Bug 493241

Summary:	Date / Time Metadata different in video files starting from DigiKam 8.4.0
Product:	[Applications] digikam	Reporter:	verweis-buergerin-0o
Component:	Metadata-Video	Assignee:	Digikam Developers <digikam-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Severity:	normal	CC:	metzpinguin
Priority:	NOR
Version:	8.4.0
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Microsoft Windows
OS:	Microsoft Windows
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:	8.5.0
Sentry Crash Report:

Description verweis-buergerin-0o 2024-09-17 06:42:39 UTC

Hi,
with the switch to DigiKam 8.4.0 I noticed, that DigiKam is somehow treating timestamp of Video files differently.
For example a video from my iPhone (.MOV, MPEG-4).
When opening in DigiKam 8.4.0 the "Date of Recording" displayed in the preview is wrong. It seems that it shows the "Modification time. This is usually the date when the file was copied to disk.
Doing this with the same file in DigiKam 8.3.0 it show the correct date.

Somehow 8.4.0 is reading not the correct (or different) Metadata for videos.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Delete digikamrc
2. Start 8.4.0 with a clean configuration and choose the foder containing the video as the library
3. The video is showing the wrong date

4. Delete digikamrc
5. Start 8.3.0 with a clean configuration and choose the foder containing the video as the library
6. The same video is showing the correct date


OBSERVED RESULT
- 8.4.0 is showing a different date. Maybe the modification date.

EXPECTED RESULT
- It should show the same date in both DigiKam versions

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows:

Comment 1 Maik Qualmann 2024-09-17 06:45:53 UTC

Fixed with Bug 490552 in digiKam-8.5.0

Maik

Comment 2 verweis-buergerin-0o 2024-09-17 07:41:37 UTC

(In reply to Maik Qualmann from comment #1)
> Fixed with Bug 490552 in digiKam-8.5.0
> 
> Maik

Thanks for your quick response.
I just checked with version 8.5.0 (weekly snapshot - https://files.kde.org/digikam/digiKam-8.5.0-20240917T070205-Qt6-Win64.exe)
The behaviour is still the same. Or is your fix maybe not included in this version?
THX.

Comment 3 Maik Qualmann 2024-09-17 10:22:58 UTC

Have you reread the metadata of the affected video files?
If so, please upload a video sample so we can reproduce the problem.

Maik

Comment 4 verweis-buergerin-0o 2024-09-17 10:33:48 UTC

(In reply to Maik Qualmann from comment #3)
> Have you reread the metadata of the affected video files?
> If so, please upload a video sample so we can reproduce the problem.
> 
> Maik


I have investigated a bit further and found the issue / workaround. Not sure if it is a bug or works as designed.

When I install digikam from scratch where is always an error that it couldn'f find exiftool. As Reading Metadata is done with exiftool, this obviously doesn't work well and the wrong date is displayed at least for video files.
When I configure now the path to exiftool a simple refresh with F5 is still not doing the trick, but by doing a "refresh metadata from files" in the album menu is working and now the metadata is reread with exiftool and correctly displayed.

I think it is more or less works as designed.

Comment 5 Maik Qualmann 2024-09-17 10:39:22 UTC

Yes, ExifTool was broken in digiKam-8.4.0. But it should work in digiKam-8.5.0, assuming the path settings were not changed.
And yes, ExifTool must work for video metadata.
F5 just looks for new items and updates the thumbnail. It doesn't re-read the metadata, but it's true that it's more commonly suspected.

Maik

Comment 6 verweis-buergerin-0o 2024-09-17 10:44:34 UTC

Thanks for your support and explanation. I mark this one as resolved.