G1/G3 video metadata

[TomW]

Hi all

I note from G1 5.6.0 firmware release notes that:

Support metadata of Smart event, which is raw data the camera collects before algorithm processing.

If enabled, the metadata of the corresponding event are available for users to explore the possibility of various data usage.

The metadata of the Smart event includes the target ID, target coordinate and time information.

I've enabled the camera's metadata settings. Presumably I need to dig in the downloaded video file for the meta data? There doesn't seem to be any obvious differences between a smart event video before I enabled the settings, and one after. Perhaps this relates to the display info on stream setting.

Or alternatively I've seen things that suggest a connection to a metadata port is required to retrieve and parse this info.

Is there any documentation or example from Hikvision available?

 

[Dan]

Hi @TomW

I have spoken to Hikvision support about how to access the camera's metadata and they have explained that the metadata is only available to Hikvision Partners who have registered at Hikvision's TPP portal

The idea is that the metadata is used to integrate the cameras with 3rd-party software and to access the metadata you need access to Hikvision's ISAPI document(s), and to access the ISAPI you will need to sign Hikvision's MLA (Material License Agreement).

Attached are Hikvision's documents on metadata and signing the MLA.

 

[TomW]

Thank you very much for this Dan. I really appreciate that.

Perhaps I am over cautious, but I have reservations about providing copies of my identification documents to China based Hikvision, but I think I'll approach this from a different angle. There are SDK demos that actually parse the metadata in playback, and there will be clues on what it is doing for those who look for them.

That metadata overview document is helpful to visualise the process.

Thanks again - I had thought my post had gone unnoticed

 

[TomW]

It also seems a little odd we seem to be invited to look at the metadata in the G1 patch notes I quoted above, but the overview document seems to exclude G1 2xxx cameras anyway (via ISAPI or ONVIF anyway).

This is despite the fact clearly there is metadata in G1 2xxx videos given we see bounding boxes, detection areas defined etc when playback with rules enabled. And of course there's the metadata option to be enabled in settings on these cameras.

I have some investigating to do