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Container atom / box

Definition

The structural metadata units inside video container formats (MP4, MOV, MKV). Atoms such as mvhd (movie header) carry creation and modification timestamps; udta atoms can carry copyright and location data. These are independent of any embedded EXIF or XMP and can differ from them if a file was re-muxed.

Related terms

C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity)
An open technical standard that embeds cryptographically signed provenance assertions into media files at the point of capture or editing. A C2PA...
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format)
A metadata standard embedded in JPEG and TIFF files by capture devices. EXIF fields record camera make and model, lens data, exposure...
IPTC IIM
International Press Telecommunications Council Information Interchange Model: a legacy binary metadata standard embedded in JPEG APP13. Carries caption, credit, copyright, and editorial...
Makernote
A proprietary EXIF sub-block written by the camera manufacturer to record device-specific data not covered by the EXIF standard. Canon, Nikon, Sony,...
XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)
An Adobe-defined metadata format stored as an XML packet embedded in image files. XMP carries a software history field (xmpMM:History) that editing...

Explained in

  • EXIF and Container Metadata ForensicsThe structural metadata units inside video container formats (MP4, MOV, MKV). Atoms such as mvhd (movie header) carry creation and modification timestamps; udt...

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