[Ffmpeg-devel] frame accept question

[Martin Boehme]

Rich Felker wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 06, 2005 at 06:09:11PM +0200, Martin Boehme wrote:
>>Bram Biesbrouck wrote:
>>>I used the output_example.c file as a framework for my program. In a loop 
>>>of (say) 50 iterations, I feed the encoder 50 screenshots 
>>>(encoder-framerate=25 fps, images are 1024x710 px, depth 24 and 32 bpp). I 
>>>timed the generation of one image and it takes the generator about 10 ms, 
>>>so that leaves 30 ms for the encoder to encode the frame (right?) at a 
>>>correct framerate.
>>>When I run the program, the loop (image-generation + encoding) takes about 
>>>2.5 sec and the video plays back too fast (because of frame dropping I 
>>>suppose). I tried to look up the length of the video but I couldn't find 
>>>out how (mplayer says it's 0:00). I guess it's around 2 sec, but in theory 
>>>it should be less, I think, because of the frame dropping.
>>>
>>>I don't really have a specific question, but can someone explain to me 
>>>what's happening in this encoding-process?
>>
>>It simply sounds as if encoding is taking too long... for the resolution 
>>of video that you're encoding, that sounds plausible. That also explains 
>>why the video is playing too fast... 2.5 seconds worth of video is being 
>>played in 2 seconds.
>>
>>The easiest solution to this is of course to just reduce the 
>>framerate... to maybe 15 fps.
> 
> Reducing the resolution is a much better option. Reducing framerate is evil..

I would say that depends on the situation. This guy is trying to do 
screen capture. He's probably more interested in preserving fine detail 
than in whether the frame rate is 15 or 25 fps. Yes, I know about chroma 
subsampling and that MPEG is not a particularly good format for doing 
screen capture in general, but it's what he's trying to do.

I do see where you're going with the argument that, in general, dropping 
frames can be a bad idea. However, in this case, we're talking about a 
movie of a GUI. Most changes in GUIs are things (new windows, menus, new 
characters in an editor window) popping up on an otherwise unchanged 
background. If you drop the frame on which the change occurs, it's 
simply going to happen one frame later...

Martin

-- 
Martin B?hme
Inst. f. Neuro- and Bioinformatics
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Fax:   +49 451 500 5502
boehme at inb.uni-luebeck.de