[MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] vd_null to output black frames

[Alexander Strasser]

Xidorn Quan wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 4:56 AM, Reimar Döffinger wrote: 
> > On Thu, Nov 01, 2012 at 09:51:09PM +0100, Alexander Strasser wrote:
> > >
> > >   I was thinking if "dummy" is expressive enough as a name for a
> > configuration
> > > flag. Would "ignore_fourcc" be easier to understand for someone reading
> > codecs.conf?
> > >
> > >   I do not particularly care about the naming but I do like the patch.
> > So please
> > > do not understand this as a blocking issue. Just wanted to find out what
> > other
> > > developers think.
> >
> > It's more that I thought we might want to use it for other stuff, for
> > example not bothering with copying around the actual data of the
> > packets, or running a parser in certain cases or such.
> > Which is why I'd currently be more in favour of "dummy" than something
> > specific.
> > But I don't dare to try to predict if that will really make sense in the
> > long run.
> >
> 
> In my opinion, a "dummy" codec is such a codec created for testing,
> demonstrating, or whatever, so it should never be chosen if not be
> forced by user. For which, we mark them as "crashing" at present, but
> actually, both null and black are working as expected accurately.
> I prefer to mark them "working" with the flag "dummy", and prevent
> a codec flagged that to be chosen when it is not forced.
> 
> I agree that "ignore_fourcc" is a more expressive name for the
> behavior in my patch. However, if we make the "dummy" flag work as
> what I have mentioned above, we do not need the "ignore_fourcc" flag
> anymore, since user is responsible for taking care of fourcc if he
> forces such codecs.

  OK, thanks for explaining your motivations. Combined this gives
good reason to use the name "dummy". Some other name that came
to my mind is "fake" which probably more accurately describes the
nature of those "codecs". (But maybe it sounds to negative?) 

  To restate it I am not against using "dummy". Never was.

  I also like Xidorn's idea of never choosing the decoder because it
is flagged "dummy" and having the status set to "working" again for
null and black. It would eliminate the misuse of the status property.

  Reimar, what do you think?

  Alexander