MXF - technical definition

(Material EXchange Format) A file format from the Pro-MPEG Forum for the interchange of video production information. MXF files include audio/video content and related meta-data (production notes, camera settings, time code positions, etc.), as well as an indexing capability for random retrieval.

Using a key-length-value (KLV) structure, MXF serves as a container for any type of compressed or uncompressed audio or video content. The K defines the data, the L is its total size in bytes, and the V is the data itself (the payload). See digital cinema, Pro-MPEG Forum.