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Subject: Re: [PATCH] v4l2-ctrl: add control for thumnails
To:     Hans Verkuil <hverkuil-cisco@xs4all.nl>,
        linux-media@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Cc:     Philipp Zabel <p.zabel@pengutronix.de>,
        Ezequiel Garcia <ezequiel@collabora.com>,
        Paul Kocialkowski <paul.kocialkowski@bootlin.com>,
        Nicolas Dufresne <nicolas@ndufresne.ca>,
        Tomasz Figa <tfiga@chromium.org>
References: <20200526085446.30956-1-stanimir.varbanov@linaro.org>
 <65ac9697-a43f-7025-e6fe-69c4a44c6d9a@xs4all.nl>
 <ce28a840-a763-6700-16dd-d708e570d55c@linaro.org>
 <d02c6cd0-a502-dc52-519e-54b6328d5373@linaro.org>
 <544b19dd-4883-bae0-b488-46c856eb207d@xs4all.nl>
From:   Stanimir Varbanov <stanimir.varbanov@linaro.org>
Message-ID: <6f71931a-9060-a399-835c-a1cf1f05dc79@linaro.org>
Date:   Thu, 4 Jun 2020 15:34:35 +0300
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Hi Hans,

On 6/4/20 12:08 PM, Hans Verkuil wrote:
> On 04/06/2020 11:02, Stanimir Varbanov wrote:
>> Hi Hans,
>>
>> On 5/27/20 12:53 AM, Stanimir Varbanov wrote:
>>> Hi Hans,
>>>
>>> On 5/26/20 3:04 PM, Hans Verkuil wrote:
>>>> On 26/05/2020 10:54, Stanimir Varbanov wrote:
>>>>> Add v4l2 control for decoder thumbnail.
>>>>>
>>>>> Signed-off-by: Stanimir Varbanov <stanimir.varbanov@linaro.org>
>>>>> ---
>>>>>  Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/ext-ctrls-codec.rst | 7 +++++++
>>>>>  drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-ctrls.c                      | 2 ++
>>>>>  include/uapi/linux/v4l2-controls.h                        | 2 ++
>>>>>  3 files changed, 11 insertions(+)
>>>>>
>>>>> diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/ext-ctrls-codec.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/ext-ctrls-codec.rst
>>>>> index d0d506a444b1..e838e410651b 100644
>>>>> --- a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/ext-ctrls-codec.rst
>>>>> +++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/v4l/ext-ctrls-codec.rst
>>>>> @@ -3726,6 +3726,13 @@ enum v4l2_mpeg_video_hevc_size_of_length_field -
>>>>>      disables generating SPS and PPS at every IDR. Setting it to one enables
>>>>>      generating SPS and PPS at every IDR.
>>>>>  
>>>>> +``V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_DECODER_THUMBNAIL (button)``
>>>>> +    Instructs the decoder to produce immediate output. The decoder should
>>>>> +    consume first input buffer for progressive stream (or first two buffers
>>>>> +    for interlace). Decoder should not allocate more output buffers that it
>>>>> +    is required to consume one input frame. Usually the decoder input
>>>>> +    buffers will contain only I/IDR frames but it is not mandatory.
>>>>
>>>> This is very vague. It doesn't explain why the control is called 'THUMBNAIL',
>>>> but more importantly it doesn't explain how this relates to normal decoding.
>>>
>>> If in the normal decode the capture queue buffers are 5, in the
>>> thumbnail mode the number of buffers will be only 1 (if the bitstream is
>>> progressive) and this will guarantee low memory usage. The other
>>> difference is that the decoder will produce decoded frames (without
>>> errors) only for I/IDR (sync frames).
> 
> Isn't this really a "DECODE_SYNC_FRAMES_ONLY" control? That's what it does,
> right? Skip any B/P frames and only decode sync frames.

Yes, it is.
To me V4L2_CID_MPEG_VIDEO_DECODE_SYNC_FRAMES sounds better. If you are
fine I can send a new patch.

The definition of "sync frames" is a bit difficult for codec-agnostic
controls. Is it sound better "INTRA", DECODE_INTRA_FRAMES (ONLY)?

> 
> That this is useful for creating thumbnails is just a specific use-case.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 	Hans
> 
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I.e. if you are decoding and 'press' this control, what happens then?
>>>
>>> Might be the button type wasn't great idea. In fact the control should
>>> be set before streamon so that the driver returns min_capture_bufs 1.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> What exactly is the use-case?
>>>
>>> It could be used to generate thumbnails of all video clips in a folder
>>> or when you open a Gallery application on your phone.
>>>
>>
>> What is your opinion on that control? I could consider to make it Venus
>> custom control but from the use-case it looks other drivers also can
>> benefit of it.
>>
>> I tried to make more generic one [1] but it looks it will be too difficult.
>>
> 

-- 
regards,
Stan