[FFmpeg-user] Piping from FFmpeg to FFplay

[Leo Butler]

On Sun, Nov 13 2022, Michael Koch <astroelectronic at t-online.de> wrote:

> I have a question about piping from FFmpeg to FFplay (in a Windows
> batch file):
>
> ffmpeg -f lavfi -i testsrc2 -f nut | ffplay -
>
> This command line works fine and I have used it many times. But I
> don't know what's the meaning of the - character after ffplay. Does
> this - character belong to the ffplay command? What does it mean? Or
> is it a batch file operator, like the | character?
> I can't find - without any following characters in the FFmpeg or
> FFplay documentation.

ffplay needs an input uri; - tells ffplay to read from standard input.

Leo