[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] Fix return value for incomplete H264 frame packets

[Reimar Döffinger]

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 05:10:13PM +0200, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> > > That doesn't work due to
> > > a) 0-sized packets in AVI
> 
> what do 0 sized packets in avi have to do with the decoder?

If you just pass things on stupidly from the demuxer
(though FFmpeg's AVI demuxer already eliminates 0-sized packets
obviously) the behaviour of the decode function with that
becomes relevant

> > > b) MPEG4 non-coded VOPs
> 
> i said already that this case needs some change so the user app knows
> when it occurs.
> the patch posted does alot more and the discussion also seems to point toward
> that there is more.
> but noone explains why or what that would be

Not really, this is just about being able to play any fixed-framerate
content without needing timestamp handling (as in, none at all).
This is "needed" to make one (the most basic) timing method of MPlayer
work with H.264 PAFF. That alone would hardly be a good argument, however
you need the same thing if you want to force some content to a fixed frame
rate.
Note that some of the descriptions I gave are unclear because I myself are
not sure about them, particularly if the two "cases" of "reorder buffer filling"
and "not enough data" should not maybe be just one.