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#482 Photo-JPEG MOV Files Show As MJPEG

Incorrect_result
open-accepted
5
2010-04-20
2010-04-19
JeffBDVS
No

A Quicktime MOV file in Windows 7 x64 that was encoded with the Photo-JPEG codec (such as stock footage from Artbeats) shows up in MediaInfo as using the MJPEG codec.

Discussion

  • Jerome Martinez

    Jerome Martinez - 2010-04-19
    • status: open --> pending-works-for-me
     
  • Jerome Martinez

    Jerome Martinez - 2010-04-19

    I don't see any bug in this:
    - M-JPEG is multiple JPEG image stream, each JPEG imagine is independant, but displayed 1 per 1 at a specified frame rate
    - Photo-CD (Photo-JPEG) are multiple JPEG image stream, each JPEG imagine is independant, but displayed 1 per 1 at a specified frame rate

    What should be displayed from your point of view? On my side, I don't see any technical difference.

     
  • JeffBDVS

    JeffBDVS - 2010-04-19
    • status: pending-works-for-me --> open-works-for-me
     
  • JeffBDVS

    JeffBDVS - 2010-04-19

    [Begin Quote]
    So just for the record, here's some useful and reliable info:

    JPEG is a lossy format, and there are 2 main sources of loss when a JPEG
    codec is used- firstly there's chroma downsampling and secondly there's
    quantisation. There are also some small rounding errors which result
    from the overall process but they are negligible.

    The most significant piece of information to know is that at 100%
    quality, all 3 codecs do not downsample chroma (they work at 4:4:4) and
    they do not quantise the resulting data (they use a quantisation table
    of 1s). At 100% quality the only losses come from rounding errors and
    these are negligible.

    In other words, at 100% quality Photo JPEG, MJPEGA & MJPEGB are all
    practically lossless.

    There are some important differences between the codecs, however.

    Both the MJPEG codecs allow fields and a field order to be specified,
    and if used the fields are compressed separately and then combined. This
    prevents artifacts from mushing fields together, and at lower quality
    settings this can make a significant difference. For this reason alone,
    anyone working with interlaced video should use the MJPEG codecs and not
    the Photo JPEG codec.

    At quality levels below 100%, chroma is downsampled respective to the
    quality level selected, but Photo JPEG samples at 4:2:0 (ie. vertical
    samples) while the MJPEG codecs sample at 4:2:2 (ie. horizontal
    samples). In terms of video footage, this relates to a fields issue and is another
    reason why you should use MJPEG codecs for interlaced footage instead of
    Photo JPEG. If your video footage is frames (eg. footage shot on film
    and telecined 1:1) then it's less of an issue.

    As has been pointed out before, there is no quality difference between
    MJPEGA and MJPEGB, they are simply optimized for different hardware
    decoders.

    In summary- at 100% quality all 3 codecs are practically lossless.

    Below 100%, the fact that the MJPEG codecs compress fields separately and
    downsample chroma horizontally means they will deliver better quality
    results from interlaced footage. Photo JPEG does not compress fields
    separately and downsamples chroma vertically, which can lead to field
    mush when used with interlaced footage.
    [End Quote]

    So although the differences are subtle, an editor needs to know which of the codecs is in use, especially when cutting stock footage in the same timeline with camera footage.

    -Jeff

     
  • Jerome Martinez

    Jerome Martinez - 2010-04-20

    OK, I understand better now.
    So now, I need a sample, to see what is the difference in the codec identifier between M-JPEG and Photo-JPEG. I hope there are any!
    Please provide a sample, I can provide a private FTP server access for upload if you need it.

    Or more useful is the CodecID (in the text view).

    At home, I have thess CodecIDs:
    jpeg (there is a "compressor name" = "Photo -JPEG", so I imagine you think about this one)
    MJPG
    mjpa (I imagine this is M-JPEG A)

    I think I will not change the name of the format, but add a "profile ("A", "B", "Photo").
    I don't provide yet lot of info about M-JPEG, I will try to add this (Chroma, Interlacement...)

     
  • Jerome Martinez

    Jerome Martinez - 2010-04-20
    • status: open-works-for-me --> pending-accepted
     
  • JeffBDVS

    JeffBDVS - 2010-04-20
    • status: pending-accepted --> open-accepted
     
  • JeffBDVS

    JeffBDVS - 2010-04-20

    I believe that the FOURCC code for Photo-JPEG is simply JPEG.

    Here's the link to the sample file:

    http://bellunevideo.com/client1/ACB101.mov

    Thanks,
    -Jeff

     

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