Overview
IEC 61834-4:1998 is the part 4 specification of the IEC 61834 series for helical‑scan digital video cassette recording systems using 6.35 mm (1/4") magnetic tape for consumer use (525-60, 625-50, 1125-60 and 1250-50 systems). This part specifies the pack header table and the contents of packs used across the entire recording system - defining the metadata structures and header fields that describe recorded material and control information.
Key topics
The standard defines pack headers, metadata fields and pack content types. Major technical topics and header types (as listed in the table of contents) include:
- CONTROL packs: fields such as CASSETTE ID, TAPE LENGTH, timer activation (date and start/stop), playback/record start points, TAG ID / GENRE, topic/page and text headers.
- TITLE, CHAPTER, PART, PROGRAMME packs: metadata for TOTAL TIME, REMAIN TIME, chapter/part numbers, TIME CODE, binary groups, start/end markers and text headers.
- AAUX / VAUX packs: auxiliary audio/video metadata including SOURCE, REC DATE/TIME, CLOSED CAPTION, TELETEXT, geographic data (longitude/latitude), and specialized auxiliary fields.
- CAMERA packs: consumer camera metadata such as camera ID, lens information, GAIN, PEDESTAL, GAMMA, detail settings and camera presets.
- Common items: TEXT, TEXT HEADER, TAG, KEY, zone delimiters and reserved binary groups.
The standard also references IEC vocabularies and symbol documents (e.g., IEC 60050 for terminology and IEC 60027 / IEC 60417 / IEC 60617 for symbols).
Practical applications
- Ensures interoperability between consumer video recorders, decks and playback equipment by standardizing pack headers and metadata formats.
- Enables consistent metadata handling for recording, searching, editing and indexing of consumer digital video cassettes.
- Supports accurate timecode and program/chapter navigation for consumer devices and content authoring tools.
- Facilitates features like timer recording, closed caption compatibility, teletext carriage and geospatial tagging for consumer recordings.
Who should use this standard
- Consumer electronics manufacturers (VCR/recorder design and firmware).
- Firmware and software developers handling tape metadata, indexing and navigation.
- Service engineers, archivists and data-recovery specialists working with legacy 6.35 mm digital tape formats.
- Standards bodies and compliance testers validating device interoperability.
Related standards
Keywords: IEC 61834-4, helical-scan digital video, 6.35 mm tape, pack header, pack contents, consumer video cassette, timecode, teletext, closed caption, cassette ID, metadata.
Open preview (PDF)Recording - Helical-scan digital video cassette recording system using 6,35 mm magnetic tape for consumer use (525-60, 625-50, 1125-60 and 1250-50 systems) - Part 4: Pack header table and contents
