A video metadata viewer for MP4, MOV and MKV files
Every video file carries information beyond the picture and sound: which codec and profile it uses, the real frame rate, the bitrate, colour space and HDR format, when and on which device it was recorded, which app last saved it — and on phones, often the GPS location where it was filmed. This free video metadata viewer reads all of it from MP4, MOV, M4V, 3GP, MKV and WebM files.
It is useful when a platform rejects an upload, a TV refuses to play a file, you need to know whether footage is HDR or 10-bit, or you want to check what a video reveals before you share it. Only the file’s headers are read, in your browser — the video is never uploaded.
How to use the Video Metadata Viewer
- Drop a video onto the box or click it to choose a file.
- Read the summary: container, streaming layout, duration, size, overall bitrate, creation date and encoder.
- If a yellow warning appears, the file contains a location — open it on OpenStreetMap to see what others would see.
- Check each track card for codec, profile and level, resolution, aspect ratio, rotation, frame rate, bitrate, colour and HDR, or audio channels and sample rate.
- Browse every metadata tag, expand the raw box or element tree, and copy or download the whole report as JSON.
Video Metadata Viewer features
Codec, profile and level decoded
Codec strings such as avc1.640028 or hvc1.2.4.L153.B0 are translated into “High profile, level 4” or “Main 10, Main tier, level 5.1”.
Real frame rate
Frame rate is measured from the frame timestamps, so variable-frame-rate phone videos are identified with their minimum and maximum rates.
Colour and HDR
Primaries, transfer function and matrix are listed, with PQ (HDR10, Dolby Vision) and HLG recognised.
Location warning
GPS from QuickTime ©xyz, Apple’s location key, 3GPP loci boxes, XMP and Matroska tags is shown with an OpenStreetMap link — no map is embedded.
Raw structure for experts
The MP4 box tree (moov, trak, stsd, udta, meta…) or the Matroska EBML element tree with offsets, sizes and decoded values.
Copy as JSON
Export the full report for bug reports, asset management or scripts.
Where videos store their metadata
| Information | MP4 / MOV | MKV / WebM |
|---|---|---|
| Creation date | mvhd and tkhd headers, ©day, com.apple.quicktime.creationdate | DateUTC in the Info element |
| GPS location | ©xyz in udta, com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709, 3GPP loci | LOCATION tags (when present) |
| Camera and software | ©mak, ©mod, ©too, ©swr, handler and compressor names | MuxingApp, WritingApp, ENCODER tags |
| Title, comments, custom data | udta strings, meta/ilst items, XMP | Title, Tags/SimpleTag |
| Rotation | Transformation matrix in tkhd | ProjectionPoseRoll (rare) |
Reading the numbers
- Fast start: when the moov index comes before the media, a browser can start playing an MP4 while it downloads. Upload sites usually fix this themselves; self-hosted videos need it.
- Coded vs display size: phones store portrait video as landscape pixels with a 90° rotation flag; players turn it upright.
- Bitrate: higher means more data per second. 1080p H.264 typically runs 5–10 Mbit/s; HEVC and AV1 achieve similar quality with less.
- Variable frame rate: common on phones and screen recordings; some editors expect constant frame rate.
Private by design
Checking a video’s metadata should not mean handing the video to a stranger’s server. This page reads only the parts of the file that hold headers and tags, using Mediabunny (MPL-2.0) and its own MP4 and Matroska parsers in your browser. If you find a location or personal details you don’t want to share, strip them losslessly with Remove Video Metadata; for photos use the EXIF Viewer. To see the frames themselves at a glance, make a Video Contact Sheet.
Video Metadata Viewer FAQ
How can I see where a video was recorded?
Open the original file here. If the phone or camera saved a location, a yellow warning shows the coordinates and an OpenStreetMap link. Videos shared through most messaging apps and social networks have had their location removed.
How do I check a video’s codec and frame rate?
Drop the file in and look at the video track card: it shows the codec with its profile and level, and the frame rate measured from the frames, marked constant or variable.
Is my video HDR?
The HDR row says “Yes” when the transfer function is PQ (HDR10 or Dolby Vision) or HLG. 10-bit BT.2020 video with a normal transfer function is wide-gamut SDR.
Why does the creation date look wrong?
MP4 dates are stored in UTC, and some apps reset them when they edit or export. A creation time of “not recorded” usually means the file was re-saved by an app that leaves it empty.
Does it work with large files?
Yes. Only headers and indexes are read, so multi-gigabyte files open in about a second. For MKV files bitrate is estimated from the first part of the file.
Is the video uploaded?
No. Everything is read locally in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.