A system and related techniques relate to the retrieval of a media object list with associated properties from a media device such as a digital video camcorder, audio player or other source or device. According to embodiments the retrieved list or set of media objects and their attributes or properties, for example a song list along with song length, codec, artist and other information may be retrieved from the source device, along with a representative sample of the media or content of each object. So the title which identifies a song may be accompanied by a short sound clip of a representative sample of that song, or a title identifying a digital video movie may be accompanied by a short video clip of an introductory portion of that movie. According to the invention in one regard, that representative sample may be generated in the source device and encapsulated into the set of properties which are passed with the object identifier to an initiator device, such as a user's computer accessing a video camera for downloading. A media object which is stored in monolithic binary format with no predetermined internal samples may nevertheless be accessed and sampled to allow a user to view or listen to representative content, through encapsulation of a sample in the properties passed via an underlying media transport protocol.