Redirect ffmpeg showinfo to Pipe with Stderr

Have you ever wanted to redirect the output of the ffmpeg showinfo option to a pipe using standard error (stderr)? This can be useful for capturing the detailed information about the input media file and sending it to another command or for logging purposes. In this article, we will guide you through the process of redirecting the ffmpeg showinfo output to a pipe with stderr in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.

What is FFmpeg and the showinfo Option?

Before we dive into the details of redirecting the showinfo output to a pipe with stderr, let's first understand what ffmpeg and the showinfo option are. ffmpeg is a free and open-source software project consisting of a vast software suite of libraries and programs for handling video, audio, and other multimedia files and streams. The showinfo option is a useful tool in ffmpeg that displays detailed information about the input media file, including the format, size, bitrate, frame rate, and more.

Redirecting the showinfo Output to a Pipe with Stderr

To redirect the ffmpeg showinfo output to a pipe with stderr, you can use the following command:

Let's break down this command:

• ffmpeg: invokes the ffmpeg command.
• -i input.mp4: specifies the input media file.
• -f null -: specifies the null format, which discards the output.
• -show_entries format=duration,size,bit_rate,nb_frames,frame_rate: specifies the media file properties to display.
• -hide_banner: hides the banner information.
• 2>&1: redirects the stderr to stdout.
• | command: pipes the output to another command for further processing.

For example, if you want to redirect the showinfo output to a file named output.txt, you can use the following command:

In this example, the tee command is used to split the output and send it to both the console and the output.txt file.

In this article, we have explained how to redirect the ffmpeg showinfo output to a pipe with stderr. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily capture detailed information about the input media file and send it to another command or for logging purposes. This technique can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as analyzing the media file properties, debugging, and more. With this knowledge, you can now confidently use the ffmpeg showinfo option to extract detailed information about your media files.

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