Python code for reading MPEG *headers*?

[Tom Bridgman]

We have some animations we've coded into MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 format and
we'd like a way to read some basic stats about the animation for
inclusion in a database - frame size, number of frames, color depth,
etc. from the file.

Currently, I've got a Python wrapper on the SGI utility dmconvert which
works okay for MPEG-1 files but doesn't like MPEG-2, especially in HDTV
resolution.  

Does anyone have a code that can parse this information out of an MPEG-2
header?  The MPEG-2 format docs I've examined are basically impenetrable
- speaking about searching for tag fields but not explaining what the
tag looks like.

Again, we just need to read the header info, not the full file so I
wouldn't think there'd be licensing issues.

Alternatively, if anyone knows of a *comprehensible* description of the
MPEG-2 headers?

Thanks,
Tom
--
Dr. William T."Tom" Bridgman           Scientific Visualization Studio
Global Science & Technology, Inc.      NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Email: bridgman at wyeth.gsfc.nasa.gov    Code 935
Phone: 301-286-1346                    Greenbelt, MD 20771
FAX:   TBD                             http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/