[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] Add a CODEC_CAP_USE_INPUT_BUFFER capabilities flag

[Luca Abeni]

Hi,

Stefano Sabatini wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> the new flag will be useful for example in libavfilter when the output
> frame is accessed *after* the call to av_packet_free().

I am not sure I understand the situation, but if libavfilter is accessing
a buffer after freeing it, then I guess this is a bug in libavfilter...
Why not calling av_packet_free() only after libavfilter finished to access
the buffer?


> For example it could be used like this:
> 
>     if (is->video_st->codec->codec->capabilities & CODEC_CAP_USE_INPUT_BUFFER)
>         pkt->destruct = av_destruct_packet_nofree;
>     av_free_packet(pkt);

Maybe I am misunderstanding something, but this looks like a hack: if the
destruct method should be av_destruct_packet_nofree(), why not setting it
to av_destruct_packet_nofree() since the beginning (in the demuxer),
instead of changing it before calling av_free_packet()?

I do not know the libavfilter internals, but maybe this problem can be
better solved by using some form of reference counting?
(when I tried to think about a filter layer some years ago, I arrived to
the conclusion that a reference counter for these buffers is needed)


				Luca