MX8 GSTREAMER
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Introduction to GStreamer
GStreamer is a powerful pipeline-based multimedia framework.
It allows programmers to create a variety of media-handling components, including simple audio playback, audio and video playback, recording, streaming and editing.
This is not a GStreamer reference manual but an overview for using it on the Variscite i.MX8 products.
This release uses the gstreamer-imx set of GStreamer 1.0 plugins for NXP's i.MX platform, which make use of the i.MX multimedia capabilities.
Major GStreamer commands
There are two major commands:
gst-inspect - allows you to to get documentation on available elements and detailed information on a specific element.
gst-launch - allows you to create and execute GStreamer pipelines.
gst-inspect
Lists all available elements:
# gst-inspect-1.0
Lists all available sink elements:
# gst-inspect-1.0 | grep sink
For example:
# gst-inspect-1.0 | grep sink pulseaudio: pulsesink: PulseAudio Audio Sink hls: hlssink2: HTTP Live Streaming sink hls: hlssink: HTTP Live Streaming sink bluez: avdtpsink: Bluetooth AVDTP sink bluez: a2dpsink: Bluetooth A2DP sink coreelements: filesink: File Sink coreelements: fdsink: Filedescriptor Sink coreelements: fakesink: Fake Sink alsa: alsasink: Audio sink (ALSA) gdkpixbuf: gdkpixbufsink: GdkPixbuf sink …
Detailed help information on a specific element:
# gst-inspect-1.0 <name of the element>
For example, the output for waylandsink:
# gst-inspect-1.0 waylandsink Factory Details: Rank primary + 2 (258) Long-name wayland video sink Klass Sink/Video Description Output to wayland surface Author Sreerenj Balachandran <sreerenj.balachandran@intel.co Plugin Details: Name waylandsink Description Wayland Video Sink Filename /usr/lib/gstreamer-1.0/libgstwaylandsink.so Version 1.14.4 License LGPL Source module gst-plugins-bad Source release date 2018-10-02 Binary package GStreamer Bad Plug-ins source release Origin URL Unknown package origin GObject +----GInitiallyUnowned +----GstObject +----GstElement +----GstBaseSink +----GstVideoSink +----GstWaylandSink Implemented Interfaces: GstVideoOverlay GstWaylandVideo Pad Templates: SINK template: 'sink' Availability: Always Capabilities: video/x-raw format: { (string)BGRx, (string)BGRA, (string)RGBx, (string)xBG width: [ 1, 2147483647 ] height: [ 1, 2147483647 ] framerate: [ 0/1, 2147483647/1 ] video/x-raw(memory:DMABuf) format: { (string)BGRx, (string)BGRA, (string)RGBx, (string)xBG width: [ 1, 2147483647 ] height: [ 1, 2147483647 ] framerate: [ 0/1, 2147483647/1 ] Element has no clocking capabilities. Element has no URI handling capabilities. Pads: SINK: 'sink' Pad Template: 'sink' Element Properties: name : The name of the object flags: readable, writable String. Default: "waylandsink0" parent : The parent of the object flags: readable, writable Object of type "GstObject" sync : Sync on the clock flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: true max-lateness : Maximum number of nanoseconds that a buffer can be late flags: readable, writable Integer64. Range: -1 - 9223372036854775807 Default: 2000 qos : Generate Quality-of-Service events upstream flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: true async : Go asynchronously to PAUSED flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: true ts-offset : Timestamp offset in nanoseconds flags: readable, writable Integer64. Range: -9223372036854775808 - 922337203685477 enable-last-sample : Enable the last-sample property flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: true last-sample : The last sample received in the sink flags: readable Boxed pointer of type "GstSample" blocksize : Size in bytes to pull per buffer (0 = default) flags: readable, writable Unsigned Integer. Range: 0 - 4294967295 Default: 4096 render-delay : Additional render delay of the sink in nanoseconds flags: readable, writable Unsigned Integer64. Range: 0 - 18446744073709551615 Defa throttle-time : The time to keep between rendered buffers (0 = disabled) flags: readable, writable Unsigned Integer64. Range: 0 - 18446744073709551615 Defa max-bitrate : The maximum bits per second to render (0 = disabled) flags: readable, writable Unsigned Integer64. Range: 0 - 18446744073709551615 Defa show-preroll-frame : Whether to render video frames during preroll flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: true window-width : Wayland sink preferred window width in pixel flags: readable, writable Integer. Range: -1 - 2147483647 Default: -1 window-height : Wayland sink preferred window height in pixel flags: readable, writable Integer. Range: -1 - 2147483647 Default: -1 display : Wayland display name to connect to, if not supplied via flags: readable, writable String. Default: null alpha : Wayland surface alpha value, apply custom alpha value to flags: readable, writable Float. Range: 0 - 1 Default: enable-tile : When enabled, the sink propose VSI tile modifier to VPU flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: false
H.264 video decoder element
# gst-inspect-1.0 v4l2h264dec Factory Details: Rank primary + 1 (257) Long-name V4L2 H264 Decoder Klass Codec/Decoder/Video Description Decodes H264 streams via V4L2 API Author Nicolas Dufresne <nicolas.dufresne@collabora.com> Plugin Details: Name video4linux2 Description elements for Video 4 Linux Filename /usr/lib/gstreamer-1.0/libgstvideo4linux2.so Version 1.14.4 License LGPL Source module gst-plugins-good Source release date 2018-10-02 Binary package GStreamer Good Plug-ins source release Origin URL Unknown package origin GObject +----GInitiallyUnowned +----GstObject +----GstElement +----GstVideoDecoder +----GstV4l2VideoDec +----v4l2h264dec Pad Templates: SINK template: 'sink' Availability: Always Capabilities: video/x-h264 stream-format: byte-stream alignment: au SRC template: 'src' Availability: Always Capabilities: video/x-raw format: NV12 width: [ 1, 32768 ] height: [ 1, 32768 ] framerate: [ 0/1, 2147483647/1 ] Element has no clocking capabilities. Element has no URI handling capabilities. Pads: SINK: 'sink' Pad Template: 'sink' SRC: 'src' Pad Template: 'src' Element Properties: name : The name of the object flags: readable, writable String. Default: "v4l2h264dec0" parent : The parent of the object flags: readable, writable Object of type "GstObject" device : Device location flags: readable String. Default: "/dev/video12" device-name : Name of the device flags: readable String. Default: null device-fd : File descriptor of the device flags: readable Integer. Range: -1 - 2147483647 Default: -1 output-io-mode : Output side I/O mode (matches sink pad) flags: readable, writable Enum "GstV4l2IOMode" Default: 0, "auto" (0): auto - GST_V4L2_IO_AUTO (1): rw - GST_V4L2_IO_RW (2): mmap - GST_V4L2_IO_MMAP (3): userptr - GST_V4L2_IO_USERPTR (4): dmabuf - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF (5): dmabuf-import - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF_IMPORT capture-io-mode : Capture I/O mode (matches src pad) flags: readable, writable Enum "GstV4l2IOMode" Default: 0, "auto" (0): auto - GST_V4L2_IO_AUTO (1): rw - GST_V4L2_IO_RW (2): mmap - GST_V4L2_IO_MMAP (3): userptr - GST_V4L2_IO_USERPTR (4): dmabuf - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF (5): dmabuf-import - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF_IMPORT extra-controls : Extra v4l2 controls (CIDs) for the device flags: readable, writable Boxed pointer of type "GstStructure"
H.264 video encoder element
# gst-inspect-1.0 v4l2h264enc Factory Details: Rank primary + 1 (257) Long-name V4L2 H.264 Encoder Klass Codec/Encoder/Video Description Encode H.264 video streams via V4L2 API Author ayaka <ayaka@soulik.info> Plugin Details: Name video4linux2 Description elements for Video 4 Linux Filename /usr/lib/gstreamer-1.0/libgstvideo4linux2.so Version 1.14.4 License LGPL Source module gst-plugins-good Source release date 2018-10-02 Binary package GStreamer Good Plug-ins source release Origin URL Unknown package origin GObject +----GInitiallyUnowned +----GstObject +----GstElement +----GstVideoEncoder +----GstV4l2VideoEnc +----GstV4l2H264Enc +----v4l2h264enc Implemented Interfaces: GstPreset Pad Templates: SINK template: 'sink' Availability: Always Capabilities: video/x-raw format: NV12 width: [ 1, 32768 ] height: [ 1, 32768 ] framerate: [ 0/1, 2147483647/1 ] SRC template: 'src' Availability: Always Capabilities: video/x-h264 stream-format: byte-stream alignment: au Element has no clocking capabilities. Element has no URI handling capabilities. Pads: SINK: 'sink' Pad Template: 'sink' SRC: 'src' Pad Template: 'src' Element Properties: name : The name of the object flags: readable, writable String. Default: "v4l2h264enc0" parent : The parent of the object flags: readable, writable Object of type "GstObject" qos : Handle Quality-of-Service events from downstream flags: readable, writable Boolean. Default: false device : Device location flags: readable String. Default: "/dev/video13" device-name : Name of the device flags: readable String. Default: null device-fd : File descriptor of the device flags: readable Integer. Range: -1 - 2147483647 Default: -1 output-io-mode : Output side I/O mode (matches sink pad) flags: readable, writable Enum "GstV4l2IOMode" Default: 0, "auto" (0): auto - GST_V4L2_IO_AUTO (1): rw - GST_V4L2_IO_RW (2): mmap - GST_V4L2_IO_MMAP (3): userptr - GST_V4L2_IO_USERPTR (4): dmabuf - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF (5): dmabuf-import - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF_IMPORT capture-io-mode : Capture I/O mode (matches src pad) flags: readable, writable Enum "GstV4l2IOMode" Default: 0, "auto" (0): auto - GST_V4L2_IO_AUTO (1): rw - GST_V4L2_IO_RW (2): mmap - GST_V4L2_IO_MMAP (3): userptr - GST_V4L2_IO_USERPTR (4): dmabuf - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF (5): dmabuf-import - GST_V4L2_IO_DMABUF_IMPORT extra-controls : Extra v4l2 controls (CIDs) for the device flags: readable, writable Boxed pointer of type "GstStructure"
Test Pattern Stream
Test pattern allows you to display pre-built image/video patterns on the display. It is very useful when you don't have a camera but still want to test GStreamer.
Default test pattern:
# gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc ! autovideosink
Test pattern with specific parameters on the input element:
# gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc pattern=circular ! autovideosink
Camera Loopback
Stream video from a camera to a display:
# gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/videoX ! autovideosink
Replace /dev/videoX with the actual camera device.
By default, the MIPI camera device is /dev/video0 & the parallel camera device is /dev/video1.
Video Recording
The i.MX8QXP can encode video to H.264 at 1080p30 using its internal hardware encoder.
For example, you can see the src pad capabilities in the v4l2h264enc element details for the complete list of features supported by the H.264 encoder.
Example of encoding and saving a short video stream from a camera to an H.264-encoded AVI file:
# gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 num-buffers=100 ! video/x-raw,width=1920,height=1080 ! v4l2h264enc ! avimux ! filesink location=./test_h264.avi
Video Playback
The i.MX8QXP can decode and playback H.265 encoded video at 4Kp30 and H.264 encoded video at 1080p60 using its internal hardware decoder.
For example, you can see the sink pad capabilities in the v4l2h264dec element details for the complete list of features supported by the H.264 decoder.
Example of a video file playback using the playbin element (making use of the i.MX8QXP VPU decoder):
# gst-launch-1.0 playbin uri=file:/run/media/sda1/big_buck_bunny.mp4 video-sink="imxvideoconvert_g2d ! queue ! autovideosink"
Example of H.264 video playback while explicitly specifying a pipeline (making use of the i.MX8QXP VPU decoder):
# gst-launch-1.0 filesrc location=/run/media/sda1/big_buck_bunny.mp4 ! qtdemux ! queue ! h264parse ! v4l2h264dec ! imxvideoconvert_g2d ! queue ! autovideosink
Example of H.265 video playback while explicitly specifying a pipeline (making use of the i.MX8QXP VPU decoder):
# gst-launch-1.0 filesrc location=/run/media/sda1/big_buck_bunny.mp4 ! qtdemux ! queue ! h265parse ! v4l2h265dec ! imxvideoconvert_g2d ! queue ! autovideosink
RTP Video streaming
Encode video stream from camera using a hardware H.264 encoder and stream it over RTP:
# gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-raw,width=1280,height=720 ! v4l2h264enc ! rtph264pay ! udpsink host=192.168.20.60 port=1223
References
- The GStreamer website
- NXP BSP Linux Users Guide, Multimedia section download link