Sustainability of Digital Formats
 Planning for Library of Congress Collections

Format Description Categories >> Browse Alphabetical List>> Back

Identification and description

Full name	MXF Generic Container Mapped to Uncompressed Images
Description	Essence container for the MXF file format that carries uncompressed video. Although most mapping information is provided in SMPTE ST 384, a detailed listing of nine picture essence types is provided in Annex G (section G.2.25 in the 2009 edition) of SMPTE ST 377-1. Three of these feature bytestream structures described at this Web site at this time and they are represented in the Relationships section below.
Production phase	Middle-state format for production, material exchange, or archiving.
Relationship to other formats
Subtype of	MXF_GC, MXF Format Generic Container
Has subtype	MXF_GC_UNC_V210, MXF Generic Container with Uncompressed Video Essence V210
Has subtype	MXF_GC_UNC_UYVY, MXF Generic Container with Uncompressed Video Essence UYVY (2vuy)
Has subtype	MXF_GC_UNC_YUY2, MXF Generic Container with Uncompressed Video Essence YUY2 (yuv2)
Has subtype	MXF Generic Container mapped to other uncompressed video encodings, not documented at this time.

Local use

LC experience or existing holdings
LC preference	The Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Packard Campus, at Culpeper, Virginia, produces MXF_OP1a_JP2_LL files as archival masters as they reformat their older videotapes.

Sustainability factors

Disclosure	Open standard. Developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Documentation	Two specifications include valuable information: SMPTE ST 384:2005. Television — Material Exchange Format (MXF) — Mapping of Uncompressed Pictures into the MXF Generic Container and SMPTE ST 377-1:2011, Material Exchange Format (MXF) -- File Format Specification, especially annex G.
Adoption	See MXF.
Licensing and patents	See MXF.
Transparency	See MXF.
Self-documentation	See MXF and MXF_GC..
External dependencies	See MXF.
Technical protection considerations	See MXF.

Quality and functionality factors

Moving Image
Normal rendering	Supported.
Clarity (high image resolution)	Depends upon encoding.
Functionality beyond normal rendering	Not applicable.

File type signifiers

Notes

General
History

Format specifications

• SMPTE ST 384:2005. Television — Material Exchange Format (MXF) — Mapping of Uncompressed Pictures into the MXF Generic Container.
• SMPTE ST 377-1:2011, Material Exchange Format (MXF) -- File Format Specification.

Useful references