mediainfo_parameter: Query a single parameter from a single MediaInfo section

In tidymedia: Media File Preprocessing and Metadata for the 'tidyverse'

Query a single parameter from a single MediaInfo section

Description

mediainfo_parameter() uses the MediaInfo program to read one value, such as the video width, from media files. MediaInfo groups its values in sections, such as "General", "Video" and "Audio". You name the section and the parameter to read.

Usage

mediainfo_parameter(file, section, parameter, typed = TRUE)

Arguments

file	A character vector of one or more media file paths.
section	A string. The name of the MediaInfo section to read parameter from.
parameter	A string. The name of the MediaInfo parameter to read from section.
typed	A logical. If TRUE (the default), the function converts the values to their natural type, for example to numbers. If FALSE, it returns strings.

Details

Give several files in file to get one value for each file. The function returns a vector, not a tibble. The ⁠probe_*()⁠ functions read similar information with FFprobe and return tibbles.

Value

A vector with one value for each element of file. A value is NA when MediaInfo prints more than one line, for example for a section it does not know. A parameter that section does not have gives an empty value. That value is NA when typed = TRUE and "" when typed = FALSE. A value is also NA for a file that does not exist or that reaches the time limit.

The function does not stop at those files. It reads the other files, and then gives one warning that names the files that do not exist or reached the limit. See with_timeout() for the time limit.

See Also

mediainfo_query() to read several parameters at once. mediainfo_template() to apply a whole template. probe_all() to read information with FFprobe. get_duration() and the other ⁠get_*()⁠ functions for common single values.

Other metadata functions: get_duration(), get_frame_rate(), get_height(), get_sample_rate(), get_width(), mediainfo_query(), mediainfo_template(), probe_all(), probe_container()

Examples

video <- system.file("extdata", "sample.mp4", package = "tidymedia")
mediainfo_parameter(video, section = "Video", parameter = "Width")

tidymedia documentation built on Oct. 11, 2026, 5:08 p.m.