<p>If I export raw video data with ffmpeg, it will have just the image data, the pixels, without any structural metadata. It won't have things like the frame size, frame rate, and pixel format. But if I need to encode the video or apply a filter, I need that metadata. So I put the metadata in a plain text file so that I don't lose this information. I then manually put it in ffmpeg commands.</p>

<p>For ffmpeg, I could improvise something with a custom console script to reduce manual manipulations, but that would not work for other applications, like if I want to import the a raw file into Sony Vegas.  </p>

<p>My question is, <strong>what is the standard file format to store key video parameters</strong>? Namely at least resolution, pixel format,
fps, number of frames.  </p>

<p>I'm looking for a format that is human readable, easy parseable, and works across all video editing software. Is there such thing at all? If not, I would be slightly shocked. </p>

<p>If there is no such standard, what would be the closest alternative?</p>

<p>I use utvideo codec with avi container, it works fine with ffmpeg and Vegas and can store rgba data. So it is for footage which must not contain any artifacts and should work fast (least decoding/encoding possible). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-05T02:28:54.177Z
Unfortunately, I don't know of any human readable formats. Most containers store the structural metadata in various binary forms. The closest thing that I can think of to what you are trying to do is to use a Quicktime or MXF reference file. However, I don't know if either of those support the UT video codec.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-14T04:57:11.840Z
I use .nut when working with ffmpeg, otherwise V210 is well-supported and documented.
Michael Steinberg
<video><ffmpeg><file-formats><vegas-pro><raw>
File format for storing raw video parameters?
Mikhail V
# File format for storing raw video parameters?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-05)

If I export raw video data with ffmpeg, it will have just the image data, the pixels, without any structural metadata. It won't have things like the frame size, frame rate, and pixel format. But if I need to encode the video or apply a filter, I need that metadata. So I put the metadata in a plain text file so that I don't lose this information. I then manually put it in ffmpeg commands.

For ffmpeg, I could improvise something with a custom console script to reduce manual manipulations, but that would not work for other applications, like if I want to import the a raw file into Sony Vegas.

My question is, **what is the standard file format to store key video parameters**? Namely at least resolution, pixel format,
fps, number of frames.

I'm looking for a format that is human readable, easy parseable, and works across all video editing software. Is there such thing at all? If not, I would be slightly shocked.

If there is no such standard, what would be the closest alternative?

I use utvideo codec with avi container, it works fine with ffmpeg and Vegas and can store rgba data. So it is for footage which must not contain any artifacts and should work fast (least decoding/encoding possible).

**Tags:** video, ffmpeg, file-formats, vegas-pro, raw

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Unfortunately, I don't know of any human readable formats. Most containers store the structural metadata in various binary forms. The closest thing that I can think of to what you are trying to do is to use a Quicktime or MXF reference file. However, I don't know if either of those support the UT video codec.  
> **username_2**: I use .nut when working with ffmpeg, otherwise V210 is well-supported and documented.  

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## 0 answers

