How to use libavformat to concat 2 video files with same codec (re-muxing)?

Question

I have downloaded videos from CDN in flv format (video H264 and audio AAC) and remux to them to MP4 format. But videos are limited by length. So i've downloaded each video in several parts: started at start point, at point 1, at point 2 (by using seek parameter in url). Each point starts little earlier than ending of previous one.
Using av_read_frame i scanned all parts and found that intersecting packets not only have same sizes and order but also their dts/pts shifted from each other by constant value. So to concat starting video with video started at point 1 I must do following:
1. Create output header in output file
2. Copy all non-intersecting packets from starting video.
3. Copy all non-intersecting packets from video started at point 1 with changed dts values by shifted it by constant

How to do all of this using libav (not ffmpeg)? I read How can libavformat be used without using other libav libraries. But in libav it is not working since there not avformat_alloc_output_context2 in libav. Also source avconv.c source is too complex for newbie like me to isolate parts related to stream copy operations.
Can someone provide me example to:
- open input_file1 and input_file2 (only needed if procedure differs from standard in generic tutorials)
- open and write header for output_file with same container format and same video and audio formats
- write packets from input_file1 to output_file up to packet with for example pos == XXX
- write packets from input_file2 to output_file changing their dts (or whatever needed) by constant value
- write correct trailer

Calculating of time shift in dts i made before.

Milling

I tried that once. it didn't work. the only way I could get it done was to transcode both input to mpeg and then concat them – Irritant

Word of caution from 2022: do not under any circumstance use the outdated and horribly broken code of any of the answers below. If you're manually setting codec parameters you're doing something wrong (use avcodec_parameters_copy(output_stream->codecpar, input_stream->codecpar) instead). And if you're manually setting keyframe bit flags you're doing something even worse: you're probably creating corrupt/invalid videos. I'll post my answer if I find some time (and/or anyone is interested). – Lib

Answer 1

OK I found that piece of code but as I said in my comment for some reason it doesn't work. let me know if you could fix it

/*
 * merge.c
 *
 *  Created on: Nov 17, 2012
 *      Author: arash
 */

/* merge multiple "IDENTICAL" video file into one file */

#include <stdio.h>

#include "libavcodec/avcodec.h"
#include "libavformat/avformat.h"

AVFormatContext *i_fmt_ctx;
AVStream *i_video_stream;

AVFormatContext *o_fmt_ctx;
AVStream *o_video_stream;


int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    if (argc < 3)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "usage : %s <input> [<input>...] <output>\n", argv[0]);
        return -1;
    }

    avcodec_register_all();
    av_register_all();

    /* should set to NULL so that avformat_open_input() allocate a new one */
    i_fmt_ctx = NULL;
    if (avformat_open_input(&i_fmt_ctx, argv[1], NULL, NULL)!=0)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "could not open input file\n");
        return -1;
    }

    if (av_find_stream_info(i_fmt_ctx)<0)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "could not find stream info\n");
        return -1;
    }

    //av_dump_format(i_fmt_ctx, 0, argv[1], 0);

    /* find first video stream */
    for (unsigned i=0; i<i_fmt_ctx->nb_streams; i++)
        if (i_fmt_ctx->streams[i]->codec->codec_type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO)
        {
            i_video_stream = i_fmt_ctx->streams[i];
            break;
        }
    if (i_video_stream == NULL)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "didn't find any video stream\n");
        return -1;
    }

    avformat_alloc_output_context2(&o_fmt_ctx, NULL, NULL, argv[argc-1]);

    /*
     * since all input files are supposed to be identical (framerate, dimension, color format, ...)
     * we can safely set output codec values from first input file
     */
    o_video_stream = av_new_stream(o_fmt_ctx, 0);
    {
        AVCodecContext *c;
        c = o_video_stream->codec;
        c->bit_rate = 400000;
        c->codec_id = i_video_stream->codec->codec_id;
        c->codec_type = i_video_stream->codec->codec_type;
        c->time_base.num = i_video_stream->time_base.num;
        c->time_base.den = i_video_stream->time_base.den;
        fprintf(stderr, "time_base.num = %d time_base.den = %d\n", c->time_base.num, c->time_base.den);
        c->width = i_video_stream->codec->width;
        c->height = i_video_stream->codec->height;
        c->pix_fmt = i_video_stream->codec->pix_fmt;
        printf("%d %d %d", c->width, c->height, c->pix_fmt);
        c->flags = i_video_stream->codec->flags;
        c->flags |= CODEC_FLAG_GLOBAL_HEADER;
        c->me_range = i_video_stream->codec->me_range;
        c->max_qdiff = i_video_stream->codec->max_qdiff;

        c->qmin = i_video_stream->codec->qmin;
        c->qmax = i_video_stream->codec->qmax;

        c->qcompress = i_video_stream->codec->qcompress;
    }

    avio_open(&o_fmt_ctx->pb, argv[argc-1], AVIO_FLAG_WRITE);

    /* yes! this is redundant */
    av_close_input_file(i_fmt_ctx);

    avformat_write_header(o_fmt_ctx, NULL);

    int last_pts = 0;
    int last_dts = 0;
    for (int i=1; i<argc-1; i++)
    {
        i_fmt_ctx = NULL;
        if (avformat_open_input(&i_fmt_ctx, argv[i], NULL, NULL)!=0)
        {
            fprintf(stderr, "could not open input file\n");
            return -1;
        }

        if (av_find_stream_info(i_fmt_ctx)<0)
        {
            fprintf(stderr, "could not find stream info\n");
            return -1;
        }
        av_dump_format(i_fmt_ctx, 0, argv[i], 0);

        /* we only use first video stream of each input file */
        i_video_stream = NULL;
        for (unsigned s=0; s<i_fmt_ctx->nb_streams; s++)
            if (i_fmt_ctx->streams[s]->codec->codec_type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO)
            {
                i_video_stream = i_fmt_ctx->streams[s];
                break;
            }

        if (i_video_stream == NULL)
        {
            fprintf(stderr, "didn't find any video stream\n");
            return -1;
        }

        int64_t pts, dts;
        while (1)
        {
            AVPacket i_pkt;
            av_init_packet(&i_pkt);
            i_pkt.size = 0;
            i_pkt.data = NULL;
            if (av_read_frame(i_fmt_ctx, &i_pkt) <0 )
                break;
            /*
             * pts and dts should increase monotonically
             * pts should be >= dts
             */
            i_pkt.flags |= AV_PKT_FLAG_KEY;
            pts = i_pkt.pts;
            i_pkt.pts += last_pts;
            dts = i_pkt.dts;
            i_pkt.dts += last_dts;
            i_pkt.stream_index = 0;

            //printf("%lld %lld\n", i_pkt.pts, i_pkt.dts);
            static int num = 1;
            printf("frame %d\n", num++);
            av_interleaved_write_frame(o_fmt_ctx, &i_pkt);
            //av_free_packet(&i_pkt);
            //av_init_packet(&i_pkt);
        }
        last_dts += dts;
        last_pts += pts;

        av_close_input_file(i_fmt_ctx);
    }

    av_write_trailer(o_fmt_ctx);

    avcodec_close(o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]->codec);
    av_freep(&o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]->codec);
    av_freep(&o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]);

    avio_close(o_fmt_ctx->pb);
    av_free(o_fmt_ctx);

    return 0;
}

Irritant

Answer 2

I have replaced deprecated methods, and corrections by ALiang are added too. It works.

`/*
 * merge.c
 *
 *  Created on: Nov 17, 2012
 *  Author: arash
 *
 *  Modified on: April 5, 2018
 *  Editor: Chebotarev Michael
 */
/* merge multiple "IDENTICAL" video file into one file */
#include <stdio.h>
#include "libavcodec/avcodec.h"
#include "libavformat/avformat.h"
AVFormatContext *i_fmt_ctx;
AVStream *i_video_stream;
AVFormatContext *o_fmt_ctx;
AVStream *o_video_stream;

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
if (argc < 3)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "usage : %s <input> [<input>...] <output>\n", argv[0]);
    return -1;
}

avcodec_register_all();
av_register_all();

/* should set to NULL so that avformat_open_input() allocate a new one */
i_fmt_ctx = NULL;
if (avformat_open_input(&i_fmt_ctx, argv[1], NULL, NULL) != 0)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "could not open input file\n");
    return -1;
}

if (avformat_find_stream_info(i_fmt_ctx, NULL) < 0)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "could not find stream info\n");
    return -1;
}

//av_dump_format(i_fmt_ctx, 0, argv[1], 0);

/* find first video stream */
for (unsigned i = 0; i<i_fmt_ctx->nb_streams; i++)
    if (i_fmt_ctx->streams[i]->codec->codec_type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO)
    {
        i_video_stream = i_fmt_ctx->streams[i];
        break;
    }
if (i_video_stream == NULL)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "didn't find any video stream\n");
    return -1;
}

avformat_alloc_output_context2(&o_fmt_ctx, NULL, NULL, argv[argc - 1]);

/*
* since all input files are supposed to be identical (framerate, dimension, color format, ...)
* we can safely set output codec values from first input file
*/
o_video_stream = avformat_new_stream(o_fmt_ctx, 0);
{
    AVCodecContext *c;
    c = o_video_stream->codec;
    c->bit_rate = 400000;
    c->codec_id = i_video_stream->codec->codec_id;
    c->codec_type = i_video_stream->codec->codec_type;
    c->time_base.num = i_video_stream->time_base.num;
    c->time_base.den = i_video_stream->time_base.den;
    fprintf(stderr, "time_base.num = %d time_base.den = %d\n", c->time_base.num, c->time_base.den);
    c->width = i_video_stream->codec->width;
    c->height = i_video_stream->codec->height;
    c->pix_fmt = i_video_stream->codec->pix_fmt;
    printf("%d %d %d", c->width, c->height, c->pix_fmt);
    c->flags = i_video_stream->codec->flags;
    c->flags |= CODEC_FLAG_GLOBAL_HEADER;
    c->me_range = i_video_stream->codec->me_range;
    c->max_qdiff = i_video_stream->codec->max_qdiff;

    c->qmin = i_video_stream->codec->qmin;
    c->qmax = i_video_stream->codec->qmax;

    c->qcompress = i_video_stream->codec->qcompress;

    c->extradata = i_video_stream->codec->extradata;
    c->extradata_size = i_video_stream->codec->extradata_size;
}

avio_open(&o_fmt_ctx->pb, argv[argc - 1], AVIO_FLAG_WRITE);

/* yes! this is redundant */
avformat_close_input(&i_fmt_ctx);

avformat_write_header(o_fmt_ctx, NULL);

int last_pts = 0;
int last_dts = 0;
for (int i = 1; i<argc - 1; i++)
{
    i_fmt_ctx = NULL;
    if (avformat_open_input(&i_fmt_ctx, argv[i], NULL, NULL) != 0)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "could not open input file\n");
        return -1;
    }

    if (avformat_find_stream_info(i_fmt_ctx, NULL) < 0)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "could not find stream info\n");
        return -1;
    }
    av_dump_format(i_fmt_ctx, 0, argv[i], 0);

    /* we only use first video stream of each input file */
    i_video_stream = NULL;
    for (unsigned s = 0; s<i_fmt_ctx->nb_streams; s++)
        if (i_fmt_ctx->streams[s]->codec->codec_type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO)
        {
            i_video_stream = i_fmt_ctx->streams[s];
            break;
        }

    if (i_video_stream == NULL)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "didn't find any video stream\n");
        return -1;
    }

    int64_t pts, dts;
    while (1)
    {
        AVPacket i_pkt;
        av_init_packet(&i_pkt);
        i_pkt.size = 0;
        i_pkt.data = NULL;
        if (av_read_frame(i_fmt_ctx, &i_pkt) <0)
            break;
        /*
        * pts and dts should increase monotonically
        * pts should be >= dts
        */
        i_pkt.flags |= AV_PKT_FLAG_KEY;
        pts = i_pkt.pts;
        i_pkt.pts += last_pts;
        dts = i_pkt.dts;
        i_pkt.dts += last_dts;
        i_pkt.stream_index = 0;

        //printf("%lld %lld\n", i_pkt.pts, i_pkt.dts);
        static int num = 1;
        printf("frame %d\n", num++);
        av_interleaved_write_frame(o_fmt_ctx, &i_pkt);
        //av_free_packet(&i_pkt);
        //av_init_packet(&i_pkt);
    }
    last_dts += dts;
    last_pts += pts;

    avformat_close_input(&i_fmt_ctx);
}

av_write_trailer(o_fmt_ctx);

avcodec_close(o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]->codec);
av_freep(&o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]->codec);
av_freep(&o_fmt_ctx->streams[0]);

avio_close(o_fmt_ctx->pb);
av_free(o_fmt_ctx);

return 0;
}`

Schnur

Answer 3

In av_new_stream()

You should add the following code:

c->extradata = i_video_stream->codec->extradata;
c->extradata_size = i_video_stream->codec->extradata_size;

Profitsharing