ffprobe [options] input_file Without any options, ffprobe outputs a compact summary. For example:
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'example.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : isom minor_version : 512 compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41 encoder : Lavf58.76.100 Duration: 00:02:30.15, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1024 kb/s Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 896 kb/s, 30 fps, 30 tbr, 15360 tbn (default) Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default) This tells you: container format, duration, bitrate, video codec (H.264), resolution (1080p), frame rate, audio codec (AAC), sample rate, and channels. 1. -show_format Displays container-level information: format name, duration, overall bitrate, number of streams, and format metadata. ffprobe.exe
info = get_media_info("video.mp4") print(info['format']['duration']) ffprobe.exe is an essential tool for anyone who works with digital media files. It transforms opaque binary files into clear, structured, actionable data. Whether you are a video editor checking source properties, a developer building a media analyzer, or a DevOps engineer validating transcoded assets, ffprobe gives you the truth about your media. Whether you are a video editor checking source
Start with simple -show_streams commands, then graduate to JSON output and scripting. Combine it with ffmpeg for intelligent transcoding decisions (e.g., "only re-encode if the bitrate exceeds 5 Mbps"). Master ffprobe , and you will never again wonder what's really inside a media file. json def get_media_info(filepath): cmd = ['ffprobe'
For video engineers, ffprobe is superior because it understands FFmpeg’s internal structures and can analyze packets, keyframes, and encoding artifacts. PowerShell Example: Get Video Info as Object $output = ffprobe -v quiet -print_format json -show_streams -show_format input.mp4 | ConvertFrom-Json $videoStream = $output.streams | Where-Object $_.codec_type -eq "video" Write-Host "Resolution: $($videoStream.width)x$($videoStream.height)" Bash Example: Check if Video is H.265/HEVC if ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 input.mkv | grep -q hevc; then echo "HEVC video detected" fi Python Example (subprocess) import subprocess, json def get_media_info(filepath): cmd = ['ffprobe', '-v', 'quiet', '-print_format', 'json', '-show_format', '-show_streams', filepath] result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True) return json.loads(result.stdout)