[FFmpeg-user] combinding seek with the select filter

[Peter Stevens]

I'm looking to extract a particular frame from an input file as fast as
possible. I can get this to work with "-ss" by providing the appropriate
timestamp, but I would much rather provide the specific frame number I
am interested in. So far I've attempted to combined the fast seek option
with the "select" filter but this fails. I believe this is because the
frame numbering starts at zero after the "seek" has completed. Take for
instance, the below mp4 example where frame 143857 has a pts_timestamp
of 6000.041708

 

ffmpeg -ss  6000 -i pphinferb_timecode.mp4 -vf 'select=eq(n\,143834)'
-vframes 1 -y test.jpeg

 

ffmpeg accepts the command as being valid, but throws the following
error after a bit .. "Output file is empty, nothing was encoded (check
-ss / -t / -frames parameters if used)"

 

Any ideas?

Peter