Adding metadata to and cataloging .mov (H.264) files

[ryan]

I've been using Lightroom and loving it. It's perfect for me, except that I shoot a lot of videos with my Canon P&S.  When I used my a620, these were all .AVI files and it was great. I used Lightroom for pictures and Adobe Bridge to manage the .avi files - I could write metadata to them, so I could add a copyright, etc.

But now I've upgraded my Camera to an SD990 IS.... much better camera and it shoots videos in H.264 .mov format. That means I can't preview them in Bridge (maybe CS4?).  Apparently, I can watch them in iView or Expression Media if I have quicktime installed, but I don't like Quicktime.  Also, I can't write metadata to .mov files with Bridge CS3.

So, 2 questions:

1. Any program besides iView/Expression Media that doesn't require QT to help me manage these .mov files?
2. Any program that will let me write Metadata (add copyright) to my .mov files?

Thanks,
Ryan

[natevw]

Sorry I can't answer your 1st question, since I'm on a Mac and so I actually prefer H.264. (I'd agree that Quicktime just feels wrong on Windows.)

As far as the 2nd question, unfortunately ExifTool (my usual recommend-to-everybody metadata tool) can only read QT metadata, not write. I found a post somewhere that said iView could maybe synchronize this back to the file, but I'm not sure what's become of that app now. Your best bet might be AtomicParsely, or one of the Windows-based projects listed at the very bottom of this page:

http://atomicparsley.sourceforge.net/

hope this helps,
-nathan vw

[peterkrogh]

Ryan,
IDimager?
Peter

[danaltick]

Ryan,

Just tested .mov files with Idimager for the first time.  It does appear to allow you to store the metadata and sync that to the .mov file.  Of course you still need QT to play the file.  Idimager launches QT when you double click the thumbnail.

Dan