:
import xml.dom.minidom
def get_a_document(name="/tmp/doc.xml"):
    return xml.dom.minidom.parse(name)

get timecode elements:
def find_timecode_element(doc):
    business_element = None
    for e in doc.childNodes:
        if e.nodeType == e.ELEMENT_NODE and e.localName == "timecode":
            business_element = e
            break
    return business_element

 

by: butterhookPosted on 2009-11-03 at 04:49:29ID: 25728380

Sounds like a good plan, but there is no timecode field in the XML document.... Check the attached code for an entire XML document that comes with the MXF... Thank you

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<NonRealTimeMeta xmlns="urn:schemas-professionalDisc:nonRealTimeMeta:ver.1.30" xmlns:sony="urn:schemas-sony-com:pro:nrtExtention:2003" xmlns:lib="urn:schemas-professionalDisc:lib" lastUpdate="2009-06-16T21:12:50Z">
	<TargetMaterial umidRef="060A2B340101010501010D4313000000D0211D00984905800800460202261091"/>
	<Duration value="486"/>
	<LtcChangeTable tcFps="25">
		<LtcChange frameCount="0" value="00262606" status="increment"/>
		<LtcChange frameCount="485" value="10452606" status="end"/>
	</LtcChangeTable>
	<CreationDate value="2009-06-16T21:12:50Z"/>
	<TypicalUbit value="0000000009061200"/>
	<KeyFrame frameCount="0"/>
	<BodyUmidBasicChangeTable>
		<BodyUmidBasicChange frameCount="0" value="060A2B340101010501010D4333000000D0211D00984905800800460202261091" status="start"/>
	</BodyUmidBasicChangeTable>
	<BodyUmidWhenChangeTable>
		<BodyUmidWhenChange frameCount="0" value="0474480798490580" status="increment"/>
		<BodyUmidWhenChange frameCount="485" value="44ED480798490580" status="end"/>
	</BodyUmidWhenChangeTable>
	<BodyUmidWhereChangeTable>
		<BodyUmidWhereChange frameCount="0" value="000000000000000000000000" status="start"/>
	</BodyUmidWhereChangeTable>
	<BodyUmidWhoChangeTable>
		<BodyUmidWhoChange frameCount="0" value="554B2020424C494E00000000" status="start"/>
	</BodyUmidWhoChangeTable>
	<KlvPacketTable>
		<KlvPacket frameCount="0" key="060E2B34010101050301020A02000000" lengthValue="095F5265635374617274" status="spot"/>
	</KlvPacketTable>
	<VideoFormat>
		<VideoRecPort port="DIGITAL-COMPONENT"/>
		<VideoFrame videoCodec="MPEG2HD50CBR_1920_1080_422P@HL" formatFps="25p"/>
		<VideoLayout pixel="1920" numOfVerticalLine="1080" aspectRatio="16:9"/>
	</VideoFormat>
	<AudioFormat numOfChannel="8">
		<AudioRecPort port="ANALOG" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH1"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="ANALOG" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH2"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="ANALOG" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH3"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="ANALOG" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH4"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="OTHERS" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH5"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="OTHERS" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH6"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="OTHERS" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH7"/>
		<AudioRecPort port="OTHERS" audioCodec="LPCM24" trackDst="CH8"/>
	</AudioFormat>
	<SubStream codec="PD-SubStream"/>
	<Device manufacturer="SONY" modelName="PDW-700" serialNo="14241">
		<Element hardware="PACKAGE    " software="Version 1.240"/>
		<Element hardware="SY1        " software="Version 1.264"/>
		<Element hardware="SY2K       " software="Version 1.280"/>
		<Element hardware="SY2U       " software="Version 1.280"/>
		<Element hardware="DRV        " software="Version 2.300"/>
		<Element hardware="PIER       " software="Version 1.110"/>
		<Element hardware="BRDG       " software="Version 1.110"/>
		<Element hardware="CAVA       " software="Version 1.060"/>
		<Element hardware="LVIS       " software="Version 3.000"/>
		<Element hardware="FAM        " software="Version 1.020"/>
		<Element hardware="DSP0       " software="Version 1.000"/>
		<Element hardware="DSP2       " software="Version 1.000"/>
		<Element hardware="PRXA       " software="Version 1.020"/>
		<Element hardware="TSYS       " software="Version 2.958"/>
		<Element hardware="TMBP       " software="Version 2.958"/>
		<Element hardware="AT         " software="Version 1.210"/>
		<Element hardware="FP         " software="Version 1.080"/>
		<Element hardware="LABY       " software="Version 1.060"/>
		<Element hardware="FTBL       " software="Version 1.010"/>
	</Device>
	<Creator name="UK  BLIN"/>
	<Title usAscii="C00231"></Title>
</NonRealTimeMeta>
                                              
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by: sedgwickPosted on 2009-11-03 at 05:14:44ID: 25728561

if the timecode, framerate or any other attribute u need is not in the xml file, what exactly do u need?
i've no idea where u get those attributes from..

 

by: sedgwickPosted on 2009-11-03 at 05:15:18ID: 25728570

is there anything in the xml file or any other file which can gives u the attreibutes u need?

 

by: butterhookPosted on 2009-11-03 at 06:39:40ID: 25729336

That's why I put this question on Experts Exchange! Do you know anything about MXF or timecoded media files?

 

by: rduke15Posted on 2009-11-28 at 05:09:58ID: 25925092

I couldn't find this documented anywhere, but accidentally found that the time code appears to be in the LtcChangeTable, in a format which is very simple once you know it. In Broadcast Wave files, it is recorded as samples since midnight. Looking for something similar, it took me a long time to realize that it's much simpler:

In your example, the line<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">
</ltcchange>

<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">LtcChange frameCount="0" value="00262606" status="increment"</ltcchange>

<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment"></ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">indicates a time code of 06:26:26:00. Here is a Perl example:

</ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">  perl -e '$val = "00262606";</ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">  my ($frames, $seconds, $minutes, $hours) = $val =~ /(\d\d)(\d\d)(\d\d)(\d\d)/;</ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">  print join(":", $hours, $minutes, $seconds, $frames), "\n"';</ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment"></ltcchange>
<ltcchange framecount="0" value="00262606" status="increment">
</ltcchange>

 

by: rduke15Posted on 2009-11-28 at 05:14:10ID: 25925104

My previous post seems to have gone wrong. Hope this one will be alright:

I couldn't find this documented anywhere, but accidentally found that the time code appears to be in the LtcChangeTable, in a format which is very simple once you know it. In Broadcast Wave files, it is recorded as samples since midnight. Looking for something similar, it took me a long time to realize that it's much simpler:

In your example, the line
LtcChange frameCount="0" value="00262606" status="increment"

indicates a time code of 06:26:26:00. Here is a Perl example:

perl -e '$val = "00262606";
my ($frames, $seconds, $minutes, $hours) = $val =~ /(\d\d)(\d\d)(\d\d)(\d\d)/;
print join(":", $hours, $minutes, $seconds, $frames), "\n"';

 

by: butterhookPosted on 2009-12-07 at 01:49:09ID: 25987468

hi Rduke15

Thanks for the info. You're right! The value attribute is in fact the timecode in FFSSMMHH format!

How confusing! We have implemented this solution already as we found another detecive who discovered the same.

I'll give you the points in case anyone else needs to discover this.

Thumbs up!



 

by: butterhookPosted on 2009-12-07 at 01:50:38ID: 31648769

THanks

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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