ExifTool Forum

ExifTool => The "exiftool" Application => Topic started by: dashcammer on December 14, 2023, 07:27:15 AM

Title: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: dashcammer on December 14, 2023, 07:27:15 AM
Hello everyone.
I'm trying to extract information from a video file generated by Hikvision NVR.

There should be information like timestamp start and end, which I couldn't find in simple '-a' command.
Also, there are some information like camera id (it shows on the video 'camera 01') and I need to get it .. any ideas?

Thanks everyone.
Title: Re: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: Phil Harvey on December 14, 2023, 07:46:18 AM
Can you upload a sample somewhere so we can take a look?

- Phil
Title: Re: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: dashcammer on December 16, 2023, 04:39:34 AM
Thanks Phil
Here is a sample:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/256d6d9eoen0o6a9bpz9r/D01_20231207144456_01.mp4?rlkey=0ps4b1ewapzgtxgcfumwowjfq&dl=0
Title: Re: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: Phil Harvey on December 16, 2023, 07:14:19 AM
I got the sample.  No good news unfortunately:

1. All of the metadata timestamps are zero in this file.  There is a Duration, but nothing to indicate start time in the metadata.  There may be timestamps in the video stream, but ExifTool doesn't decode the video.

2. The string "camera" doesn't exist anywhere in the file.  I can't see any unknown metadata that corresponds to the "camera 01" burned into the video image.

So it looks like the timestamp and the "camera 01" exist only as a video overlay, and not in the metadata.

- Phil
Title: Re: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: StarGeek on December 16, 2023, 10:59:20 AM
Just to verify, is this video directly from the camera and not cut from a larger video?  Because most video editing software, even simple ones that do lossless cuts, will strip away most, if not all, metadata.
Title: Re: Hikvision Metadata
Post by: dashcammer on December 16, 2023, 12:53:37 PM
Yes, this is as-is from the NVR.

Thanks, Phil, truly appreciate it.