homebridge-hikvision-dvr 1.2.2 → 1.3.0

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.3.0
+
+Smoother live video when Homebridge runs on a PC or server (anything that isn't a Raspberry Pi).
+
+- On a machine with 4 or more cores and no Pi hardware encoder, software-encoded streams keep the DVR's own frame timing instead of being forced to exactly 25 fps, and use the `veryfast` x264 preset instead of `ultrafast` for a cleaner picture. Forcing 25 fps duplicated and dropped frames irregularly, because the DVR's frames arrive unevenly, which showed as judder.
+- Raspberry Pi behaviour is unchanged.
+
 ## 1.2.2
 
 Fixes video freezing and high load on a Raspberry Pi when several cameras are opened at once (for example the 4-camera grid on an Apple TV).

package/lib/camera.js

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ const { RtspClient } = require('./rtsp');
 const { HikDecryptor } = require('./hikcrypt');
 const { FlvWriter } = require('./flv');
 const { run, spawn, AnnexBSplitter } = require('./ffmpeg');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const os = require('os');
 
 const START_CODE = Buffer.from([0, 0, 0, 1]);
 const PROFILES = ['baseline', 'main', 'high'];
@@ -20,6 +22,8 @@ const PREPARE_TTL = 10000; // a prepared-but-not-started session counts towards
 const MAIN_MAX_VIEWERS = 2; // up to this many concurrent viewers get the main stream
 const SMALL = { width: 640, height: 360, bitrate: 800 }; // light path: sub stream scaled up, hardware encoded
 const MAX_HW_SESSIONS = 4; // hardware encodes at once; further viewers get the sub stream passed through
+// A PC or server (not a Pi: no V4L2 M2M encoder node, 4+ cores) has CPU to spare for software encoding.
+const FAST_HOST = os.cpus().length >= 4 && !fs.existsSync('/dev/video11');
 const MAX_SW_SESSIONS = 2; // libx264 encodes at once while the hardware encoder is marked broken or one hardware encode failed
 // Hardware DECODE (-c:v h264_v4l2m2m before -i) was measured on the Pi 3 A+ and is deliberately not used: with the DVR's FLV pipe
 // input it was slower to start (2-7 s vs 1.5 s), used 2.5-3.3 cores instead of ~1 (ffmpeg copies every frame out of the codec's
@@ -281,9 +285,12 @@ class HikCamera {
         // DVR main streams are often anamorphic (e.g. 960x1080 "1080P Lite"); tell the player the display aspect is 16:9.
         first = this.spawn(session, [...input, '-c:v', 'copy', '-bsf:v', `h264_metadata=sample_aspect_ratio=${useSub ? '16/11' : '2/1'}`, ...srtpOut]);
       } else if (mode === 'libx264') {
-        first = this.spawn(session, [...input, '-vf', scale, '-c:v', 'libx264', '-preset', 'ultrafast', '-tune', 'zerolatency',
+        // On a fast host: a better preset, and frames go out with the DVR's own timing. Forcing -r 25 duplicates and drops
+        // frames irregularly because the DVR's frames arrive unevenly, which shows as judder. On a Pi nothing changes.
+        const timing = FAST_HOST ? ['-fps_mode', 'passthrough'] : ['-r', String(fps)];
+        first = this.spawn(session, [...input, '-vf', scale, '-c:v', 'libx264', '-preset', FAST_HOST ? 'veryfast' : 'ultrafast', '-tune', 'zerolatency',
           '-profile:v', PROFILES[video.profile] || 'main', '-level:v', LEVELS[video.level] || '3.1', '-bf', '0',
-          '-r', String(fps), '-g', String(fps * 2), '-b:v', `${bitrate}k`, '-maxrate', `${bitrate}k`, '-bufsize', `${bitrate * 2}k`,
+          ...timing, '-g', String(fps * 2), '-b:v', `${bitrate}k`, '-maxrate', `${bitrate}k`, '-bufsize', `${bitrate * 2}k`,
           ...srtpOut]);
       } else {
         // Pi hardware encoder doesn't repeat SPS/PPS before keyframes, which HomeKit needs.

package/package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "homebridge-hikvision-dvr",
   "displayName": "Hikvision DVR / NVR Cameras",
-  "version": "1.2.2",
+  "version": "1.3.0",
   "description": "Hikvision, HiLook and other Hik-based DVR/NVR cameras in HomeKit, with automatic camera discovery and support for encrypted (Hik-Connect / HiLook) streams.",
   "main": "index.js",
   "license": "MIT",