Bug 488565 - Inconsistent DateTime display values and lack of time zone in Metadata Pane
Summary: Inconsistent DateTime display values and lack of time zone in Metadata Pane
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: digikam
Classification: Applications
Component: Metadata-Date (show other bugs)
Version: 8.3.0
Platform: Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Digikam Developers
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-06-16 06:10 UTC by ntd2521998
Modified: 2024-06-18 13:47 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 8.4.0
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
screenshots and metadata json (1.06 MB, application/x-zip-compressed)
2024-06-16 06:10 UTC, ntd2521998
Details

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Description ntd2521998 2024-06-16 06:10:15 UTC
Created attachment 170544 [details]
screenshots and metadata json

Summary
The metadata pane in digiKam displays inconsistent datetime values and does not include time zone information for each datetime value. This can cause confusion and inaccuracies when managing photos with metadata from different time zones.

Description
When viewing the metadata of videos in digiKam, the datetime values displayed in the metadata pane are inconsistent. Some places show time in UTC, some places show time at specific time zone (based on the actual time zone of that video), some places don't have indication of the time zone. For example, regarding to the created time of a video file (2023-01-21 15:51:54 +07:00), opened in computer with time zone +08:00 (set in system time).
1. in EXIF tab: 
- Date and Time: 2023:01:21 08:52:08
- Date and Time (digitized): 2023:01:21 08:51:54
- Date and Time (original): 2023:01:21 15:51:54
2. In IPTC tab: 
- Date Created: 2023-01-21 
- Digitization Date: 2023-01-21 
- Digitization Time: 15:51:54+00:00 
- Time Created: 15:51:54+00:00
3. In XMP tab
- CreationDate: 2023:01:21T15:51:54+07:00
- Date Created: 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Create Date (basic schema): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Metadata Date (basic schema): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Modify Date (basic schema): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Date and Time Digitized: 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Date and Time Original: 2023:01:21 15:51:54
- Date and Time (TIFF Properties): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Date and Time Digitized (XMP extended video schema): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Date and Time Original (XMP extended video schema): 2023:01:21T15:51:54
- Modication Date-Time: 2023:01:21T15:51:54


Steps to Reproduce
1. Open digiKam and import videos (maybe recorded in different time zones to see it better).
2. Select a video and open the metadata pane.
3. Observe the datetime values displayed for the selected video in each metadata tab.

Expected result
The datetime display values should be consistent and accurately reflect the metadata embedded in the videos.
The datetime display values should include time zone information to clarify the exact time and context in which the video was recorded. 
The datetime display values should be converted based on specific time zone where the computer is used.

Actual Behavior
The datetime display values are inconsistent.
Some datetime display values do not include time zone information, leading to ambiguity.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: Windows 11 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3737) 
digikam version: 8.3.0

Impact
Metatata pane of videos (potentially photos)

Suggested Solution
Ensure that datetime values displayed in the metadata pane are consistent and included time zone information for each datetime value to provide clear context and prevent ambiguity. It should be able to convert and display the corresponding time based on the time zone of the computer, applied to any place in the application that shows datetime values.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please let me know if you need any additional information to help diagnose and resolve this issue.
Comment 1 Maik Qualmann 2024-06-16 06:18:44 UTC
This has been fixed in digiKan-8.4.0. All date information is now provided by ExifTool. Only the information that is also present in the video metadata can be displayed. Very few camera devices write the set time zone into the metadata. You can test a preview of digiKam-8.4.0 here:

https://files.kde.org/digikam/

Maik
Comment 2 ntd2521998 2024-06-17 05:58:03 UTC
(In reply to Maik Qualmann from comment #1)
> This has been fixed in digiKan-8.4.0. All date information is now provided
> by ExifTool. Only the information that is also present in the video metadata
> can be displayed. Very few camera devices write the set time zone into the
> metadata. You can test a preview of digiKam-8.4.0 here:
> 
> https://files.kde.org/digikam/
> 
> Maik

Oh I see, obviously that time zone seems mostly available on smartphones, but that's not the case for normal cameras. I checked the 8.4.0 version. However, do we have statistics about date metadata from different vendors to see whether in the case there's no time zone data, it's more likely the UTC time or the actual recorded time? We might base on that to pick a more likely behaviour. Besides, if the time zone is available, I think then the display value should be adjusted base on the system time zone. In 8.4.0 version, I can see FileAccessDate, FileCreatedDate, FileModifyDate are showing the value based on the system time zone, but CreateDate and CreationDate still showing kind of raw values.