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DRC (.drc)

.drc file signature | video/x-dirac

Dirac (DRC) is a video compression format developed by the BBC Research & Development department and later standardized by the Dirac project. It was designed for storing and transmitting digital video, particularly in broadcasting, streaming, and archival workflows. The format is generally safe to process, though compatibility is limited and it is now largely a legacy codec compared with more widely adopted modern video standards.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
4F 67 67 53 00 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 42 42 43 44

Sources: Apache Tika

All Known Signatures

2 signature variants are documented for .drc files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature Offset Sources
4F 67 67 53 00 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 42 42 43 44 0 Apache Tika
44 52 41 43 4F 0 Wikipedia

Extension

.drc

MIME Type

video/x-dirac

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .drc files in Python

Python 
def is_drc(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid DRC by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x4F, 0x67, 0x67, 0x53, 0x00, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x42, 0x42, 0x43, 0x44])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(32) == signature

How to validate .drc files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isDRC(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x4F, 0x67, 0x67, 0x53, 0x00, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x42, 0x42, 0x43, 0x44]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 32).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .drc files in Go

Go 
func IsDRC(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x4F, 0x67, 0x67, 0x53, 0x00, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x2E, 0x42, 0x42, 0x43, 0x44}
    if len(data) < 32 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:32], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/drc
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/drc

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Related Formats

.ogm .oga .ogg .ogv .ogx .opus

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .drc file?

A .drc file is identified by the magic bytes 4F 67 67 53 00 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 42 42 43 44 at byte offset 0. Dirac (DRC) is a video compression format developed by the BBC Research & Development department and later standardized by the Dirac project. It was designed for storing and transmitting digital video, particularly in broadcasting, streaming, and archival workflows. The format is generally safe to process, though compatibility is limited and it is now largely a legacy codec compared with more widely adopted modern video standards.

What are the magic bytes for .drc files?

The magic bytes for DRC files are 4F 67 67 53 00 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 42 42 43 44 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .drc file?

To validate a .drc file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4F 67 67 53 00 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 42 42 43 44) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .drc files?

The primary MIME type for .drc files is video/x-dirac.

Is it safe to open .drc files?

DRC (.drc) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.