SER file format

[Michal Powalko]

Hi FFmpeg developers,

I would like to propose integration of SER file format into FFmpeg. SER file format is a simple image sequence format, similar to uncompressed films. SER files are used for solar, lunar and planetary astronomy-imaging.

Authors homepage: ​http://www.grischa-hahn.homepage.t-online.de/astro/ser/
Technical description: ​http://www.grischa-hahn.homepage.t-online.de/astro/ser/SER%20Doc%20V3b.pdf

Example SER files:
​https://github.com/cgarry/ser-player/releases/download/v1.4.0/Jup_200415_204534_R_F0001-0300.zip
​https://github.com/cgarry/ser-player/releases/download/v1.4.0/Mars_150414_002445_OSC_F0001-0500.zip

Short article about SER format used in astro: ​https://free-astro.org/index.php/SER
Open-source implemenation of SER player:
​https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/ser-player
​https://github.com/cgarry/ser-player

Sotware that uses SER:

Lucam Recorder (v2)
AiryLab Genika Astro (v2)
Open Astro Project - oaCapture (v2)
SIRIL (v3)
FireCapture (v3)
PIPP (v3)
WinJUPOS (v3)
AutoStakkert!2 (v3)
AviStack (v2)
RegiStax (v2)
ImagesPlus (v2)
Planetary impact flashes detection with DeTeCt (v2)

Best regards
Michal Powalko

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

What are the typically used ColorID's?
How is the version of the SER file signaled?

[Michal Powalko]

What are the typically used ColorID's?

For SER-files Version 2 it will be "MONO"; for Version 3 "RGB".

How is the version of the SER file signaled?

There is no version tag.
SER files with ColorID [0..19] are version 2.
SER files with ColorID [100..101] are version 3.

The SER format description version 3 should be taken as reference. Writing SER files should have the options for saving RGB videos:

• lossless (as version 3)
• with loss of information - BAYER grid (as version 2)
• save the color channels R / G / B separately as version 2 MONO files

[Elon Musk]

Fixed in 0709b0561f10b70172dac3dd42383abb998d9b2f.