Missing date in MOV files

Phil Harvey · January 14, 2015, 09:48:42 AM

ExifTool does not yet have MKV write support. See the Supported File Types on the ExifTool home page for a complete list.

- Phil

exifzarko · January 14, 2015, 09:54:05 AM

Thanks for a quick answer! Regards, Zarko.

exifzarko · January 15, 2015, 07:41:50 PM

Phil - one more question. If I have three MP4s that should be inserted a specific date in time, do I need to EXIFTOOL them one by one or is there a smarter way? My files are: MOV03521.mp4, MOV03552.mp4, MOV03553.mp4 and I would like to EXIFTOOL them in the same alphabetical order to the same date but not the same time (e.g. it could be a difference in seconds or minutes in between them, it does not matter, as long as they are assigned different time tags). Do you know if it can be done and by what command?

Phil Harvey · January 15, 2015, 09:07:41 PM

I recall a few threads in the forum with this exact question. Here is one.

You could do what you want with 2 commands. First set all the date/time tags to the same value, then increment them using FileSequence as in the thread linked above.

- Phil

exifzarko · January 16, 2015, 01:00:54 PM

It's magic :-) Thanks for the tip as well as for the link. I succeeded in inserting the same 'createdate' in all mp4 files (exiftool -createdate="2014:09:23 11:05:06" *.mp4). Then I changed the time (exiftool "-createdate+<0:0:$filesequence" -ext mp4 s:\test). Now, the files are having 1 second difference in 'createdate'. If I want to increase the time difference in between the files (e.g. 5 min difference or 1 hour difference, what parts in the command should be changed?

Phil Harvey · January 16, 2015, 01:11:56 PM

See the ExifTool Date/Time shift documentation for help with the syntax of the date/time shift string. The FileSequence tag is an Extra tag, and the +< is used to add to the date/time value (ie. shift) from a string containing the values of other tags (ie. the -tagsFromFile redirection feature).

But reading my explanation above, I suspect that I may have just muddied the waters for you. I was trying to teach you how to fish, but instead maybe I'll just throw you a couple of fish...

1) A 5 minute difference:

exiftool "-createdate+<0:${filesequence;$_*=5}" -ext mp4 s:\test

2) A 1 hour difference:

exiftool "-createdate+<filesequence" -ext mp4 s:\test

- Phil

exifzarko · January 17, 2015, 12:19:33 PM

I appreciate the fish

)) Thanks a lot Phil!

exifzarko · January 17, 2015, 12:55:40 PM

Phil, would it be possible to create a sidecar/xmp for the original MPG file? What I am aiming at is to trick or rather help Carousel to position the MPG file in the timeline according to the same-named xmp file? It is a long shot but I would still like to try it. Does EXIFTOOL offer that possibility? Can EXIFTOOL create an empty XMP file and then populate the createdate field with this command: exiftool -createdate="2014:09:23 11:05:06" mov03521.xmp?

Phil Harvey · January 17, 2015, 02:59:26 PM

ExifTool can do that too. read here for details.

- Phil

exifzarko · January 17, 2015, 05:31:04 PM

That's great Phil! Unfortunately it did not work with Carousel :-( I think they can learn something from you :-) Thanks for the great support!

exifzarko · January 17, 2015, 06:58:12 PM

Phil, could you please explain this phenomenon: I have EXIFTOOLed my MP4 files and they should now have the correct createdate (but in reality they do not - they are shown with one hour difference! This difference (timestamp) is only shown in Carousel and not in EXIFTOOL). I guess either Carousel is misreading the EXIFTOOL createdate or we should have indicated during the conversion that the createdate should be formatted in the Central European Time (Zagreb). The still photo and the video should be next to each other in the timeline, but they are not, since there is an hour of difference that I do not have an explanation for. Here is an EXIFTOOL info about the still photo: ExifTool Version Number : 9.79
File Name : 2014-09-19 10.43.34.jpg
Directory : E:/Users/Owner/Desktop/test
File Size : 805 kB
File Modification Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:50:11+01:00
File Access Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:50:10+01:00
File Creation Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:50:10+01:00
File Permissions : rw-rw-rw-
File Type : JPEG
MIME Type : image/jpeg
JFIF Version : 1.01
Exif Byte Order : Little-endian (Intel, II)
Image Description :
Make : SONY
Camera Model Name : DSC-H50
Orientation : Horizontal (normal)
X Resolution : 72
Y Resolution : 72
Resolution Unit : inches
Modify Date : 2014:09:19 10:43:34
Y Cb Cr Positioning : Centered
Exposure Time : 1/125
F Number : 3.5
Exposure Program : Portrait
ISO : 160
Exif Version : 0221
Date/Time Original : 2014:09:19 10:43:34
Create Date : 2014:09:19 10:43:34
Components Configuration : Y, Cb, Cr, -
Compressed Bits Per Pixel : 4
Exposure Compensation : 0
Max Aperture Value : 2.7
Metering Mode : Multi-segment
Light Source : Unknown
Flash : On, Return detected
Focal Length : 22.1 mm
Face Info Offset : 72
Sony Date Time : 2014:09:19 10:43:34
Sony Image Height : 1080
Sony Image Width : 1920
Faces Detected : 1
Face Info Length : 32
Meta Version : DC5303320222000
Face 1 Position : 420 1338 384 384
Creative Style : Standard
Macro : Off
Focus Mode : AF-C
AF Area Mode : Face Tracking
AF Illuminator : Auto
JPEG Quality : Standard
Flash Level : Normal
Release Mode : Normal
Sequence Number : Single
Anti-Blur : On (Continuous)
Dynamic Range Optimizer : Off
High ISO Noise Reduction 2 : Normal
Intelligent Auto : Off
Flashpix Version : 0100
Color Space : sRGB
Exif Image Width : 1080
Exif Image Height : 1920
Interoperability Index : R98 - DCF basic file (sRGB)
Interoperability Version : 0100
File Source : Digital Camera
Scene Type : Directly photographed
Custom Rendered : Normal
Exposure Mode : Auto
White Balance : Auto
Scene Capture Type : Portrait
Contrast : Normal
Saturation : Normal
Sharpness : Normal
PrintIM Version : 0300
Compression : JPEG (old-style)
Thumbnail Offset : 9794
Thumbnail Length : 8643
Image Width : 1080
Image Height : 1920
Encoding Process : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample : 8
Color Components : 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:4:0 (1 2)
Aperture : 3.5
Image Size : 1080x1920
Shutter Speed : 1/125
Thumbnail Image : (Binary data 8643 bytes, use -b option to extr
act)
Focal Length : 22.1 mm
Light Value : 9.9
-- press any key -- An here is an EXIFTOOL info about the MP4 video: ExifTool Version Number : 9.79
File Name : MOV03521.MPG.mp4
Directory : E:/Users/Owner/Desktop/test
File Size : 11 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:51:00+01:00
File Access Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:51:00+01:00
File Creation Date/Time : 2015:01:17 23:51:00+01:00
File Permissions : rw-rw-rw-
File Type : MP4
MIME Type : video/mp4
Major Brand : MP4 Base Media v1 [IS0 14496-12:2003]
Minor Version : 0.2.0
Compatible Brands : isom, iso2, avc1, mp41
Movie Data Size : 11195248
Movie Data Offset : 48
Movie Header Version : 0
Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Time Scale : 1000
Duration : 20.16 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 : 3
Track Header Version : 0
Track Create Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Track Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Track ID : 1
Track Duration : 20.10 s
Track Layer : 0
Track Volume : 0.00%
Image Width : 640
Image Height : 480
Graphics Mode : srcCopy
Op Color : 0 0 0
Compressor ID : avc1
Source Image Width : 640
Source Image Height : 480
X Resolution : 72
Y Resolution : 72
Bit Depth : 24
Video Frame Rate : 30
Matrix Structure : 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Media Header Version : 0
Media Create Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Media Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Media Time Scale : 32000
Media Duration : 20.16 s
Media Language Code : und
Handler Description : SoundHandler
Balance : 0
Audio Format : mp4a
Audio Channels : 2
Audio Bits Per Sample : 16
Audio Sample Rate : 32000
Handler Type : Metadata
Handler Vendor ID : Apple
Encoder : Lavf56.18.100
XMP Toolkit : Image::ExifTool 9.79
Create Date : 2014:09:19 10:45:06
Avg Bitrate : 4.44 Mbps
Image Size : 640x480
Rotation : 0
-- press any key --

Is there a bug in Carousel that we should just ignore and re-EXIFTOOL the MP4 files with the negative shift of time (minus 1 hour). Then the createdate in EXIFTOOL would be: 2014:09:19 09:45:06 and in Carousel 2014:09:19 10:45:06? Or does EXIFTOOL have the capability to format the date in the Central European Time format (Zagreb)?

Phil Harvey · January 17, 2015, 08:34:34 PM

I think your problem may be solved if you write the XMP:CreateDate with a time zone. See FAQ number 5 if you need help with this.

- Phil

exifzarko · January 18, 2015, 09:58:56 PM

Thanks Phil, but it does not work :-( Unless I change the createdate deliberately wrong (exiftool -createdate="2015:01:17 22:38:06" test3.mp4) I could not see it properly displayed in Carousel as 2015:01:17 23:38:06. I followed your advice (https://exiftool.org/faq.html#Q5), but there seems to be something else defining the date other than createdate. To put it the other way, why does Carousel add 1 hour to my mp4 videos and is there anything EXIFTOOL can do to prevent it (like indicating the time zone). I have tried with this, but it did not help: exiftool -createdate="2015:01:17 23:38:06-01:00" test3.mp4. It seems as if Carousel is incapable of "reading" the additional parameters in the createdate (-01:00) and automatically adds +1 h to my videos (but based on what???). Here is the EXIFTOOL info: ExifTool Version Number : 9.79
File Name : test3.mp4
Directory : E:/Users/Owner/Desktop/test
File Size : 4.6 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2015:01:19 03:54:40+01:00
File Access Date/Time : 2015:01:19 03:54:40+01:00
File Creation Date/Time : 2015:01:19 03:54:40+01:00
File Permissions : rw-rw-rw-
File Type : MP4
MIME Type : video/mp4
Major Brand : MP4 Base Media v1 [IS0 14496-12:2003]
Minor Version : 0.2.0
Compatible Brands : isom, iso2, avc1, mp41
Movie Data Size : 4775049
Movie Data Offset : 48
Movie Header Version : 0
Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Time Scale : 1000
Duration : 6.33 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 : 3
Track Header Version : 0
Track Create Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Track Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Track ID : 1
Track Duration : 6.30 s
Track Layer : 0
Track Volume : 0.00%
Image Width : 640
Image Height : 480
Graphics Mode : srcCopy
Op Color : 0 0 0
Compressor ID : avc1
Source Image Width : 640
Source Image Height : 480
X Resolution : 72
Y Resolution : 72
Bit Depth : 24
Video Frame Rate : 30
Matrix Structure : 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Media Header Version : 0
Media Create Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Media Modify Date : 0000:00:00 00:00:00
Media Time Scale : 32000
Media Duration : 6.33 s
Media Language Code : und
Handler Description : SoundHandler
Balance : 0
Audio Format : mp4a
Audio Channels : 2
Audio Bits Per Sample : 16
Audio Sample Rate : 32000
Handler Type : Metadata
Handler Vendor ID : Apple
Encoder : Lavf56.18.100
XMP Toolkit : Image::ExifTool 9.79
Date/Time Original : 2015:01:19 03:09:01+01:00
Create Date : 2015:01:17 23:38:06-01:00
Avg Bitrate : 6.03 Mbps
Image Size : 640x480
Rotation : 0
-- press any key --

exifzarko · January 19, 2015, 06:21:52 AM

Phil, one more thing - I have also tried to change the contentcreatedate (exiftool -contentcreatedate="2015:01:17 23:38:06-01:00" test3.mp4), but realised that EXIFTOOL does not write that piece of information. Could it be that it is the contentcreatedate, which defines the "real date of creation" and is there a way to deep scan the test.mp4 file with EXIFTOOL (in order to see all metadata info about the file, including the hidden info)?

Phil Harvey · January 19, 2015, 07:00:04 AM

I think these questions are all more appropriately asked in a Carousel forum.

Try the -v3 option to see all of the hidden metadata.

- Phil

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Missing date in MOV files