Metadata standards (continued): technical metadata

In my last post, I compared the structure of a number of metadata standards, but focused mostly on descriptive elements. Here, I want to look at the technical metadata, describing the format, carrier and encoding. As before, I’ll highlight some interesting differences, but mostly let the structure stand alone.

Dublin Core

DC has a single element to capture the “file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.” Given the breadth and scope of DC usage, this is about all one can hope for. Given an external grammar and vocabulary, this is probably sufficient for individual applications.

<dc:format></dc:format>

MODS

MODS provides another level of description for archival uses by splitting the physical description into 5 elements (+ a text note). In my mind, the reformattingQuality element may be the most important refinement. These elements (and their value dictionary and formats) map nicely into MARC, but might be insufficient for moving image materials.

  <physicalDescription lang="f5_17eefw4BbwP7b" xml:lang="" script="X" transliteration="VhzEqI856qfrQZJ">
      <note ID="ID005" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://THnMPLbo/" xlink:role="ynDJE7wVCMBBbA" xlink:arcrole="OCqJ"
           xlink:title="redJOt_dogF3Tp2njmIQhisKB" xlink:show="other" xlink:actuate="none" lang="pdykRWBgajwG0zIjnq8fb"
           xml:lang="" script="HgLL" transliteration="vWhPjUKFdU702imczoRLHkkgLA" type="r7TmaIheYr0zf8QK40rmhtSJg"
           displayLabel="ZmZQlXN">ppd0yxTPcxze2Imu.wdOa5SzK5wb</note>
      <note ID="ID007" xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="http://epYzWQBh/" xlink:role="BK4c-g" xlink:arcrole="vXY6fuRjWzyRHr"
           xlink:title="JORukGj89bKrPmF090" xlink:show="none" xlink:actuate="onRequest" lang="ee5skRdiVvH6eZVDLZ7VYe"
           xml:lang="" script="N3ux_Tifj03wB2wPA_qAsrkNUsMryr" transliteration="Pov__YXq5" type="iX56PQ6HgMmmq_"
           displayLabel="cznmzu9eCLEoKLhXhwpl2-rkA">DEFJ</note>
      <reformattingQuality>access</reformattingQuality>
      <form type="DmTxRg6_DA2PH5In-lu" authority="uxTM4">k7xanTkreAc4nC</form>
      <extent></extent>
      <internetMediaType>mime/type</internetMediaType>
      <digitalOrigin>digitized other analog</digitalOrigin>
  </physicalDescription>
        

PBCore

Taking this further, PBCore splits its technical metadata into 20 fields with some suggested controlled vocabularies. PBCore 1.2 further refined this by adding essence tracks to describe each track. In addition to the technical, PBCore also captures some information important to access like publish dates (dateIssued, pbcoreDateAvailable), locations (pbcoreLocation), type of content (formatGenerations). PBCore allows for a flexible amount of metadata, track variations, and carrier types, but questionably maps to non-video materials.

<pbcoreInstantiation>
    <pbcoreFormatID>
        <formatIdentifier>formatIdentifier0</formatIdentifier>
        <formatIdentifierSource version="version39">formatIdentifierSource0</formatIdentifierSource>
    </pbcoreFormatID>
    <pbcoreFormatID>
        <formatIdentifier>formatIdentifier1</formatIdentifier>
        <formatIdentifierSource version="version41">formatIdentifierSource1</formatIdentifierSource>
    </pbcoreFormatID>
    <pbcoreFormatID>
        <formatIdentifier>formatIdentifier2</formatIdentifier>
        <formatIdentifierSource version="version43">formatIdentifierSource2</formatIdentifierSource>
    </pbcoreFormatID>
    <dateCreated>dateCreated0</dateCreated>
    <dateIssued>dateIssued0</dateIssued>
    <formatPhysical version="version45">formatPhysical0</formatPhysical>
    <formatDigital version="version47">formatDigital0</formatDigital>
    <formatLocation>formatLocation0</formatLocation>
    <formatMediaType version="version49">formatMediaType0</formatMediaType>
    <formatGenerations version="version51">formatGenerations0</formatGenerations>
    <formatFileSize>formatFileSize0</formatFileSize>
    <formatTimeStart>formatTimeStart0</formatTimeStart>
    <formatDuration>formatDuration0</formatDuration>
    <formatDataRate>formatDataRate0</formatDataRate>
    <formatColors version="version53">formatColors0</formatColors>
    <formatTracks>formatTracks0</formatTracks>
    <formatChannelConfiguration>formatChannelConfiguration0</formatChannelConfiguration>
    <language version="version55">aaa</language>
    <alternativeModes>alternativeModes0</alternativeModes>
    <pbcoreEssenceTrack>
        <essenceTrackType>essenceTrackType0</essenceTrackType>
        <essenceTrackIdentifier>essenceTrackIdentifier0</essenceTrackIdentifier>
        <essenceTrackIdentifierSource>essenceTrackIdentifierSource0</essenceTrackIdentifierSource>
        <essenceTrackStandard version="version57">essenceTrackStandard0</essenceTrackStandard>
        <essenceTrackEncoding>essenceTrackEncoding0</essenceTrackEncoding>
        <essenceTrackDataRate>essenceTrackDataRate0</essenceTrackDataRate>
        <essenceTrackTimeStart>essenceTrackTimeStart0</essenceTrackTimeStart>
        <essenceTrackDuration>essenceTrackDuration0</essenceTrackDuration>
        <essenceTrackBitDepth version="version59">essenceTrackBitDepth0</essenceTrackBitDepth>
        <essenceTrackSamplingRate version="version61">essenceTrackSamplingRate0</essenceTrackSamplingRate>
        <essenceTrackFrameSize version="version63">essenceTrackFrameSize0</essenceTrackFrameSize>
        <essenceTrackAspectRatio version="version65">essenceTrackAspectRatio0</essenceTrackAspectRatio>
        <essenceTrackFrameRate version="version67">essenceTrackFrameRate0</essenceTrackFrameRate>
        <essenceTrackLanguage version="version69">aaa</essenceTrackLanguage>
        <essenceTrackAnnotation>essenceTrackAnnotation0</essenceTrackAnnotation>
    </pbcoreEssenceTrack>
    <pbcoreDateAvailable>
        <dateAvailableStart>dateAvailableStart0</dateAvailableStart>
        <dateAvailableEnd>dateAvailableEnd0</dateAvailableEnd>
    </pbcoreDateAvailable>
    <pbcoreAnnotation>
        <annotation>annotation0</annotation>
    </pbcoreAnnotation>
</pbcoreInstantiation>

EBUCore

The approach EBUCore takes to this metadata is very similar to PBCore, although likely more rigorous and in-line with other practices. As with the other EBUCore elements, the original Dublin Core format element is offered, in addition to a range of additional elements. With typeLabel, typeDefinition, and typeLink, EBUCorea adheres better to controlled vocabularies and linked data practices.

<format>
    <dc:format xml:lang="en-UK">hnaz2hrZZAzhaTHio0WLKSJFF0MQ</dc:format>
    <width unit="dWwJzj7Ej0WYkWC">5707</width>
    <height unit="SM4C2IyCTK">1804</height>
    <aspectRatio typeLabel="mOM9W4j6Bu15SmeRWOHFLtxH6w" typeDefinition="sQiURE6rTWmn" typeLink="http://LmiPsIsy/" note="n1hF"/>
    <medium typeLabel="Y_8y1e5k" typeDefinition="HfUR" typeLink="http://IqbHUkYP/"/>
    <mimeType typeLabel="nnO23DaIvowGW" typeDefinition="OxWghQzuCqDk5eNvlaQtqK4HZwbc" typeLink="http://lceWedzb/"/>
    <channel typeLabel="I1oKtY" typeDefinition="F3MkJuWo8NIiSQS" typeLink="http://ZvIxtSiS/" formatLabel="KMwj.Nm51"
         formatDefinition="aqPd" formatLink="http://PdnhkcZN/" bitrate="7854" xml:lang="fr-FR">
        <encoding typeLabel="XUsC6JLIXY-6iNPl" typeDefinition="X_Hyq" typeLink="http://oMNmyXWO/"/>
    </channel>
    <videoFormat formatLabel="bs_ConTzcb.xoSkNMD5tNZLOsht" formatDefinition="aMAvsEB299V9ckIrpDGlS.irpg4hJ" formatLink="http://aVkKZity/"/>
    <audioFormat formatLabel="sNebScV.tluJspUj1593R8Brj" formatDefinition="a_DDZxMV_8xrudiH8F" formatLink="http://dQwsNDCJ/"/>
    <fileFormat formatLabel="bDQumW482k1PuA.FncOmq" formatDefinition="nDOn" formatLink="http://zjgfLsIo/"/>
    <start formatLabel="GW97XnsOtHER" formatDefinition="I5SUTuZ03sb6Uixw8aSe" formatLink="http://hnjEwgIG/">cdHADoR-vhZ</start>
    <duration formatLabel="q6qg2sqt" formatDefinition="AUzOvlGwcuDW" formatLink="http://hoVlRUvi/">vm</duration>
    <timeFormat typeLabel="e7C4qh2" typeDefinition="JWtQy" typeLink="http://BebRGTyi/"/>
    <fileSize>4496</fileSize>
    <location>nMknpC7ZGtqY4X1h</location>
</format>

VIDEOMD

VIDEOMD, a METS extension for AV materials, is rooted more in the archival community than the preceding formats. It offers a number of interesting features, like the file checksum and compression fields, physical material description, and notes about calibration standards. While these elements are nice, and nicely supplement the high-level technical metadata in the other standards, this level of description is intensive and likely difficult for catalogers to adequately provide without additional infrastructure, in terms of tools, well-defined vocabularies, and training. Future iterations of PBCore could benefit from providing elements to capture some of the unique metadata without necessarily requiring such rigor. David Rice’s in-depth comparison of the two standards is an interesting read and offers some hope of collaboration and standardization between the communities.

<VIDEOMD ANALOGDIGITALFLAG="Analog" ID="idvalue0" xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/VMD/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.loc.gov/VMD/ VMD.xsd ">
  <file_data>
    <bits_per_sample>0</bits_per_sample>
    <byte_order>0</byte_order>
    <checksum ID="idvalue1">
      <checksum_datetime>2001-12-31T12:00:00</checksum_datetime>
      <checksum_type>checksum_type</checksum_type>
      <checksum_value>checksum_value</checksum_value>
    </checksum>
    <compression ID="idvalue2">
      <codec_creator_app>codec_creator_app</codec_creator_app>
      <codec_creator_app_version>codec_creator_app_version</codec_creator_app_version>
      <codec_name>codec_name</codec_name>
      <codec_quality>lossless</codec_quality>
    </compression>
    <data_rate>0</data_rate>
    <data_rate_mode>Fixed</data_rate_mode>
    <format_name>format_name</format_name>
    <format_note>format_note</format_note>
    <format_version>format_version</format_version>
    <sampling>sampling</sampling>
    <security>security</security>
    <sound>Yes</sound>
    <use>Master</use>
  </file_data>
  <physical_data>
    <color_burst>color_burst</color_burst>
    <condition>condition</condition>
    <disposition>disposition</disposition>
    <dtv ID="idvalue3">
      <dtv_aspect_ratio>dtv_aspect_ratio</dtv_aspect_ratio>
      <dtv_note>dtv_note</dtv_note>
      <dtv_resolution>dtv_resolution</dtv_resolution>
      <dtv_scan>dtv_scan</dtv_scan>
    </dtv>
    <generation>generation</generation>
    <material ID="idvalue4">
      <base_material>base_material</base_material>
      <binder>binder</binder>
      <disc_surface>disc_surface</disc_surface>
      <oxide>oxide</oxide>
      <reflective_layer>reflective_layer</reflective_layer>
      <stock_brand>stock_brand</stock_brand>
    </material>
    <number_carriers>number_carriers</number_carriers>
    <phys_format>phys_format</phys_format>
    <signal_format>signal_format</signal_format>
    <timecode ID="idvalue5">
      <timecode_record_method>timecode_record_method</timecode_record_method>
      <timecode_type>timecode_type</timecode_type>
    </timecode>
    <tracking ID="idvalue6">
      <tracking_type>tracking_type</tracking_type>
      <tracking_value>tracking_value</tracking_value>
    </tracking>
    <videodisc_type>CLV</videodisc_type>
    <videotape_type>videotape_type</videotape_type>
  </physical_data>
  <video_info>
    <aspect_ratio>aspect_ratio</aspect_ratio>
    <closed_captioning_note>closed_captioning_note</closed_captioning_note>
    <closed_captioning_type>closed_captioning_type</closed_captioning_type>
    <dimensions DEPTH="0.0" DIAMETER="0.0" GAUGE="" HEIGHT="0.0" LENGTH="" NOTE="" THICKNESS="" UNITS="" WIDTH="0.0"/>
    <duration>duration</duration>
    <frame ID="idvalue7">
      <pixels_horizontal>0</pixels_horizontal>
      <pixels_vertical>0</pixels_vertical>
      <frame_rate>0</frame_rate>
    </frame>
    <note>note</note>
  </video_info>
  <calibration_info>
    <image_data>image_data</image_data>
    <target_id>target_id</target_id>
    <target_type>target_type</target_type>
  </calibration_info>
</VIDEOMD>