[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] libavdevice: Add KMS/DRM output device

[Nicolas George]

Mark Thompson (12021-01-19):
> Can you explain in more detail your use of libavdevice here?
> 
> My general sense is that while they might sometimes be convenient to
> use if you are already working in a libav* context, they are so
> limited (by both the API and the implementation) that most users who
> want video output to a screen will turn more full-featured players to
> implement this.
> 
> (To be clear here, I am talking specifically about outputs to a screen
> like fbdev/xv, not about output to non-screen-like devices such as
> v4l2 which certainly do have other use-cases.)

For starter, since libavcodec and libavformat are supposed to be the
preferred way of dealing with audio and video, we should assume that
people who develop projects about it will likely have their data already
in AVFrame and AVPacket format, so the fact that these devices work with
the same kind of API is a huge plus.

Second, even though they are limited, they do the work, and for a lot of
projects that is plenty enough. Their existence in libavdevices avoids
reinventing the wheel, and their common API makes it easy to switch,
getting us portability for cheap.

Also, I will turn the board on you: why do YOU object to these
components?

Clearly, somebody found them valuable enough to work at implementing
them. Clearly, somebody found them valuable enough to work at reviewing
and applying the patches. If you do not see their usefulness, compile
with --disable-libavdevice, fine. But why do you spend your time arguing
about it?

Note that FFmpeg is frequently called "the Swiss army knife of
audio-video". Well, Swiss army knives have half a dozen blades that you
have no idea what they are for, and neither do mine, and who have
nonetheless saved somebody's life.

Regards,

-- 
  Nicolas George
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