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I have an MP4 file containing H264 video (25 FPS). Some timestamps are not correct (for reasons...). Can I process the file and have only the timestamps regenerated without reencoding? I've tried this

ffmpeg -r 25 -i infile -c copy outfile

but the timestamps in outfile are still like in the original even though the documentation for"-r" says:

As an input option, ignore any timestamps stored in the file and instead generate timestamps assuming constant frame rate fps.

I've also tried the suggestion mentioned here at the bottom:

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -i infile -c copy outfile

This also doesn't change the timestamps in the outfile. Any other way to perform this task? Timestamps are kind of metadata, so I think it should be possible somehow.

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  • Show the full console output of your first command.
    – Gyan
    Dec 22, 2016 at 5:58
  • After hours of trying everything up&down, I don't have the raw material anymore. However, I think it's an abstract question and doesn't require specific material to answer. So, would you say the command line should work? Though, maybe I will try to recreate the scenario to provide the console output. Thanks anyway.
    – user674865
    Dec 22, 2016 at 12:40
  • No. In copy mode, ffmpeg does not rescale the input PTS of packetized streams, like those in MP4. Adding an extra step by extracting a raw stream and retiming that will work.
    – Gyan
    Dec 22, 2016 at 13:02
  • Finally it worked this way. But I only succeeded with mp4box, not with ffmpeg. Finally, the result is perfect. Thanks.
    – user674865
    Dec 23, 2016 at 13:53
  • 4
    @CryGuy Can you please post the solution with a tad more detail?
    – Linef4ult
    Jul 27, 2017 at 13:29

2 Answers 2

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It turns out that the -r option only works for raw stream data. (This can be an H.264 stream... it does not have to be just pixel data.)

In this example, I'm using MP4 containers. First, extract the stream:

ffmpeg -i source.mp4 -map 0:v -vcodec copy -bsf:v h264_mp4toannexb source-video.h264

Next, take that stream and re-mux it, but with a specific frame rate and generated timestamps.

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -r 60 -i source-video.h264 -vcodec copy output.mp4
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  • 13
    What exactly -bsf:v h264_mp4toannexb does here ? And 2ndly what happens if +genpts is not applied ?
    – the kamilz
    Nov 30, 2018 at 7:27
  • 3
    an h264 decoder needs to know where the "pieces" (NALU's) start in the bitstream. When the h264 data is inside an MP4 container, the MP4 container takes care of this (with the sample table). If you want "raw" h264 without container, you need to add additional "start codes" to each NALU, as defined in annex B of the h.264 standard. the h264_mp4toannexb bitstream filter does exactly this: add start-codes to every NALU.
    – Niobos
    Jan 26, 2021 at 11:30
  • Hi, This speeds up the video
    – pentanol
    Mar 22, 2022 at 4:01
  • @pentanol I'd imagine so, since we're purposefully extracting raw video, nuking its timestamps, and making our own.
    – Brad
    Mar 22, 2022 at 4:02
  • @Brad Is it possible to do the same by replicating the frame rate of the source (the input) rather than speicfying it (the 60) manually?
    – pentanol
    Mar 22, 2022 at 4:06
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The -fps_mode option is used to control output timestamps, not the -r option.  The drop parameter resets input timestamps and generates new ones.

ffmpeg -i source.mp4 -fps_mode drop -map 0:v -vcodec copy output.mp4

The -r option before the input tells FFmpeg to read the specified number of frames in constant mode. FFmpeg sometimes has a hard time figuring out the input frames count.  By specifying the exact number, you eliminate misunderstandings.

The -r option works with all type of data, raw or encoded.

By the way H.264 is the exact opposite of raw.

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  • 3
    This gives me a warning and a fatal error.
    – Hashim Aziz
    Aug 16, 2021 at 23:34
  • I've edited this answer to fix what was probably the error you saw.
    – Camille Goudeseune
    Jan 24 at 22:22
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    To also copy audio, -map 0:a -acodec copy.
    – Camille Goudeseune
    Jan 24 at 22:29
  • Or just use -c copy to copy everything
    – BallpointBen
    Nov 8 at 17:26

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