Material Exchange Format

The Material eXchange Format (MXF ) is an open ( non-proprietary ) file format for video files from the broadcast area. It is a subset of the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF ) and has been defined with the aim to facilitate the exchange of audio-visual files (including metadata).

General

It is a Hüllformat, also called wrapper format or container format, one or more essences (also pay load ) encapsulates in itself and describes accurately. These essences can be images, sound or data. An MXF file contains enough information to two applications to enable the exchange of essences, without having previously exchanged information. To this end, it contains so-called metadata that provide, for example, information on the length of the file, used codecs ( compression methods ) and timeline complexity.

Unlike tape-based video formats ( MAZ ) technique the MXF file-based definition is intended to simplify the handling of professional video formats. By standardizing the way to the IT - based non-linear video editing ( NLE) to be accelerated without being hampered by mixed and manufacturer-specific ( proprietary) data formats.

The standard was driven by the SMPTE, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU ) and the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF ) Association and adopted in 2003 under the standard designation SMPTE 377m. The file format is proposed as an ISO standard.

In particular, Sony and Panasonic set with your in practice already strongly represented broadcast techniques ( IMX and XDCAM technology from Sony, Panasonic DVCPro at ) fully to this standard, thus ensuring since 2003 for a large spread.

Operational Patterns

MXF container can contain data of almost any complexity. In order to allow programs in advance an estimate of the complexity, operational patterns were introduced. The Operational Pattern give a rough overview of the list ( EDL ), and the division into different essence Packages ( Pack Source or File Pack ). The Operational Pattern not describe the type of compression, or the number of tracks (except for OP - Atom).

Originally nine operational patterns were introduced. These patterns are marked with numbers from 1-3 and letters from ac. The figures provide information about the list ( EDL), while the letters shed light on the division into different essence packets ( Source Pack, or File Pack ) give.

Later, the Operational Pattern OP atom was added. OP atom contains only a single essence, in contrast to the other operational patterns and was introduced to generate a simple MXF file.

Scaling of the individual Operational Pattern:

  • OP1a: SMPTE 378m
  • OP1B: SMPTE 391m
  • OP1c: SMPTE 408M
  • OP2A: SMPTE 392m
  • Op2B: SMPTE 393m
  • OP2c: SMPTE 408M
  • OP3A: SMPTE 407m
  • OP3b: SMPTE 407m
  • OP3c: SMPTE 408M
  • OP - Atom: SMPTE 390M

MXF in practice

The MXF FileFomat is currently in the mount stage. Different manufacturers support different parts of the standard. Due to available only in parts of integration leads to incompatibilities between the different systems.

The most common MXF standards are the OP1a GC -D10 ( IMX ) used by Sony, which used OP1a GC -DV and the OP - Atom Avid, Digidesign, and Panasonic.

The following products support MXF standards:

  • Avid: OP1a GC -D10, OP1a GC - DV, OP - Atom
  • Digidesign Pro Tools: OP- Atom
  • EditShare Lightworks: OPAtom, Op1a
  • Fairlight Xynergi: OP- Atom, OP1a GC -D10
  • GStreamer: various Operational Patterns and Generic Containers
  • Panasonic P2: OP- Atom
  • Sony Vegas
  • Sony XDCAM OP1a GC -D10
  • Sony XPRI: OP1a GC -D10
  • Steinberg Nuendo: ( read and write) Op-Atom, Op1a (read only)
  • Kdenlive: OP1a

To resolve incompatibilities There are various software solutions from other vendors:

  • Flip4Mac: OP1a GC -D10 and OP1a GC - DV
  • MXF4mac OP1a GC and OP - Atom, D10, MPEG -2, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD, AVC- Intra, DNxHD, HDV, XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD, JPEG2000, CinemaDNG.
  • MOG Solution: OP (1-3) (a- c ) and OP - Atom
  • Open Cube: OP1a GC -D10, OP1a GC -DV and OP - Atom
  • Neyrinck Sound Code for MXF in the BETA phase. www.neyrinck.com / Pages / scmxf.html

MXF analysis tools

  • IRT MXF Analyser
Video tape recorder Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Edit decision list Sony Vegas Pro KLV
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