MDDF Tool Suite

• Home
• Common Metadata
• Common Ratings
• Extras and Interactivity
• Media Manifest
• Media Manifest Core
• Media Entertainment Core
• Avails
• Cross Platform Extras
• Content Recognition
• API (draft)

• Best Practices

• New Concepts

MDDF Tool Suite

To facilitate industry-wide adoption and usage of the MovieLabs Digital Distribution Framework, MovieLabs has made available to the industry a suite of free and open-source software that provides several key services:

• Validation: check the validity of a Avails, Media Manifest, Media Manifest Core, Common Metadata, or Media Entertainment Core (MEC) file.
• Conversion: converts a Avails file from one format to another

Source code for all tools and services is provided in the form of the MDDF Library in the mddf GitHub repository.

Accessing and Using

On-Line

MDDF services are available on-line. While primarily intended for browser-based usage, they may also be accessed via scripts (e.g. using curl ) or by any other software with the ability to make use of a REST API. The online validators and translators use the released MDDF libraries for all core functionality. The online user interface, however, is Beta and we welcome your feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Desktop Tools

The MDDF Tools are executable packages that are downloadable and provide interactive environments for accessing the various MDDF services. The tools are available as an executable Java jar. This provides access to all implemented MDDF services. The latest version of the mddf-tool jar is available on the MovieLabs mddf GitHub repository. In addition to all capabilities available on-line, the jar provides a command line interface (CLI) that may be used either from a terminal window or in conjunction with scheduled jobs (e.g., via crontab).

Core Integration into Workflows

The core functionality of both the on-line and desktop software is provided by mddf-lib. This is a free and open-source software module that may be downloaded from the MovieLabs mddf GitHub repository. The software is implemented in Java and developers are encouraged to make use of it in developing their own digital content distribution workflows.

Implemented Services

Validation

The Validation service will check files for schema compliance (XSD); spec compliance; and, as applicable, profiles and best practices. Validation services are available for all types of MDDF files.

• conformance with the XML schema for the indicated MDDF type and version.
• conformance with any additional requirements identified in the MovieLabs MDDF specifications.
• validation that ratings metadata conforms with the MovieLabs Worldwide Ratings Data.

Files that pass all of these checks are considered VALID and error-free. Files will also be checked for conformance with recommended Best Practices. Failure to follow Best Practices will generate Warnings and/or Notices in the log output but will not invalidate the file.

Conversion

Conversion services are currently focused on Avails files and fall into two categories:

• The Translation service may be used to translate Avails files either
  • from one format to another (e.g. XML to XLSX) or
  • to a different version of the same format (e.g., XML v2.2 to XML v2.3)
• The Compression services may be used to 'clean up' an Avails XLSX file by removing unused columns from a template spreadsheet.

Additional conversion services focused on CPE files will be added in future releases.

Release History

Release information for general users is available the MovieLabs MDDF Validator page.

Developers and those interested in the core MDDF libraries should refer to the Release History and Change Log found on the mddf GitHub repository.