The latest articles on Forem by Mou (@mkassimi98). https://forem.com/mkassimi98 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3853559%2F432908d9-4c38-4e4a-8898-911093bf1161.jpeg https://forem.com/mkassimi98 en Mou Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:43:21 +0000 https://forem.com/mkassimi98/i-open-sourced-a-gstreamer-plugin-suite-for-klv-metadata-workflows-1204 https://forem.com/mkassimi98/i-open-sourced-a-gstreamer-plugin-suite-for-klv-metadata-workflows-1204 <h1> I open-sourced a GStreamer plugin suite for KLV metadata workflows </h1> <p>I recently open-sourced a GStreamer plugin suite for practical KLV metadata workflows in MPEG-TS pipelines:</p> <p><strong>Repository:</strong><br><br> <a href="https://github.com/mkassimi98/gstklvplugin" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/mkassimi98/gstklvplugin</a></p> <p>Below is a screenshot of the plugin suite in action:</p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F1k958ouaq2oodp4rqb6s.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F1k958ouaq2oodp4rqb6s.png" alt=" " width="800" height="440"></a></p> <p>The project is aimed at real metadata transport workflows where KLV is not handled as an isolated payload, but as part of a complete pipeline involving generation, decoding, synchronization with video, and MPEG-TS signaling.</p> <h2> What the project includes </h2> <p>The current plugin suite provides four main elements:</p> <ul> <li> <code>klvmetaenc</code>: converts JSON into <code>meta/x-klv</code> </li> <li> <code>klvmetadec</code>: converts <code>meta/x-klv</code> back into JSON</li> <li> <code>klvframeinject</code>: injects KLV metadata in sync with H.264 / H.265 video frames</li> <li> <code>tspmtrewrite</code>: rewrites MPEG-TS PMT tables for KLVA metadata signaling</li> </ul> <h2> Technical scope </h2> <p>The implementation is oriented to workflows related to:</p> <ul> <li>SMPTE ST 336 KLV</li> <li>MISB ST 0601.8 UAS Datalink Local Set</li> <li>STANAG 4609 style transport pipelines</li> <li>MPEG-TS metadata signaling aligned with MISB ST 1402 workflows</li> </ul> <h2> Why I built it </h2> <p>In many practical systems, metadata handling does not stop at parsing or serializing a payload. It also needs to be transported correctly, synchronized with video, and integrated in a way that is usable in real pipelines.</p> <p>The goal of this project was to provide a modular GStreamer-oriented solution that covers that full path, from metadata generation and decoding to frame-synchronous injection and transport-stream signaling.</p> <h2> Tooling and repository contents </h2> <p>The repository includes more than just the plugin implementation. It also provides:</p> <ul> <li>Meson as the recommended build system</li> <li>CMake support as an alternative build path</li> <li>Python and C++ examples</li> <li>local roundtrip examples</li> <li>UDP and SRT workflow examples</li> <li>automated tests</li> <li>Docker support</li> <li>installation and packaging documentation</li> <li>design notes and implementation details</li> </ul> <h2> Current elements </h2> <p>The currently available elements are:</p> <ul> <li><code>klvmetaenc</code></li> <li><code>klvmetadec</code></li> <li><code>klvframeinject</code></li> <li><code>tspmtrewrite</code></li> </ul> <h2> Typical use cases </h2> <p>This plugin suite can be useful in scenarios such as:</p> <ul> <li>video pipelines carrying synchronized metadata</li> <li>MPEG-TS workflows requiring embedded KLV</li> <li>ISR/UAS style metadata transport</li> <li>experimentation with GStreamer metadata integration</li> <li>interoperability testing with downstream systems and external analyzers</li> </ul> <h2> Open-source repository </h2> <p>You can find the project here:</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/mkassimi98/gstklvplugin" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/mkassimi98/gstklvplugin</a></p> <p>I also shared a short overview on LinkedIn:</p> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mouhsine-kassimi-farhaoui-983738163_opensource-gstreamer-klv-activity-7441931945174978560-mxpJ" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mouhsine-kassimi-farhaoui-983738163_opensource-gstreamer-klv-activity-7441931945174978560-mxpJ</a></p> <h2> Feedback welcome </h2> <p>Feedback is very welcome, especially regarding:</p> <ul> <li>element and API design</li> <li>caps and negotiation choices</li> <li>MPEG-TS metadata signaling approach</li> <li>interoperability expectations</li> <li>general improvements for robustness and maintainability</li> </ul> <p>If you are working on GStreamer, KLV, MPEG-TS, or metadata transport workflows, I would be glad to hear your thoughts.</p> gstreamer stanag4609 opensource c