IEC TS 62871-1:2015

Professional video strage products - Tape-less camera recorder using MXF file format - Encoding guidelines - Part 1: MXF Operational Pattern

IEC TS 62871-1:2015(E) is a Technical Specification. It gives guidelines for MXF Operational Patterns for professional tape-less camera recorders and also outlines the general parts of the MXF file format. The guidelines are applicable to the creation of an MXF file in professional tape-less camera recorders. They are also applicable for content management software and to equipment that supports MXF files generated by professional tape-less camera recorders.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 15-Dec-2015
• ICS: 33.160.40 - Video systems
• ICS: 35.040.40 - Coding of audio, video, multimedia and hypermedia information
• Technical Committee: TC 100 - Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 16-Dec-2015
• Completion Date: 15-Feb-2016

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC TS 62871-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2015-12
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
colour
inside
Professional video storage products – Tape-less camera recorder using MXF file
format – Encoding guidelines –
Part 1: MXF Operational Patterns

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IEC TS 62871-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2015-12
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
colour
inside
Professional video storage products – Tape-less camera recorder using MXF file

format – Encoding guidelines –

Part 1: MXF Operational Patterns

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 33.160.40; 35.040 ISBN 978-2-8322-3080-0

– 2 – IEC TS 62871-1:2015 © IEC 2015
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms, definitions,abbreviations and conventions . 7
3.1 Terms and definitions . 7
3.2 Abbreviations . 7
3.3 Conventions . 8
4 Overview of the MXF file format . 8
4.1 General . 8
4.2 File structure . 9
4.2.1 Overview . 9
4.2.2 File Header . 9
4.2.3 File Body . 9
4.2.4 File Footer . 9
4.3 Partitions . 9
4.3.1 Overview . 9
4.3.2 Header Partition . 10
4.3.3 Body Partition . 10
4.3.4 Footer Partition . 10
4.3.5 Partition rules summary . 10
4.3.6 Partition status . 11
4.4 Key-Length-Value (KLV) coding . 11
4.4.1 KLV encoding structure . 11
4.4.2 KLV Fill Item . 11
4.5 Header Metadata . 12
4.5.1 Overview . 12
4.5.2 Structural Metadata . 12
4.5.3 Descriptive Metadata . 12
4.5.4 Structure of Header Metadata . 12
4.6 Operational Pattern . 13
4.6.1 Operation Pattern outline . 13
4.6.2 Generalized Operational Pattern . 14
4.6.3 Specialized Operational Pattern . 15
4.7 Index Table . 15
5 Encoding guideline for professional tape-less camera recorder . 15
5.1 General . 15
5.2 Operational Pattern . 16
5.2.1 General . 16
5.2.2 Operation of OP-1a. 16
5.2.3 Operation of OP-Atom . 17
Bibliography . 20

Figure 1 – Overview of MXF file structure . 9
Figure 2 – Required order of file components in each Partition kind . 10

Figure 3 – Key-length-value encoding . 11
Figure 4 – Header Metadata structure . 13
Figure 5 – Generalized Operational Pattern . 14
Figure 6 – Basic structure of Material Package and File Package in OP-Atom . 15
Figure 7 – Typical example of Index Table placement for OP-1a . 17
Figure 8 – Example-1 to locate the entire Index Table in the Body Partition . 17
Figure 9 – Example-2 to locate the entire Index Table in the Header Partition . 17
Figure 10 – Basic Structure of OP-Atom . 18

– 4 – IEC TS 62871-1:2015 © IEC 2015
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
PROFESSIONAL VIDEO STORAGE PRODUCTS –
TAPE-LESS CAMERA RECORDER USING MXF FILE FORMAT –
ENCODING GUIDELINES –
Part 1: MXF Operational Patterns

FOREWORD
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Technical Specifications are subject to review within three years of publication to decide
whether they can be transformed into International Standards.
IEC TS 62871-1, which is a Technical Specification, has been prepared by technical area 6:
Storage media, storage data structure, storage systems and equipment, of IEC technical
committee 100: Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment.

The text of this technical specification is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
100/2373/DTS 100/2446/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this Technical Specification can be found in
the report on voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
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• transformed into an International Standard,
• reconfirmed,
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• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
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– 6 – IEC TS 62871-1:2015 © IEC 2015
INTRODUCTION
The professional camera recorder has evolved from a traditional tape-based system into a
file-based system, taking advantage of recent advances in information technology. Instead of
using conventional magnetic tape as the recording medium, video and audio streams can now
be stored as files that can be read directly by a personal computer (PC).
Several file format specifications exist, and most broadcasters are using the Material
eXchange Format (MXF) which has been standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers (SMPTE). As reported in IEC TR 62712:2011, the MXF file format has
been adopted for various types of professional tape-less camera recorders. MXF is being
used by many broadcast stations around the world. Since the MXF file format provides a
multiplicity of functions and options in order to satisfy the needs of various applications in a
range of situations, it is important to address interoperability issues between equipment.
Therefore, it is essential for interoperability that there is an appropriate Technical
Specification that specifies guidelines for MXF implementations and operational usage.
The IEC 62871 series gives encoding guidelines for professional tape-less camera recorders
using the MXF file format to ensure interoperability.
Future parts will be proposed to specify implementation guidelines appropriate for specific
codecs.
PROFESSIONAL VIDEO STORAGE PRODUCTS –
TAPE-LESS CAMERA RECORDER USING MXF FILE FORMAT –
ENCODING GUIDELINES –
Part 1: MXF Operational Patterns

1 Scope
This part of IEC 62871, which is a Technical Specification, gives guidelines for MXF
Operational Patterns for professional tape-less camera recorders and also outlines the
general parts of the MXF file format.
The guidelines are applicable to the creation of an MXF file in professional tape-less camera
recorders. They are also applicable for content management software and to equipment that
supports MXF files generated by professional tape-less camera recorders.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
SMPTE ST 377-1:2011, Material Exchange Format (MXF) – File Format Specification
SMPTE ST 378:2004, For Television – Material Exchange Format (MXF) – Operational
Pattern 1a (Single Item, Single Package)
SMPTE ST 379-1:2009, Material Exchange Format (MXF) – MXF Generic Container
SMPTE ST 379-2:2010, Material Exchange Format (MXF) – MXF Constrained Generic
Container
SMPTE ST 390:2011, Material Exchange Format (MXF) – Specialized Operational Pattern
“OP-Atom” (Simplified Representation of a Single Item)
3 Terms, definitions,abbreviations and conventions
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in SMPTE ST 377-1,
SMPTE ST 379-1 and SMPTE ST 379-2 apply.
3.2 Abbreviations
Abbreviation Definition
MP Material Package
FP File Package
– 8 – IEC TS 62871-1:2015 © IEC 2015
OP-1a Operational Pattern 1a
OP-1b Operational Pattern 1b
OP-1c Operational Pattern 1c
OP-2a Operational Pattern 2a
OP-2b Operational Pattern 2b
OP-2c Operational Pattern 2c
OP-3a Operational Pattern 3a
OP-3b Operational Pattern 3b
OP-3c Operational Pattern 3c
OP-Atom Operational Pattern Atom
CBR Constant Bit Rate
VBR Variable Bit Rate
3.3 Conventions
In this Technical Specification, capital letters are used for terms defining the MXF file
standardized in the SMPTE publications which are cited in the normative references.
4 Overview of the MXF file format
4.1 General
The MXF file format is standardized in SMPTE, and different aspects of the detailed
specifications are covered in several standards. The general part is specified in
SMPTE ST 377-1, which defines the data structure of the MXF file for the interchange of
audio-visual material, all the components of the MXF file format and the requirements to
enable these components to be added as a plug-in to an MXF file.
The MXF Generic Container is specified in SMPTE ST 379-1 and SMPTE ST 379-2. The
Generic Container is the native Essence Container of the MXF file body and these standards
are defined to enable the interchange of streamable audio-visual material. Appropriate
essence and metadata payloads that can be mapped into the MXF Generic Container are
defined in associated documents listed in the Bibliography.
The MXF file format includes Operational Pattern specifications that may define restrictions
on the way in which this Essence Container type should be implemented. For example, OP-1a
is specified in SMPTE ST 378 and OP-Atom is specified in SMPTE ST 390.

4.2 File structure
4.2.1 Overview
An overview of the MXF file structure is shown in Figure 1. The general structure of the MXF
file comprises three components: the File Header, the File Body and the File Footer.
File Header File Body File Footer
Header Body Footer Random
Header Index Essence Header
Essence
Run In
Partition Partition Partition Index
Metadata Table Container Metadata
Container
Pack Pack Pack Pack
(optional) (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)
IEC
Figure 1 – Overview of MXF file structure
4.2.2 File Header
The File Header is located at the start of the MXF file and includes a Header Partition Pack
and a Header Metadata. The file header may include a Run-In and an Index Table as an
option.
4.2.3 File Body
The File Body provides the mechanism for embedding Essence Data such as audio, video and
other associated data within the MXF files. The File Body contains zero or more Essence
Containers and, if there is more than one Essence Container in the File Body, the Essence
Containers are multiplexed together using Partitions (see 4.3). Furthermore, the file body may
include an index table and a repetition of the Header Metadata as an option.
4.2.4 File Footer
The File Footer is located at the end of the file. As shown in Figure 1, the File Footer includes
a Footer Partition Pack. It may include a repetition of the Header Metadata and a Random
Index Pack. The File Footer may also include optional Index Table Segments.
4.3 Partitions
4.3.1 Overview
Partitions logically divide the MXF file to allow easier parsing, to help streaming and to
manage the creation of Index Tables. As shown in Figure 2, there are three kinds of Partitions
in the MXF file. The explanation of each Partition is described in the following sections.

– 10 – IEC TS 62871-1:2015 © IEC 2015
Header Partition
Header Next
Header Index
Run In
Partition Essence Container Partition
Metadata Table
Pack Pack
(optional) (optional) (optional)
Body Partition
Body Next
Header Index
Partition Partition
Essence Container
Metadata Table
Pack Pack
(optional) (optional) (optional)
Footer Partition
Body
Header Index Random
Partition
Metadata
Table Index Pack
Pack
(optional) (optional) (optional)

IEC
Figure 2 – Required order of file components in each Partition kind
4.3.2 Header Partition
The Header Partition is the first Partition of the MXF file, and is located at the start of the MXF
file following the optional Run-In pack. The File Header of the MXF file always includes one
Header Partition.
4.3.3 Body Partition
The MXF file has zero or more Body Partitions. As shown in Figure 2, the Body Partition Pack
is located at the start of the Body Partition.
4.3.4 Footer Partition
The Footer Partition is the last Partition in the MX
...