Hi,
After reading specs , I found that Apple quick time stores date-time info only in UTC and no time zone info is stored in .mov files. But I have a video file recorded by iPhone and when I opened this file from ExifTool , I am getting time zone info in CreationDate tag. I just want to know whether it is using my system time zone info or .mov is storing it somewhere in the file. Also I tried to change my system time zone but no change in timezone showed by Exiftool. I am attaching the snapshot for the same.
Please do reply
Regards,
Anuj
From the QuickTime tag name documentation (https://exiftool.org/TagNames/QuickTime.html):
if the QuickTimeUTC API option is set, then ExifTool will assume these values are properly stored as UTC, and will convert them to local time when extracting.
(using the local time zone)
- Phil
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the reply. I have one doubt that how exif tool determine the local time zone for example through the system time zone on which exif tool is running?
Regards,
Anuj
I meant the local time of the system you are running.
Thanks :)
If you are saying that it is using local time of the system then how this exiftool metadata dump is showing "Creation Date : 2016:11:17 13:21:36+05:30" and
File Modification Date/Time : 2016:11:28 17:58:10-08:00
File Access Date/Time : 2016:11:28 10:02:12-08:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2016:11:28 10:02:04-08:00
in different time zones.
The system where this dump is taken is at UTC-8 time zone but still CreationDate is showing UTC+5:30, but I think it should change it according to UTC-8 time zone.
ExifTool Metadata dump:
ExifTool Version Number : 10.19
File Name : IMG_2476.MOV
Directory : /Volumes/Playground/bugs/LRD-4194110
File Size : 59 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2016:11:28 17:58:10-08:00
File Access Date/Time : 2016:11:28 10:02:12-08:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2016:11:28 10:02:04-08:00
File Permissions : rwxr-xr-x
File Type : MOV
File Type Extension : mov
MIME Type : video/quicktime
Major Brand : Apple QuickTime (.MOV/QT)
Minor Version : 0.0.0
Compatible Brands : qt
Movie Data Size : 61425157
Movie Data Offset : 36
Movie Header Version : 0
Create Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:37
Modify Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:48
Time Scale : 600
Duration : 11.04 s
Preferred Rate : 1
Preferred Volume : 100.00%
Preview Time : 0 s
Preview Duration : 0 s
Poster Time : 0 s
Selection Time : 0 s
Selection Duration : 0 s
Current Time : 0 s
Next Track ID : 5
Track Header Version : 0
Track Create Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:37
Track Modify Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:48
Track ID : 1
Track Duration : 11.04 s
Track Layer : 0
Track Volume : 100.00%
Image Width : 3840
Image Height : 2160
Clean Aperture Dimensions : 3840x2160
Production Aperture Dimensions : 3840x2160
Encoded Pixels Dimensions : 3840x2160
Graphics Mode : ditherCopy
Op Color : 32768 32768 32768
Compressor ID : avc1
Source Image Width : 3840
Source Image Height : 2160
X Resolution : 72
Y Resolution : 72
Compressor Name : H.264
Bit Depth : 24
Video Frame Rate : 29.977
Balance : 0
Audio Format : mp4a
Audio Channels : 1
Audio Bits Per Sample : 16
Audio Sample Rate : 44100
Purchase File Format : mp4a
Matrix Structure : 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Media Header Version : 0
Media Create Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:37
Media Modify Date : 2016:11:17 07:51:48
Media Time Scale : 600
Media Duration : 11.04 s
Media Language Code : und
Gen Media Version : 0
Gen Flags : 0 0 0
Gen Graphics Mode : ditherCopy
Gen Op Color : 32768 32768 32768
Gen Balance : 0
Handler Class : Data Handler
Handler Vendor ID : Apple
Handler Description : Core Media Data Handler
Other Format : mebx
Handler Type : Metadata Tags
GPS Coordinates : 12 deg 56' 37.68" N, 77 deg 41' 48.48" E, 890.075 m Above Sea Level
Make : Apple
Model : iPhone 6s
Software : 10.1.1
Creation Date : 2016:11:17 13:21:36+05:30
Avg Bitrate : 44.5 Mbps
GPS Altitude : 890.075 m
GPS Altitude Ref : Above Sea Level
GPS Latitude : 12 deg 56' 37.68" N
GPS Longitude : 77 deg 41' 48.48" E
Image Size : 3840x2160
Megapixels : 8.3
Rotation : 90
GPS Position : 12 deg 56' 37.68" N, 77 deg 41' 48.48" E
Regards,
Anuj
any input Phil..
Regards,
Anuj
OK, right. I should have checked. CreationDate isn't stored in QuickTime date/time format, it uses an ISO 8601 string which may contain a time zone. What I mentioned applies to the CreateDate tags (not CreationDate).
- Phil
Anuj,
Looks like the creation date tag
has timezone information. In fact I just tried this with a movie file I created with my own iPhone (a 4s) and indeed the Creation Date tag has a timezone, which presumably is set from the location where you took the image.
I changed my system timezone (to -5, I'm in +1) and with using the
-api QuickTimeUTC option I verified times were indeed reported correctly:
Quote16:53:55$ exiftool -api QuickTimeUTC -'*date' IMG_0001.MOV
[File:System] File Modification Date/Time : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[File:System] File Access Date/Time : 2016:12:05 10:54:16-05:00
[File:System] File Inode Change Date/Time : 2016:12:05 10:51:44-05:00
[QuickTime] Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime] Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:39-05:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 10:49:41-05:00
[QuickTime] Creation Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
For the record, with the system timezone set back to +1, this is the result:
Quote10:54:31$ exiftool -api QuickTimeUTC -'*date' IMG_0001.MOV
[File:System] File Modification Date/Time : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[File:System] File Access Date/Time : 2016:12:05 16:54:46+01:00
[File:System] File Inode Change Date/Time : 2016:12:05 16:51:44+01:00
[QuickTime] Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime] Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:41+01:00
[QuickTime] Creation Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
And without the
-api QuickTimeUTC option:
Quote17:00:39$ exiftool -'*date' IMG_0001.MOV
[File:System] File Modification Date/Time : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
[File:System] File Access Date/Time : 2016:12:05 17:00:46+01:00
[File:System] File Inode Change Date/Time : 2016:12:05 16:51:44+01:00
[QuickTime] Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime] Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track1] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track1] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track2] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track2] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track3] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track3] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track4] Track Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Create Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:39
[QuickTime:Track4] Media Modify Date : 2016:12:05 15:49:41
[QuickTime] Creation Date : 2016:12:05 16:49:39+01:00
As you can see totally correct :)
Hi Hayo,
Thanks for the verification.
I want to know if Quicktime file is storing timezone information, how can I read this info from Quicktime file. Create Date can be found in mvhd box of the file but where I can find this CreationDate info in the file. How exiftool is reading this tag?
Regards,
Anuj
If you want to be able to find the data in the file yourself, without using exiftool, I think a good start would be the specification of the QuickTime file format. I'm sure that is available at e.g the Apple website somewhere. In fact, Phil already pointed to it on the documentation page he referred to earlier: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/QuickTime/QTFF/QTFFPreface/qtffPreface.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40000939
But perhaps the info on Phil's QuickTime tag page is enough for you already: https://exiftool.org/TagNames/QuickTime.html
Try using the -v3 option when running exiftool to get more information about the low-level data in the file.
- Phil