Ffmpeg Python Integration Reference

CRITICAL GUIDELINES

Windows File Path Requirements

MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths

When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes (\) in file paths, NOT forward slashes (/).

Python-FFmpeg Integration Reference (2025-2026)

Complete type-safe parameter mapping reference for integrating FFmpeg with Python.

Quick Reference

Section 1: Color Format Conversions

Critical: FFmpeg Color Format Landscape

Color Conversion Functions (Python)

from typing import Tuple

def rgb_to_bgr_hex(r: int, g: int, b: int) -> str:
    """
    Convert RGB (0-255) to BGR hex string.
    Used for OpenCV color specifications.

    Args:
        r, g, b: Red, Green, Blue (0-255)

    Returns:
        Hex string in BGR order: "0xBBGGRR"
    """
    return f"0x{b:02X}{g:02X}{r:02X}"

def rgb_to_ass_color(r: int, g: int, b: int, alpha: int = 0) -> str:
    """
    Convert RGB to ASS/SSA color format (&HAABBGGRR).

    CRITICAL: ASS uses BGR order, not RGB!

    Args:
        r, g, b: Red, Green, Blue (0-255)
        alpha: Alpha channel (0=opaque, 255=transparent)

    Returns:
        ASS color string: "&HAABBGGRR"

    Examples:
        >>> rgb_to_ass_color(255, 255, 255)  # White
        '&H00FFFFFF'
        >>> rgb_to_ass_color(255, 0, 0)      # Red
        '&H000000FF'
        >>> rgb_to_ass_color(0, 255, 0)      # Green
        '&H0000FF00'
        >>> rgb_to_ass_color(0, 0, 255)      # Blue
        '&H00FF0000'
    """
    return f"&H{alpha:02X}{b:02X}{g:02X}{r:02X}"

def ass_color_to_rgb(ass_color: str) -> Tuple[int, int, int, int]:
    """
    Parse ASS color format (&HAABBGGRR) to RGBA.

    Args:
        ass_color: ASS color string like "&H00FFFFFF"

    Returns:
        Tuple (r, g, b, alpha)
    """
    # Remove &H prefix
    hex_val = ass_color.replace("&H", "").replace("&h", "")

    # Pad to 8 characters if needed (some formats omit alpha)
    hex_val = hex_val.zfill(8)

    # Extract AABBGGRR
    alpha = int(hex_val[0:2], 16)
    blue = int(hex_val[2:4], 16)
    green = int(hex_val[4:6], 16)
    red = int(hex_val[6:8], 16)

    return (red, green, blue, alpha)

def ffmpeg_color_to_rgb(color: str) -> Tuple[int, int, int]:
    """
    Parse FFmpeg named or hex color to RGB.

    Args:
        color: Named color ("white") or hex ("#FFFFFF", "0xFFFFFF")

    Returns:
        Tuple (r, g, b)
    """
    # Named colors (subset)
    named_colors = {
        "white": (255, 255, 255),
        "black": (0, 0, 0),
        "red": (255, 0, 0),
        "green": (0, 255, 0),
        "blue": (0, 0, 255),
        "yellow": (255, 255, 0),
        "cyan": (0, 255, 255),
        "magenta": (255, 0, 255),
    }

    if color.lower() in named_colors:
        return named_colors[color.lower()]

    # Parse hex
    hex_val = color.replace("#", "").replace("0x", "")
    r = int(hex_val[0:2], 16)
    g = int(hex_val[2:4], 16)
    b = int(hex_val[4:6], 16)

    return (r, g, b)

# Common color presets (ASS format)
ASS_COLORS = {
    "white": "&H00FFFFFF",
    "black": "&H00000000",
    "red": "&H000000FF",
    "green": "&H0000FF00",
    "blue": "&H00FF0000",
    "yellow": "&H0000FFFF",
    "cyan": "&H00FFFF00",
    "magenta": "&H00FF00FF",
    "orange": "&H0000A5FF",  # RGB(255, 165, 0)
    "purple": "&H00800080",  # RGB(128, 0, 128)
}

# Transparency examples (ASS alpha channel)
ASS_ALPHA = {
    "opaque": 0x00,        # Fully opaque (0%)
    "transparent_10": 0x1A,  # 10% transparent
    "transparent_25": 0x40,  # 25% transparent
    "transparent_50": 0x80,  # 50% transparent (common for shadows)
    "transparent_75": 0xBF,  # 75% transparent
    "invisible": 0xFF,     # Fully transparent (100%)
}

Color Format Comparison Chart

Section 2: Time Unit Conversions

Critical: Three Different Time Systems

Time Conversion Functions

from typing import Union

def seconds_to_centiseconds(seconds: float) -> int:
    """
    Convert seconds to centiseconds for ASS karaoke tags.

    Args:
        seconds: Time in seconds

    Returns:
        Centiseconds (1/100 second)

    Examples:
        >>> seconds_to_centiseconds(0.5)
        50
        >>> seconds_to_centiseconds(1.0)
        100
        >>> seconds_to_centiseconds(2.5)
        250
    """
    return int(seconds * 100)

def seconds_to_milliseconds(seconds: float) -> int:
    """
    Convert seconds to milliseconds for ASS animation tags.

    Args:
        seconds: Time in seconds

    Returns:
        Milliseconds (1/1000 second)

    Examples:
        >>> seconds_to_milliseconds(0.5)
        500
        >>> seconds_to_milliseconds(1.0)
        1000
        >>> seconds_to_milliseconds(0.2)
        200
    """
    return int(seconds * 1000)

def centiseconds_to_seconds(centiseconds: int) -> float:
    """
    Convert ASS karaoke centiseconds to seconds.

    Args:
        centiseconds: Duration in centiseconds

    Returns:
        Seconds
    """
    return centiseconds / 100.0

def milliseconds_to_seconds(milliseconds: int) -> float:
    """
    Convert ASS animation milliseconds to seconds.

    Args:
        milliseconds: Duration in milliseconds

    Returns:
        Seconds
    """
    return milliseconds / 1000.0

def format_ass_timestamp(seconds: float) -> str:
    """
    Format seconds as ASS timestamp (H:MM:SS.CC).

    Args:
        seconds: Time in seconds

    Returns:
        ASS timestamp string

    Examples:
        >>> format_ass_timestamp(1.5)
        '0:00:01.50'
        >>> format_ass_timestamp(65.25)
        '0:01:05.25'
        >>> format_ass_timestamp(3661.0)
        '1:01:01.00'
    """
    hours = int(seconds // 3600)
    minutes = int((seconds % 3600) // 60)
    secs = int(seconds % 60)
    centis = int((seconds % 1) * 100)

    return f"{hours}:{minutes:02d}:{secs:02d}.{centis:02d}"

def parse_ass_timestamp(timestamp: str) -> float:
    """
    Parse ASS timestamp to seconds.

    Args:
        timestamp: ASS timestamp like "0:00:05.50"

    Returns:
        Time in seconds

    Examples:
        >>> parse_ass_timestamp("0:00:01.50")
        1.5
        >>> parse_ass_timestamp("0:01:05.25")
        65.25
    """
    parts = timestamp.split(":")
    hours = int(parts[0])
    minutes = int(parts[1])
    sec_parts = parts[2].split(".")
    seconds = int(sec_parts[0])
    centiseconds = int(sec_parts[1]) if len(sec_parts) > 1 else 0

    total = hours * 3600 + minutes * 60 + seconds + centiseconds / 100.0
    return total

# Quick conversion constants
SECOND_TO_CS = 100      # Centiseconds per second
SECOND_TO_MS = 1000     # Milliseconds per second
CS_TO_MS = 10           # Milliseconds per centisecond

Common Duration Mappings

Section 3: FFmpeg drawtext Parameters

Complete Parameter Type Reference

Text Content

Font Parameters

CRITICAL: fontsize MUST be int, not str. Common error:

# ❌ WRONG:
drawtext(fontsize="24")

# ✅ CORRECT:
drawtext(fontsize=24)

Position Parameters

Position Expression Variables:

• w: Video width (pixels)
• h: Video height (pixels)
• tw: Text width (pixels)
• th: Text height (pixels)
• t: Time in seconds

# Static position (int)
x=100, y=50

# Dynamic position (str expression)
x='(w-tw)/2'  # Centered horizontally
y='h-th-20'   # 20px from bottom

# Time-based animation (str expression)
x='w-mod(t*100,w+tw)'  # Scrolling ticker

Styling Parameters

Alpha Transparency in Colors:

# Format: "color@opacity"
# opacity: 0.0 (transparent) to 1.0 (opaque)

boxcolor='black@0.5'      # 50% transparent black
shadowcolor='red@0.3'     # 30% opaque red
fontcolor='white@0.8'     # 80% opaque white

Timing Parameters

Timing Expressions:

# Show after 2 seconds
enable='gte(t,2)'

# Show between 2-5 seconds
enable='between(t,2,5)'

# Fade in over 1 second
alpha='min(1,t)'

# Fade out over last 2 seconds (10s video)
alpha='if(gt(t,8),1-(t-8)/2,1)'

Section 4: ASS/SSA Subtitle Parameters

ASS Style Definition

from typing import NamedTuple

class ASSStyle(NamedTuple):
    """Type-safe ASS style definition."""
    name: str
    fontname: str
    fontsize: int
    primary_colour: str      # &HAABBGGRR format
    secondary_colour: str    # &HAABBGGRR format
    outline_colour: str      # &HAABBGGRR format
    back_colour: str         # &HAABBGGRR format (shadow)
    bold: int                # 0 or -1 (FFmpeg quirk: -1 for bold)
    italic: int              # 0 or 1
    underline: int           # 0 or 1
    strikeout: int           # 0 or 1
    scale_x: int             # Percentage (100 = normal)
    scale_y: int             # Percentage (100 = normal)
    spacing: int             # Letter spacing in pixels
    angle: float             # Rotation angle in degrees
    border_style: int        # 1 (outline) or 3 (opaque box)
    outline: float           # Outline width (0.0-4.0)
    shadow: float            # Shadow distance (0.0-4.0)
    alignment: int           # Numpad alignment (1-9)
    margin_l: int            # Left margin (pixels)
    margin_r: int            # Right margin (pixels)
    margin_v: int            # Vertical margin (pixels)
    encoding: int            # Character encoding (1=UTF-8)

def ass_style_to_string(style: ASSStyle) -> str:
    """
    Convert ASSStyle to ASS format string.

    Returns:
        ASS Style line
    """
    return (
        f"Style: {style.name},"
        f"{style.fontname},{style.fontsize},"
        f"{style.primary_colour},{style.secondary_colour},"
        f"{style.outline_colour},{style.back_colour},"
        f"{style.bold},{style.italic},{style.underline},{style.strikeout},"
        f"{style.scale_x},{style.scale_y},{style.spacing},{style.angle},"
        f"{style.border_style},{style.outline},{style.shadow},"
        f"{style.alignment},"
        f"{style.margin_l},{style.margin_r},{style.margin_v},"
        f"{style.encoding}"
    )

# Example usage
karaoke_style = ASSStyle(
    name="Karaoke",
    fontname="Arial Black",
    fontsize=72,
    primary_colour="&H00FFFFFF",  # White text (unhighlighted)
    secondary_colour="&H000000FF",  # Red text (highlighted)
    outline_colour="&H00000000",  # Black outline
    back_colour="&H80000000",     # 50% transparent black shadow
    bold=-1,                      # Bold (FFmpeg uses -1)
    italic=0,
    underline=0,
    strikeout=0,
    scale_x=100,
    scale_y=100,
    spacing=0,
    angle=0.0,
    border_style=1,               # Outline + shadow
    outline=3.0,                  # 3px outline
    shadow=2.0,                   # 2px shadow
    alignment=2,                  # Bottom center
    margin_l=10,
    margin_r=10,
    margin_v=50,                  # 50px from bottom
    encoding=1                    # UTF-8
)

print(ass_style_to_string(karaoke_style))

ASS Parameter Ranges and Types

ASS Alignment (Numpad Layout)

7 (top-left)      8 (top-center)      9 (top-right)
4 (middle-left)   5 (middle-center)   6 (middle-right)
1 (bottom-left)   2 (bottom-center)   3 (bottom-right)

ASS_ALIGNMENT = {
    "bottom_left": 1,
    "bottom_center": 2,
    "bottom_right": 3,
    "middle_left": 4,
    "middle_center": 5,
    "middle_right": 6,
    "top_left": 7,
    "top_center": 8,
    "top_right": 9,
}

Section 5: ASS Karaoke Tags

Karaoke Tag Reference

def generate_karaoke_line(
    words: list[str],
    durations: list[float],  # In SECONDS
    style: str = "Karaoke"
) -> str:
    """
    Generate ASS karaoke dialogue line.

    Args:
        words: List of words/syllables
        durations: Duration for each word IN SECONDS
        style: ASS style name

    Returns:
        ASS dialogue line with karaoke tags

    Example:
        >>> generate_karaoke_line(
        ...     ["Hello", "world"],
        ...     [0.5, 0.6]
        ... )
        '{\\k50}Hello {\\k60}world'
    """
    # Convert seconds to centiseconds
    karaoke_tags = []
    for word, duration_sec in zip(words, durations):
        cs = int(duration_sec * 100)  # Centiseconds
        karaoke_tags.append(f"{{\\k{cs}}}{word}")

    return " ".join(karaoke_tags)

# Example usage
words = ["Never", "gonna", "give", "you", "up"]
durations = [0.8, 0.6, 0.6, 0.5, 0.7]  # seconds

karaoke_text = generate_karaoke_line(words, durations)
print(karaoke_text)
# Output: {\k80}Never {\k60}gonna {\k60}give {\k50}you {\k70}up

Section 6: ASS Animation Tags

Animation Tag Reference

from typing import List, Tuple

def create_scale_animation(
    duration_ms: int,
    start_scale: int = 80,
    peak_scale: int = 120,
    end_scale: int = 100
) -> str:
    """
    Create bounce scale animation (pop effect).

    Args:
        duration_ms: Total animation duration in MILLISECONDS
        start_scale: Initial scale percentage
        peak_scale: Peak scale (overshoot)
        end_scale: Final settled scale

    Returns:
        ASS animation tags

    Example:
        >>> create_scale_animation(400)
        '\\fscx80\\fscy80\\t(0,150,\\fscx120\\fscy120)\\t(150,300,\\fscx95\\fscy95)\\t(300,400,\\fscx100\\fscy100)'
    """
    t1 = int(duration_ms * 0.375)  # 37.5% to peak
    t2 = int(duration_ms * 0.75)   # 75% to settle
    t3 = duration_ms

    mid_scale = int((peak_scale + end_scale) / 2) - 5

    return (
        f"\\fscx{start_scale}\\fscy{start_scale}"
        f"\\t(0,{t1},\\fscx{peak_scale}\\fscy{peak_scale})"
        f"\\t({t1},{t2},\\fscx{mid_scale}\\fscy{mid_scale})"
        f"\\t({t2},{t3},\\fscx{end_scale}\\fscy{end_scale})"
    )

def create_fade_animation(
    fade_in_ms: int,
    fade_out_ms: int = 0
) -> str:
    """
    Create fade in/out animation.

    Args:
        fade_in_ms: Fade in duration in MILLISECONDS
        fade_out_ms: Fade out duration in MILLISECONDS (0 = no fade out)

    Returns:
        ASS fade tag

    Example:
        >>> create_fade_animation(300, 200)
        '\\fad(300,200)'
    """
    return f"\\fad({fade_in_ms},{fade_out_ms})"

def create_color_transition(
    start_color_rgb: Tuple[int, int, int],
    end_color_rgb: Tuple[int, int, int],
    duration_ms: int
) -> str:
    """
    Create smooth color transition animation.

    Args:
        start_color_rgb: Starting RGB color
        end_color_rgb: Ending RGB color
        duration_ms: Transition duration in MILLISECONDS

    Returns:
        ASS animation tags

    Example:
        >>> create_color_transition((255,255,255), (255,0,0), 1000)
        '\\c&H00FFFFFF&\\t(0,1000,\\c&H000000FF&)'
    """
    start_ass = rgb_to_ass_color(*start_color_rgb)[:-2] + "&"  # Remove last 2 chars, add &
    end_ass = rgb_to_ass_color(*end_color_rgb)[:-2] + "&"

    return f"\\c{start_ass}\\t(0,{duration_ms},\\c{end_ass})"

# Example: Complete animated karaoke line
def create_animated_karaoke_word(
    word: str,
    karaoke_duration_sec: float,
    pop_animation: bool = True
) -> str:
    """
    Create word with karaoke + pop animation.

    Args:
        word: Word text
        karaoke_duration_sec: Karaoke fill duration in SECONDS
        pop_animation: Add scale pop effect

    Returns:
        ASS karaoke word with animations
    """
    karaoke_cs = int(karaoke_duration_sec * 100)  # Centiseconds
    karaoke_ms = int(karaoke_duration_sec * 1000)  # Milliseconds

    if pop_animation:
        pop = create_scale_animation(karaoke_ms, 90, 115, 100)
        return f"{{\\k{karaoke_cs}{pop}}}{word}"
    else:
        return f"{{\\k{karaoke_cs}}}{word}"

# Usage
animated_line = " ".join([
    create_animated_karaoke_word("Never", 0.8, True),
    create_animated_karaoke_word("gonna", 0.6, True),
    create_animated_karaoke_word("give", 0.6, True),
    create_animated_karaoke_word("you", 0.5, True),
    create_animated_karaoke_word("up", 0.7, True),
])

Section 7: ffmpeg-python Library Integration

Type-Safe Filter Application

import ffmpeg
from typing import Optional, Union

def apply_drawtext_filter(
    input_stream,
    text: str,
    fontsize: int,
    fontcolor: str = "white",
    x: Union[str, int] = 10,
    y: Union[str, int] = 10,
    fontfile: Optional[str] = None,
    borderw: int = 0,
    bordercolor: str = "black",
    shadowx: int = 0,
    shadowy: int = 0,
    shadowcolor: str = "black",
    box: int = 0,
    boxcolor: str = "black@0.5",
    boxborderw: int = 0,
    enable: Optional[str] = None,
    alpha: Optional[str] = None
):
    """
    Apply drawtext filter with type safety.

    Args:
        input_stream: ffmpeg input stream
        text: Text to display
        fontsize: Font size in points (int, 1-999)
        fontcolor: Color name or hex string
        x: X position (int or expression string)
        y: Y position (int or expression string)
        fontfile: Path to font file (optional)
        borderw: Border width (int, 0-20)
        bordercolor: Border color
        shadowx: Shadow X offset (int)
        shadowy: Shadow Y offset (int)
        shadowcolor: Shadow color
        box: Enable background box (0 or 1)
        boxcolor: Box color with alpha (e.g., "black@0.5")
        boxborderw: Box border width
        enable: Enable expression (e.g., "gte(t,2)")
        alpha: Alpha expression (e.g., "min(1,t)")

    Returns:
        ffmpeg stream with drawtext filter applied

    Raises:
        TypeError: If parameters have incorrect types
        ValueError: If parameters are out of valid range
    """
    # Type validation
    if not isinstance(fontsize, int):
        raise TypeError(f"fontsize must be int, got {type(fontsize).__name__}")

    if not (1 <= fontsize <= 999):
        raise ValueError(f"fontsize must be 1-999, got {fontsize}")

    if not isinstance(borderw, int) or borderw < 0:
        raise ValueError(f"borderw must be non-negative int, got {borderw}")

    if not isinstance(box, int) or box not in (0, 1):
        raise ValueError(f"box must be 0 or 1, got {box}")

    # Build filter parameters
    params = {
        "text": text,
        "fontsize": fontsize,
        "fontcolor": fontcolor,
        "x": x,
        "y": y,
        "borderw": borderw,
        "bordercolor": bordercolor,
        "box": box,
    }

    # Optional parameters
    if fontfile:
        params["fontfile"] = fontfile

    if shadowx != 0:
        params["shadowx"] = shadowx

    if shadowy != 0:
        params["shadowy"] = shadowy
        params["shadowcolor"] = shadowcolor

    if box == 1:
        params["boxcolor"] = boxcolor
        if boxborderw > 0:
            params["boxborderw"] = boxborderw

    if enable:
        params["enable"] = enable

    if alpha:
        params["alpha"] = alpha

    return input_stream.drawtext(**params)

# Example usage
input_file = ffmpeg.input("input.mp4")
output = apply_drawtext_filter(
    input_file,
    text="Hello World",
    fontsize=48,
    fontcolor="white",
    x="(w-tw)/2",
    y="(h-th)/2",
    borderw=2,
    bordercolor="black",
    shadowx=2,
    shadowy=2,
    enable="between(t,1,5)"
)
output = ffmpeg.output(output, "output.mp4")
ffmpeg.run(output)

Complete Audio/Video Filter Example

import ffmpeg
from pathlib import Path

def add_subtitles_with_audio(
    input_video: str,
    output_video: str,
    subtitle_text: str,
    fontsize: int = 48,
    crf: int = 18,
    audio_codec: str = "aac",
    audio_bitrate: str = "192k"
):
    """
    Add burned-in subtitles while preserving audio.

    CRITICAL: Always explicitly handle audio stream to prevent loss.

    Args:
        input_video: Input video path
        output_video: Output video path
        subtitle_text: Text to display
        fontsize: Font size (int)
        crf: Constant Rate Factor for H.264 (int, 0-51)
        audio_codec: Audio codec (default: "aac")
        audio_bitrate: Audio bitrate (default: "192k")
    """
    # Input
    input_file = ffmpeg.input(input_video)

    # Video processing
    video = input_file.video.drawtext(
        text=subtitle_text,
        fontsize=fontsize,
        fontcolor="white",
        x="(w-tw)/2",
        y="h-th-50",
        borderw=2,
        bordercolor="black"
    )

    # Audio passthrough (CRITICAL)
    audio = input_file.audio

    # Output with both streams
    output = ffmpeg.output(
        video,
        audio,
        output_video,
        vcodec="libx264",
        crf=crf,
        acodec=audio_codec,
        audio_bitrate=audio_bitrate
    )

    # Run
    output = output.overwrite_output()
    ffmpeg.run(output)

Section 8: Subprocess Pattern with Pipes

Frame-by-Frame Processing

import subprocess
import numpy as np
from typing import Generator, Tuple

def read_video_frames(
    input_path: str,
    width: int,
    height: int,
    pix_fmt: str = "rgb24"
) -> Generator[np.ndarray, None, None]:
    """
    Read video frames using FFmpeg subprocess.

    Args:
        input_path: Input video file path
        width: Frame width
        height: Frame height
        pix_fmt: Pixel format ("rgb24" or "bgr24")

    Yields:
        NumPy array frames (height, width, 3)

    Example:
        >>> for frame in read_video_frames("input.mp4", 1920, 1080):
        ...     # Process frame (RGB format)
        ...     processed = cv2.cvtColor(frame, cv2.COLOR_RGB2BGR)
    """
    # FFmpeg command
    cmd = [
        "ffmpeg",
        "-i", input_path,
        "-f", "rawvideo",
        "-pix_fmt", pix_fmt,
        "-"  # Output to stdout
    ]

    process = subprocess.Popen(
        cmd,
        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
        stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
        bufsize=10**8
    )

    frame_size = width * height * 3

    try:
        while True:
            raw_frame = process.stdout.read(frame_size)
            if len(raw_frame) != frame_size:
                break

            # Convert to NumPy array
            frame = np.frombuffer(raw_frame, dtype=np.uint8)
            frame = frame.reshape((height, width, 3))

            yield frame
    finally:
        process.stdout.close()
        process.wait()

def write_video_frames(
    output_path: str,
    width: int,
    height: int,
    fps: float = 30.0,
    pix_fmt: str = "rgb24",
    crf: int = 18
) -> subprocess.Popen:
    """
    Create FFmpeg process for writing frames.

    Args:
        output_path: Output video file path
        width: Frame width
        height: Frame height
        fps: Frames per second
        pix_fmt: Pixel format ("rgb24" or "bgr24")
        crf: Constant Rate Factor (0-51)

    Returns:
        subprocess.Popen instance (write frames to .stdin)

    Example:
        >>> writer = write_video_frames("output.mp4", 1920, 1080, 30)
        >>> for frame in frames:
        ...     writer.stdin.write(frame.tobytes())
        >>> writer.stdin.close()
        >>> writer.wait()
    """
    cmd = [
        "ffmpeg",
        "-y",  # Overwrite output
        "-f", "rawvideo",
        "-vcodec", "rawvideo",
        "-s", f"{width}x{height}",
        "-pix_fmt", pix_fmt,
        "-r", str(fps),
        "-i", "-",  # Read from stdin
        "-c:v", "libx264",
        "-preset", "fast",
        "-crf", str(crf),
        "-pix_fmt", "yuv420p",
        output_path
    ]

    process = subprocess.Popen(
        cmd,
        stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
        stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL
    )

    return process

# Complete pipeline example
def process_video_frames(
    input_path: str,
    output_path: str,
    process_fn: callable
):
    """
    Read, process, and write video frames.

    Args:
        input_path: Input video
        output_path: Output video
        process_fn: Function to process each frame
    """
    # Get video dimensions
    import cv2
    cap = cv2.VideoCapture(input_path)
    width = int(cap.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH))
    height = int(cap.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT))
    fps = cap.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS)
    cap.release()

    # Create writer
    writer = write_video_frames(output_path, width, height, fps)

    try:
        # Process frames
        for frame in read_video_frames(input_path, width, height):
            processed = process_fn(frame)
            writer.stdin.write(processed.tobytes())
    finally:
        writer.stdin.close()
        writer.wait()

Section 9: Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall 1: String vs Int for Numeric Parameters

# ❌ WRONG - passing string for int parameter
import ffmpeg
ffmpeg.input("input.mp4").drawtext(
    text="Hello",
    fontsize="24"  # ❌ Should be int
).output("output.mp4")

# ✅ CORRECT
ffmpeg.input("input.mp4").drawtext(
    text="Hello",
    fontsize=24  # ✅ int
).output("output.mp4")

Pitfall 2: RGB vs BGR Color Order

# ❌ WRONG - using RGB for ASS color
def wrong_ass_color(r: int, g: int, b: int) -> str:
    return f"&H00{r:02X}{g:02X}{b:02X}"  # ❌ RGB order

# ✅ CORRECT - BGR order for ASS
def correct_ass_color(r: int, g: int, b: int) -> str:
    return f"&H00{b:02X}{g:02X}{r:02X}"  # ✅ BGR order

# Example: Pure red
print(wrong_ass_color(255, 0, 0))   # ❌ "&H00FF0000" = Blue in ASS!
print(correct_ass_color(255, 0, 0))  # ✅ "&H000000FF" = Red in ASS

Pitfall 3: Centiseconds vs Milliseconds Confusion

# ❌ WRONG - mixing units
def wrong_karaoke_timing():
    # Karaoke tag uses centiseconds
    # Animation uses milliseconds - DIFFERENT!
    return r"{\k100\t(0,100,\fscx120)}Word"  # ❌ Mismatch!
    # \k100 = 1 second
    # \t(0,100,...) = 0.1 seconds (100ms)

# ✅ CORRECT - consistent timing
def correct_karaoke_timing(duration_sec: float):
    cs = int(duration_sec * 100)   # Karaoke: centiseconds
    ms = int(duration_sec * 1000)  # Animation: milliseconds
    return rf"{{\k{cs}\t(0,{ms},\fscx120)}}Word"

print(correct_karaoke_timing(1.0))
# Output: {\k100\t(0,1000,\fscx120)}Word
# Both tags now represent 1 second ✅

Pitfall 4: Forgetting Quotes on Expressions

# ❌ WRONG - expression without quotes
import ffmpeg
ffmpeg.input("input.mp4").drawtext(
    text="Hello",
    x=(w-tw)/2  # ❌ Python evaluates this, causes NameError
)

# ✅ CORRECT - expression as string
ffmpeg.input("input.mp4").drawtext(
    text="Hello",
    x="(w-tw)/2"  # ✅ FFmpeg evaluates this at runtime
)

Pitfall 5: Audio Stream Loss

# ❌ WRONG - audio is silently dropped
import ffmpeg
input_file = ffmpeg.input("input.mp4")
(
    input_file
    .filter("scale", 1280, 720)  # ❌ Only video stream
    .output("output.mp4")
    .run()
)

# ✅ CORRECT - explicitly handle audio
input_file = ffmpeg.input("input.mp4")
video = input_file.video.filter("scale", 1280, 720)
audio = input_file.audio  # ✅ Preserve audio
ffmpeg.output(video, audio, "output.mp4").run()

Pitfall 6: Incorrect ASS Bold Value

# ❌ WRONG - using 1 for bold (works in some renderers, not all)
ass_style = f"Style: Default,Arial,48,&H00FFFFFF,...,1,..."  # ❌ May not work

# ✅ CORRECT - FFmpeg expects -1 for bold
ass_style = f"Style: Default,Arial,48,&H00FFFFFF,...,-1,..."  # ✅ Proper bold

Section 10: Validation Helpers

from typing import Union
import re

def validate_fontsize(size: int) -> int:
    """Validate fontsize parameter."""
    if not isinstance(size, int):
        raise TypeError(f"fontsize must be int, got {type(size).__name__}")
    if not (1 <= size <= 999):
        raise ValueError(f"fontsize must be 1-999, got {size}")
    return size

def validate_crf(crf: int, codec: str = "h264") -> int:
    """Validate CRF parameter."""
    if not isinstance(crf, int):
        raise TypeError(f"crf must be int, got {type(crf).__name__}")

    ranges = {
        "h264": (0, 51),
        "h265": (0, 51),
        "hevc": (0, 51),
        "vp9": (0, 63),
        "av1": (0, 63),
    }

    min_crf, max_crf = ranges.get(codec, (0, 51))
    if not (min_crf <= crf <= max_crf):
        raise ValueError(f"crf for {codec} must be {min_crf}-{max_crf}, got {crf}")

    return crf

def validate_ass_color(color: str) -> str:
    """Validate ASS color format."""
    pattern = r"^&H[0-9A-Fa-f]{8}$"
    if not re.match(pattern, color):
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid ASS color format: {color} (expected &HAABBGGRR)")
    return color

def validate_alignment(alignment: int) -> int:
    """Validate ASS alignment (1-9 numpad)."""
    if not isinstance(alignment, int):
        raise TypeError(f"alignment must be int, got {type(alignment).__name__}")
    if not (1 <= alignment <= 9):
        raise ValueError(f"alignment must be 1-9, got {alignment}")
    return alignment

def validate_ffmpeg_color(color: str) -> str:
    """Validate FFmpeg color (named or hex)."""
    named_colors = {
        "white", "black", "red", "green", "blue",
        "yellow", "cyan", "magenta", "orange", "purple"
    }

    if color.lower() in named_colors:
        return color

    # Validate hex format
    hex_pattern = r"^(#|0x)?[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}$"
    if re.match(hex_pattern, color):
        return color

    raise ValueError(f"Invalid FFmpeg color: {color}")

def validate_time_expression(expr: str) -> str:
    """Validate FFmpeg time expression syntax."""
    # Basic validation - check for common mistakes
    if not isinstance(expr, str):
        raise TypeError(f"Time expression must be str, got {type(expr).__name__}")

    # Check for unquoted expressions in Python (common mistake)
    if "w" in expr or "h" in expr or "tw" in expr or "th" in expr:
        # Likely an expression - ensure it's a string
        if not isinstance(expr, str):
            raise TypeError("FFmpeg expressions must be strings")

    return expr

Section 11: Complete Working Examples

Example 1: Type-Safe Karaoke Generator

import ffmpeg
from typing import List, Tuple
from pathlib import Path

class KaraokeGenerator:
    """Type-safe karaoke subtitle generator."""

    def __init__(
        self,
        video_path: str,
        output_path: str,
        font_size: int = 72,
        font_name: str = "Arial Black",
        text_color_rgb: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255),
        highlight_color_rgb: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 0, 0)
    ):
        self.video_path = video_path
        self.output_path = output_path
        self.font_size = validate_fontsize(font_size)
        self.font_name = font_name
        self.text_color = rgb_to_ass_color(*text_color_rgb)
        self.highlight_color = rgb_to_ass_color(*highlight_color_rgb)

        self.lyrics: List[Tuple[float, List[Tuple[str, float]]]] = []

    def add_line(
        self,
        start_time: float,
        words: List[str],
        durations: List[float]
    ):
        """
        Add karaoke line.

        Args:
            start_time: Line start time in SECONDS
            words: List of words
            durations: Duration for each word in SECONDS
        """
        if len(words) != len(durations):
            raise ValueError("words and durations must have same length")

        self.lyrics.append((start_time, list(zip(words, durations))))

    def generate_ass(self) -> str:
        """Generate complete ASS subtitle file."""
        lines = [
            "[Script Info]",
            "Title: Karaoke Subtitles",
            "ScriptType: v4.00+",
            "PlayResX: 1920",
            "PlayResY: 1080",
            "",
            "[V4+ Styles]",
            "Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, "
            "OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, "
            "ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, "
            "Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding",
            (
                f"Style: Karaoke,{self.font_name},{self.font_size},"
                f"{self.text_color},{self.highlight_color},"
                "&H00000000,&H80000000,"
                "-1,0,0,0,100,100,0,0,1,3,2,2,10,10,50,1"
            ),
            "",
            "[Events]",
            "Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text"
        ]

        # Generate dialogue lines
        for start_time, word_durations in self.lyrics:
            # Calculate end time
            total_duration = sum(dur for _, dur in word_durations)
            end_time = start_time + total_duration

            # Generate karaoke tags (centiseconds)
            karaoke_text = ""
            for word, duration_sec in word_durations:
                cs = seconds_to_centiseconds(duration_sec)
                karaoke_text += f"{{\\k{cs}}}{word} "

            karaoke_text = karaoke_text.strip()

            # Format timestamps
            start_str = format_ass_timestamp(start_time)
            end_str = format_ass_timestamp(end_time)

            dialogue = f"Dialogue: 0,{start_str},{end_str},Karaoke,,0,0,0,,{karaoke_text}"
            lines.append(dialogue)

        return "\n".join(lines)

    def render(self, crf: int = 18):
        """Render video with karaoke subtitles."""
        # Generate ASS file
        ass_content = self.generate_ass()
        ass_path = Path(self.output_path).with_suffix(".ass")
        ass_path.write_text(ass_content, encoding="utf-8")

        # Apply subtitles with ffmpeg-python
        input_file = ffmpeg.input(self.video_path)
        video = input_file.video.filter("ass", str(ass_path))
        audio = input_file.audio

        output = ffmpeg.output(
            video,
            audio,
            self.output_path,
            vcodec="libx264",
            crf=validate_crf(crf),
            acodec="aac"

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