1 @chapter Output Devices
2 @c man begin OUTPUT DEVICES
4 Output devices are configured elements in FFmpeg that can write
5 multimedia data to an output device attached to your system.
7 When you configure your FFmpeg build, all the supported output devices
8 are enabled by default. You can list all available ones using the
9 configure option "--list-outdevs".
11 You can disable all the output devices using the configure option
12 "--disable-outdevs", and selectively enable an output device using the
13 option "--enable-outdev=@var{OUTDEV}", or you can disable a particular
14 input device using the option "--disable-outdev=@var{OUTDEV}".
16 The option "-devices" of the ff* tools will display the list of
17 enabled output devices.
19 A description of the currently available output devices follows.
23 ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) output device.
29 Play a file on default ALSA device:
31 ffmpeg -i INPUT -f alsa default
35 Play a file on soundcard 1, audio device 7:
37 ffmpeg -i INPUT -f alsa hw:1,7
45 This output device allows one to show a video stream in CACA window.
46 Only one CACA window is allowed per application, so you can
47 have only one instance of this output device in an application.
49 To enable this output device you need to configure FFmpeg with
50 @code{--enable-libcaca}.
51 libcaca is a graphics library that outputs text instead of pixels.
53 For more information about libcaca, check:
54 @url{http://caca.zoy.org/wiki/libcaca}
61 Set the CACA window title, if not specified default to the filename
62 specified for the output device.
65 Set the CACA window size, can be a string of the form
66 @var{width}x@var{height} or a video size abbreviation.
67 If not specified it defaults to the size of the input video.
73 Set dithering algorithm. Dithering is necessary
74 because the picture being rendered has usually far more colours than
75 the available palette.
76 The accepted values are listed with @code{-list_dither algorithms}.
79 Set antialias method. Antialiasing smoothens the rendered
80 image and avoids the commonly seen staircase effect.
81 The accepted values are listed with @code{-list_dither antialiases}.
84 Set which characters are going to be used when rendering text.
85 The accepted values are listed with @code{-list_dither charsets}.
88 Set color to be used when rendering text.
89 The accepted values are listed with @code{-list_dither colors}.
92 If set to @option{true}, print a list of available drivers and exit.
95 List available dither options related to the argument.
96 The argument must be one of @code{algorithms}, @code{antialiases},
97 @code{charsets}, @code{colors}.
104 The following command shows the @command{ffmpeg} output is an
105 CACA window, forcing its size to 80x25:
107 ffmpeg -i INPUT -vcodec rawvideo -pix_fmt rgb24 -window_size 80x25 -f caca -
111 Show the list of available drivers and exit:
113 ffmpeg -i INPUT -pix_fmt rgb24 -f caca -list_drivers true -
117 Show the list of available dither colors and exit:
119 ffmpeg -i INPUT -pix_fmt rgb24 -f caca -list_dither colors -
125 The decklink output device provides playback capabilities for Blackmagic
128 To enable this output device, you need the Blackmagic DeckLink SDK and you
129 need to configure with the appropriate @code{--extra-cflags}
130 and @code{--extra-ldflags}.
131 On Windows, you need to run the IDL files through @command{widl}.
133 DeckLink is very picky about the formats it supports. Pixel format is always
134 uyvy422, framerate and video size must be determined for your device with
135 @command{-list_formats 1}. Audio sample rate is always 48 kHz.
142 If set to @option{true}, print a list of devices and exit.
143 Defaults to @option{false}.
146 If set to @option{true}, print a list of supported formats and exit.
147 Defaults to @option{false}.
150 Amount of time to preroll video in seconds.
151 Defaults to @option{0.5}.
162 ffmpeg -i test.avi -f decklink -list_devices 1 dummy
166 List supported formats:
168 ffmpeg -i test.avi -f decklink -list_formats 1 'DeckLink Mini Monitor'
174 ffmpeg -i test.avi -f decklink -pix_fmt uyvy422 'DeckLink Mini Monitor'
178 Play video clip with non-standard framerate or video size:
180 ffmpeg -i test.avi -f decklink -pix_fmt uyvy422 -s 720x486 -r 24000/1001 'DeckLink Mini Monitor'
187 Linux framebuffer output device.
189 The Linux framebuffer is a graphic hardware-independent abstraction
190 layer to show graphics on a computer monitor, typically on the
191 console. It is accessed through a file device node, usually
194 For more detailed information read the file
195 @file{Documentation/fb/framebuffer.txt} included in the Linux source tree.
202 Set x/y coordinate of top left corner. Default is 0.
206 Play a file on framebuffer device @file{/dev/fb0}.
207 Required pixel format depends on current framebuffer settings.
209 ffmpeg -re -i INPUT -vcodec rawvideo -pix_fmt bgra -f fbdev /dev/fb0
212 See also @url{http://linux-fbdev.sourceforge.net/}, and fbset(1).
215 OpenGL output device.
217 To enable this output device you need to configure FFmpeg with @code{--enable-opengl}.
219 This output device allows one to render to OpenGL context.
220 Context may be provided by application or default SDL window is created.
222 When device renders to external context, application must implement handlers for following messages:
223 @code{AV_DEV_TO_APP_CREATE_WINDOW_BUFFER} - create OpenGL context on current thread.
224 @code{AV_DEV_TO_APP_PREPARE_WINDOW_BUFFER} - make OpenGL context current.
225 @code{AV_DEV_TO_APP_DISPLAY_WINDOW_BUFFER} - swap buffers.
226 @code{AV_DEV_TO_APP_DESTROY_WINDOW_BUFFER} - destroy OpenGL context.
227 Application is also required to inform a device about current resolution by sending @code{AV_APP_TO_DEV_WINDOW_SIZE} message.
233 Set background color. Black is a default.
235 Disables default SDL window when set to non-zero value.
236 Application must provide OpenGL context and both @code{window_size_cb} and @code{window_swap_buffers_cb} callbacks when set.
238 Set the SDL window title, if not specified default to the filename specified for the output device.
239 Ignored when @option{no_window} is set.
241 Set preferred window size, can be a string of the form widthxheight or a video size abbreviation.
242 If not specified it defaults to the size of the input video, downscaled according to the aspect ratio.
243 Mostly usable when @option{no_window} is not set.
248 Play a file on SDL window using OpenGL rendering:
250 ffmpeg -i INPUT -f opengl "window title"
255 OSS (Open Sound System) output device.
259 PulseAudio output device.
261 To enable this output device you need to configure FFmpeg with @code{--enable-libpulse}.
263 More information about PulseAudio can be found on @url{http://www.pulseaudio.org}
269 Connect to a specific PulseAudio server, specified by an IP address.
270 Default server is used when not provided.
273 Specify the application name PulseAudio will use when showing active clients,
274 by default it is the @code{LIBAVFORMAT_IDENT} string.
277 Specify the stream name PulseAudio will use when showing active streams,
278 by default it is set to the specified output name.
281 Specify the device to use. Default device is used when not provided.
282 List of output devices can be obtained with command @command{pactl list sinks}.
285 @item buffer_duration
286 Control the size and duration of the PulseAudio buffer. A small buffer
287 gives more control, but requires more frequent updates.
289 @option{buffer_size} specifies size in bytes while
290 @option{buffer_duration} specifies duration in milliseconds.
292 When both options are provided then the highest value is used
293 (duration is recalculated to bytes using stream parameters). If they
294 are set to 0 (which is default), the device will use the default
295 PulseAudio duration value. By default PulseAudio set buffer duration
299 Specify pre-buffering size in bytes. The server does not start with
300 playback before at least @option{prebuf} bytes are available in the
301 buffer. By default this option is initialized to the same value as
302 @option{buffer_size} or @option{buffer_duration} (whichever is bigger).
305 Specify minimum request size in bytes. The server does not request less
306 than @option{minreq} bytes from the client, instead waits until the buffer
307 is free enough to request more bytes at once. It is recommended to not set
308 this option, which will initialize this to a value that is deemed sensible
314 Play a file on default device on default server:
316 ffmpeg -i INPUT -f pulse "stream name"
321 SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) output device.
323 This output device allows one to show a video stream in an SDL
324 window. Only one SDL window is allowed per application, so you can
325 have only one instance of this output device in an application.
327 To enable this output device you need libsdl installed on your system
328 when configuring your build.
330 For more information about SDL, check:
331 @url{http://www.libsdl.org/}
338 Set the SDL window title, if not specified default to the filename
339 specified for the output device.
342 Set the name of the iconified SDL window, if not specified it is set
343 to the same value of @var{window_title}.
346 Set the SDL window size, can be a string of the form
347 @var{width}x@var{height} or a video size abbreviation.
348 If not specified it defaults to the size of the input video,
349 downscaled according to the aspect ratio.
351 @item window_fullscreen
352 Set fullscreen mode when non-zero value is provided.
353 Default value is zero.
356 @subsection Interactive commands
358 The window created by the device can be controlled through the
359 following interactive commands.
363 Quit the device immediately.
368 The following command shows the @command{ffmpeg} output is an
369 SDL window, forcing its size to the qcif format:
371 ffmpeg -i INPUT -vcodec rawvideo -pix_fmt yuv420p -window_size qcif -f sdl "SDL output"
376 sndio audio output device.
380 XV (XVideo) output device.
382 This output device allows one to show a video stream in a X Window System
389 Specify the hardware display name, which determines the display and
390 communications domain to be used.
392 The display name or DISPLAY environment variable can be a string in
393 the format @var{hostname}[:@var{number}[.@var{screen_number}]].
395 @var{hostname} specifies the name of the host machine on which the
396 display is physically attached. @var{number} specifies the number of
397 the display server on that host machine. @var{screen_number} specifies
398 the screen to be used on that server.
400 If unspecified, it defaults to the value of the DISPLAY environment
403 For example, @code{dual-headed:0.1} would specify screen 1 of display
404 0 on the machine named ``dual-headed''.
406 Check the X11 specification for more detailed information about the
410 When set to non-zero value then device doesn't create new window,
411 but uses existing one with provided @var{window_id}. By default
412 this options is set to zero and device creates its own window.
415 Set the created window size, can be a string of the form
416 @var{width}x@var{height} or a video size abbreviation. If not
417 specified it defaults to the size of the input video.
418 Ignored when @var{window_id} is set.
422 Set the X and Y window offsets for the created window. They are both
423 set to 0 by default. The values may be ignored by the window manager.
424 Ignored when @var{window_id} is set.
427 Set the window title, if not specified default to the filename
428 specified for the output device. Ignored when @var{window_id} is set.
431 For more information about XVideo see @url{http://www.x.org/}.
437 Decode, display and encode video input with @command{ffmpeg} at the
440 ffmpeg -i INPUT OUTPUT -f xv display
444 Decode and display the input video to multiple X11 windows:
446 ffmpeg -i INPUT -f xv normal -vf negate -f xv negated
450 @c man end OUTPUT DEVICES