Local Media Inspection and Privacy
The Media Metadata Viewer extracts technical details from video and audio files directly within your web browser. When you select a file, the tool reads only the header portion of the media container rather than processing the entire payload. This targeted reading method allows the tool to inspect even exceptionally large files almost instantly.
Because the extraction process runs locally, your file is read in your browser to extract its metadata, and nothing is uploaded to BroBroGo. This local execution model ensures that your media files do not leave your computer during inspection.
Supported Formats and Input Handling
The tool accepts a variety of common video and audio container formats. Users can drop a file onto the page or click to choose one from their local directory.
Supported file formats include:
- Video Containers: MP4, MOV, WebM, and MKV.
- Audio Containers: MP3, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, AAC, and M4A.
If you select multiple files simultaneously, the tool processes only the first file and displays the notification: "Inspecting the first file only.".
During file processing, the interface displays the status message "Reading {name}…". Once the extraction completes successfully, it displays "Metadata extracted.". If you click the "Clear" button, the tool cancels any ongoing extraction task, hides the generated report, resets the track count to zero, and disables the copy function.
Extracted Metadata Fields
The extracted information is organized into distinct sections based on the structure of the media container. If a specific track field is missing from the file header, the tool displays "—" as a placeholder.
General File Information
The General section provides high-level container details:
- File name
- File size
- Format
- Duration
- Overall bitrate (always calculated directly from the file size and duration)
- Tracks (the total count of tracks detected in the file)
Video Tracks
For each detected video track, a section titled "Video track {n}" displays the following technical attributes:
- Codec
- Resolution
- Coded resolution
- Frame rate
- Bitrate
- Rotation
- HDR (displays "Yes" or "No")
- Language
- Track name
Audio Tracks
For each detected audio track, a section titled "Audio track {n}" displays:
- Codec
- Sample rate
- Channels
- Bitrate
- Language
- Track name
Metadata Tags
If the media container contains embedded metadata tags, they are displayed in the Tags section:
- Title
- Artist
- Album
- Date
- Comment
Technical Rules and Stream Estimation
Media headers do not always explicitly declare every technical parameter. To handle these variations, the tool applies specific rules:
- Bitrate and Frame Rate Estimation: When a video or audio track's bitrate or frame rate is not explicitly written in the file header, the tool estimates the value by analyzing a short sample of the stream. This estimation method is highly accurate for constant-rate media and provides a very close approximation for variable-rate media.
- Overall Bitrate Calculation: The overall bitrate of the file is never estimated from stream samples; it is always calculated mathematically using the total file size and the total duration.
Error Handling and Troubleshooting
When a file cannot be processed, the interface displays one of three specific error messages to identify the issue:
| Error Message | Cause |
|---|---|
| "That is not a supported audio or video file." | The dropped file does not match any of the accepted video or audio formats. |
| "This file could not be read as media. It may be corrupted or an unsupported format." | The file extension may match a supported format, but the internal structure is unreadable or corrupted. |
| "Something went wrong reading that file." | An unexpected system or browser error occurred while attempting to read the local file. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What information does it show? For each file, the tool displays the container format and MIME type, overall bitrate, duration, and size. For each video track, it shows the codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, rotation, and HDR flag. For each audio track, it displays the codec, sample rate, channels, and bitrate, along with any title, artist, album, or date tags.
Which file types are supported? The tool supports MP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, and other common video containers, as well as MP3, WAV, FLAC, Ogg, AAC, and M4A audio files. Because only the headers are read, even large files are inspected in moments without decoding the entire file.
Why is a bitrate or frame rate sometimes an estimate? When a specific value is not written directly in the file header, the tool measures it from a short sample of the stream instead. This measurement is accurate for constant-rate media and very close for variable-rate media. The overall bitrate is always derived from the file size and duration.
Are my media files uploaded to a server? No. Your file is read locally in your browser to extract its metadata. Nothing is uploaded to BroBroGo, ensuring your files remain entirely on your local machine.