[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] doc: extend -ss documentation.

[Michael Niedermayer]

On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 01:50:21PM +0100, Nicolas George wrote:
> Specify seeking inaccuracy and direction, timestamps adjustment, and
> multiple -ss interaction in the reference documentation.
> Re-explain it with different words in the FAQ.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Nicolas George <nicolas.george at normalesup.org>
> ---
>  doc/faq.texi    |   29 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>  doc/ffmpeg.texi |   14 +++++++++++++-
>  2 files changed, 42 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/doc/faq.texi b/doc/faq.texi
> index a7b34b1..f4613e3 100644
> --- a/doc/faq.texi
> +++ b/doc/faq.texi
> @@ -410,6 +410,35 @@ point acceptable for your tastes. The most common options to do that are
>  @option{-qscale} and @option{-qmax}, but you should peruse the documentation
>  of the encoder you chose.
>  
> + at section Should @option{-ss} go before or after @option{-i}?
> +
> +Most options to @command{ffmpeg} apply to the next input or output file. If
> +you put @option{-ss} before @option{-i}, it applies to the input file; if
> +you put it after, it applies to the output file that probably comes later on
> +the command line, unless there is a second @option{-i}.
> +
> +If applied to the input, the @option{-ss} option performs a seek. This is
> +usually very fast, but not very accurate because it is only possible to seek
> +to a keyframe. Also, with some formats or protocols, it may be very
> +inaccurate or just not work at all.
> +
> +If applied to the output, the @option{-ss} option causes @command{ffmpeg} to
> +skip the frames until the requested time. This is rather slow, because all
> +previous frames need to be decoded, but this is completely accurate.
> +
> +Both options can be combined. In that case, the time for the output
> + at option{-ss} is relative to the exact time requested on the input
> + at option{-ss}. If you are working with a format and protocol that support
> +seeking correctly, it can be used to do fast and accurate seeking:
> +
> + at example
> +ffmpeg -ss 0:01:00 -i input.mkv -ss 0 output

i tried with a random file, i see no difference between this and
ommiting the second -ss 0

[...]
-- 
Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB

Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing whether they exist or not
or of what sort they may be, because of the obscurity of the subject, and
the brevity of human life -- Protagoras
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