MetaRex FAQ - Project

Metadata Resource Express:  the streamlined way to deliver and use Metadata!

The idea for Rexy   was first created between Amber, Simi and Bruce.  The original idea was to represent the media industry and how old-fashioned the ways of working with metadata can be.  This is represented by the train and dinosaur.

Also, who doesn’t love a cute, baby dinosaur!

There is currently no standard and interoperable way to transport media metadata. Without a transport medium, these are the biggest issues to affect metadata:

• It is lost or corrupted during the production process.
• Incompatibility with different software applications.

• Difficulties in managing and searching metadata.

We can help you streamline your workflows, reduce integration costs, improve metadata storage and connect you with our growing network of companies.

Your involvement will give you the opportunity to adapt the MetaRex framework to your requirements and allow you to be first to market.

Standardisation:  MetaRex will create a standardised way to transport metadata, ensuring that metadata is always transported in the same way, regardless of the software application used. This will make it easier to manage and search metadata, and it will also reduce the risk of metadata being lost or corrupted.

Interoperability:  MetaRex will make metadata interoperable, which means that it will be compatible with different software applications. This will make it easier to share metadata between different systems, and it will also make it easier to access metadata from different sources.

Extensibility:  MetaRex will be extensible, meaning new metadata formats can be easily added to the framework.  This will ensure that MetaRex can support the latest metadata standards, and it will also make it easier to add new metadata fields to the framework.

The MetaRex team is led by renowned media technologist Bruce Devlin, who has had a significant impact on the way that media is produced and distributed.  Bruce is a former head of standards for SMPTE and a member of the EBU.  He is passionate about open-source solutions and is committed to making the media industry more accessible and efficient.

MetaRex is a not-for-profit initiative and is funded by Backers from companies that will benefit from free-flowing metadata.

No scam. Honest.  

The idea behind the project is to make enough money to make it open-source in order for people and the industry to use.  

If we can do a bit of good and make a difference in the industry, where people and companies work together then that’s an achievement.

Many workflows treat metadata as disposable.  Once it has been used for its immediate use, it can be discarded.  Downstream and when content is archived often very little metadata survives, leading to it having to be regenerated when required at additional cost and time.  MetaRex will help preserve data for future use.

The need for richer data sets is growing, and the performance of AI and automated metadata generation tools is constantly improving.  MetaRex can allow for seamless swapping out of tools without additional integration costs and time.

Who doesn’t love saving some time and money!

The initial backers, company incorporation, board and draft work plan will be in place by end of 2022.

First grant applications and proposals can be received against the work plan, beginning of 2023.

The project will continue until end of 2024.  It will then be wound up by the board, leaving all code and open-source content in place with a sustaining plan to ensure its longevity.

 

Yes, you could wait but then you would be missing out on the opportunity to benefit from free-flowing metadata right now and working at the forefront of the new metadata workflow!

One of our Board Member’s would like to retire.  In order for him to feel like he can, he was to leave the industry in a better place.  With making MetaRex open-sourced by the end of 2024, this will help towards a better future.

There are multiple ways for you or your company to get involved with the MetaRex project. 

To be a Backer (or Partner) have a look at our Backers page.

If you want to receive our newsletters and keep updated on where we are with the project, have a look at our Blog page.

Have a questions?  No matter how detailed or simple, you can contact, or set up a meeting with us. 

 

Source code is a piece of code in a computer’s software that users can change, by improving that program, by adding features or fixing issues.

Open Source software (FOSS) is software with source code that anyone can view, modify, copy, share with others and learn from.

Amazingly, yes, it is free for people to use.

Response Narrative Factory (RNF) was a team project, with five different companies, coming together to work on one project at IBC 2023.  The overall project was to give viewers flexible media and be able to filter videos and episode to the viewer’s preferences.

This was achieved and you can see the final demo here.

MetaRex was one of the companies involved with the RNF project.  MetaRex is designed to developing an open-source framework for the transport of media metadata, to preserve, collate and identify metadata, to create a seamless workflow.

MetaRex was one of the companies, or participants, involved with the Responsive Narrative Factory (RNF) at IBC 2023.  

MetaRex did the tagging, preserving, collating, transportation and delivering of metadata from the episodes and programs used in the RNF project.

IBC2023 was very successful!

MetaRex along with our partners involved with the Response Narrative Factory, showed a hugely successful demo of hyper localisation and personalisation. 

 

On the Friday, our panel for the Responsive Narrative Factory explained how metadata-powered content can improve the consumers viewing experiences.  You can see the interview here.

They are wide and varied, wherever media metadata is generated and used from camera data through post-production to broadcast and distribution.  

Set up a meeting with one of the team to discuss more.

If we meet our funding goals, then we will be handing out free, cuddly Dinosaurs toy at IBC 2024. 

In order to get your free Dinosaur, we need your help.  By becoming a Backer, you will be at the top of the list for our cuddly toys.