standardize_video_batch: Standardize Many Videos From a Jobs Table

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

Standardize Many Videos From a Jobs Table

Description

Re-encode many files to a reproducible format, using one jobs table. This is the batch form of standardize_video(), for when you have more than one video to standardize. Each row is one input, and the only required column names its source. The function is a thin wrapper over ffm_batch. It builds one reproducible command for each input. The glossary in vignette("tidymedia") explains media terms such as codec, pixel format and frame rate.

Usage

standardize_video_batch(
  jobs,
  width = NULL,
  height = NULL,
  fps = NULL,
  video_codec = "libx264",
  audio_codec = "copy",
  pixel_format = "yuv420p",
  hardware = c("none", "nvenc", "videotoolbox"),
  fallback = FALSE,
  quality = NULL,
  audio_stream = NULL,
  run = TRUE,
  parallel = FALSE,
  ...
)

Arguments

jobs	A data frame with one row per input. It needs at least an input column, the source path. An optional output column names the destination. Without it, each row's output name adds _standardized to the input's base name and keeps its extension. For example, clip.mkv becomes clip_standardized.mkv. Two rows naming the same output path are refused before any row runs. That is a path repeated in the output column, or a repeated input when there is no output column. A column can override any of the six format arguments for each row: width, height, fps, video_codec, audio_codec and pixel_format. An argument with no column applies its value to every row. In either codec column, NA leaves that row's codec unset. That is the column form of video_codec = NULL or audio_codec = NULL. In a width, height, fps or pixel_format column, NA is an error. pixel_format has no unset state to express. width, height and fps do accept NULL as arguments, but their columns have no NA form for it. An audio_stream column overrides the audio_stream argument for each row, and NA keeps that row on every audio track. A numeric quality column overrides the quality argument per row (see quality). Any other columns are ignored.
width, height	Optional target dimensions for every row, unless jobs has a column of the same name (see jobs). When only one is given, the other is derived to keep the aspect ratio. When neither is given, the frame is floor-cropped to even dimensions, so odd-sized sources encode. (default = NULL)
fps	Optional target frame rate applied to every row, unless jobs carries an fps column. (default = NULL, i.e. leave the frame rate unchanged)
video_codec	A string naming the video codec for every row, unless jobs has a video_codec column. In that column, NA leaves that row's codec unset. The default is "libx264". NULL emits no -codec:v and lets the output container's default encoder decide. For a .webm output, pass audio_codec = NULL too, because the default "copy" would otherwise carry a codec WebM cannot hold.
audio_codec	A string naming the audio codec for every row, unless jobs has an audio_codec column. In that column, NA leaves that row's codec unset. "copy" (default) stream-copies the audio through untouched. Name an encoder, such as "aac", when the source audio cannot be copied into the output container.
pixel_format	A string naming the pixel format applied to every row, unless jobs carries a pixel_format column. (default = "yuv420p")
hardware	The encoder backend for every row. "none" is the default. "nvenc" uses NVIDIA GPU encoding (H.264, HEVC and AV1), and "videotoolbox" uses Apple GPU encoding (H.264 and HEVC). It applies to the whole batch and is not read as a column. See standardize_video and has_hardware_encoder. Resolving a hardware backend asks this FFmpeg build which encoders it has. So the first such call that re-encodes the video runs FFmpeg while the command is built, even under run = FALSE. The answer is remembered for the rest of the R session. See refresh_ffmpeg_capabilities to discard it. This function checks that the encoder is available before any row runs. So an unavailable encoder aborts naming this function, not the internal step that runs the rows.
fallback	A logical. When a hardware other than "none" is requested but its encoder is unavailable, TRUE re-encodes with the software video_codec and a message. FALSE (default) aborts instead. A video_codec in a family that the backend has no encoder for is a wrong argument, not an absent encoder. So it aborts whatever fallback says.
quality	A number, or NULL (default), applied to each row unless jobs carries a numeric quality column. In that column, NA leaves that row's encoder default in place, whatever the argument says. The value is the encoder's own rate-control value, passed through unchanged. Each cell is checked against the encoder its own row resolves to. A wrong cell is refused before any row runs, and the error names this function and the row. See standardize_video() for the encoders, their flags and ranges, and the values it refuses.
audio_stream	The audio track to carry into each output, as a number that counts from 0 among the audio tracks of each row's input. 0 is the first audio track and 1 is the second. Other streams in the file, such as video, do not count. NULL (default) carries every audio track. Without an audio_stream column, the argument applies to every row. An NA cell in that column means NULL for that row. It does not fall back to the argument. The every-track family reads NULL as every audio track: separate_audio_video, standardize_video, anonymize_video, crop_video, segment_video and format_for_web, and their _batch forms. The first-track family reads it as the first audio track only: extract_audio, convert_audio and normalize_audio, and their _batch forms. The function does not carry subtitle or data streams in either case. A track the input does not have gives an FFmpeg error, not an R one. See audio_stream for how this differs from audio_input, the input index on compare_videos and picture_in_picture. (default = NULL)
run	A logical: run each input's command through FFmpeg (TRUE, default) or only compile them for inspection (FALSE).
parallel	A logical passed to ffm_batch: standardize in parallel with furrr (TRUE) or sequentially (FALSE, default). Parallelism follows the active future plan; TRUE under the default sequential plan runs one input at a time and warns. Set a plan first, e.g. future::plan(future::multisession).
...	Additional arguments forwarded to ffm_batch, such as verify, manifest, checksums, and progress.

Value

The tibble returned by ffm_batch: jobs with an added command column. When output was derived, it also has the resolved output column. When run = TRUE, it has a success column, plus any columns the forwarded arguments add, such as verified.

See Also

standardize_video() for the single-input form; ffm_batch() for the batch runner and the arguments forwarded through ...; segment_video_batch() and extract_frame_batch() for the other batch task functions.

Other task functions: anonymize_video(), anonymize_video_batch(), compare_videos(), compare_videos_batch(), concatenate_videos(), concatenate_videos_batch(), convert_audio(), convert_audio_batch(), crop_video(), crop_video_batch(), extract_audio(), extract_audio_batch(), extract_frame(), extract_frame_batch(), format_for_web(), format_for_web_batch(), normalize_audio(), normalize_audio_batch(), picture_in_picture(), picture_in_picture_batch(), sample_frames(), sample_frames_batch(), segment_video(), segment_video_batch(), separate_audio_video(), separate_audio_video_batch(), standardize_video(), strip_metadata(), strip_metadata_batch()

Other audio selection functions: anonymize_video(), anonymize_video_batch(), audio_stream, compare_videos(), compare_videos_batch(), convert_audio(), convert_audio_batch(), crop_video(), crop_video_batch(), extract_audio(), extract_audio_batch(), format_for_web(), format_for_web_batch(), normalize_audio(), normalize_audio_batch(), picture_in_picture(), picture_in_picture_batch(), segment_video(), segment_video_batch(), separate_audio_video(), separate_audio_video_batch(), standardize_video()

Examples

video <- system.file("extdata", "sample.mp4", package = "tidymedia")
jobs <- tibble::tibble(
  input  = c(video, video),
  output = c("a.mp4", "b.mp4"),
  width  = c(640, 320)
)
# run = FALSE compiles one command per input without calling FFmpeg
standardize_video_batch(jobs, run = FALSE)

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