---
title: Media information atoms
framework: quicktime-file-format
role: article
role_heading: Article
path: quicktime-file-format/media_information_atoms
---

# Media information atoms

An atom that contains a number of other atoms that define specific characteristics of the video media data.

## Overview

Overview Media information atoms (defined by the 'minf' atom type) store handler-specific information for a track’s media data. The media handler uses this information to map from media time to media data and to process the media data. These atoms contain information that is specific to the type of data defined by the media. Further, the format and content of media information atoms are dictated by the media handler that is responsible for interpreting the media data stream. Another media handler would not know how to interpret this information. This section describes the atoms that store media information for the video ('vmhd'), sound ('smhd'), and base ('gmhd') portions of QuickTime movies. note: Using sample atoms discusses how the video media handler locates samples in a video media.

## See Also

### Describing media

- [Media atom ('mdia')](quicktime-file-format/media_atom.md)
- [Media header atom ('mdhd')](quicktime-file-format/media_header_atom.md)
- [Extended language tag atom ('elng')](quicktime-file-format/extended_language_tag_atom.md)
- [Handler reference atom ('hdlr')](quicktime-file-format/handler_reference_atom.md)
- [Video media information atom ('minf')](quicktime-file-format/video_media_information_atom.md)
- [Video media information header atom ('vmhd')](quicktime-file-format/video_media_information_header_atom.md)
- [Sound media information atom ('minf')](quicktime-file-format/sound_media_information_atom.md)
- [Sound media information header atom ('smhd')](quicktime-file-format/sound_media_information_header_atom.md)
- [Base media information atom ('minf')](quicktime-file-format/base_media_information_atom.md)
- [Base media information header atom ('gmhd')](quicktime-file-format/base_media_information_header_atom.md)
- [Base media info atom ('gmin')](quicktime-file-format/base_media_info_atom.md)
- [Data information atom ('dinf')](quicktime-file-format/data_information_atom.md)
- [Data reference atom](quicktime-file-format/media_data_reference_atom.md)