How to use AVAssetReader and AVAssetWriter for multiple tracks (audio and video) simultaneously?

Question

I know how to use AVAssetReader and AVAssetWriter, and have successfully used them to grab a video track from one movie and transcode it into another.

Answer 1

Have you tried using two AVAssetWriterInputs and pushing the samples through a worker queue? Here is a rough sketch.

processing_queue = dispatch_queue_create("com.mydomain.gcdqueue.mediaprocessor", NULL);

[videoAVAssetWriterInput requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:myInputSerialQueue usingBlock:^{
    dispatch_asyc(processing_queue, ^{process video});
}];

[audioAVAssetWriterInput requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:myInputSerialQueue usingBlock:^{
    dispatch_asyc(processing_queue, ^{process audio});
}];

Answer 2

You can use dispatch groups!

Check out the AVReaderWriter example for MacOSX...

I am quoting directly from the sample RWDocument.m:

- (BOOL)startReadingAndWritingReturningError:(NSError **)outError
{
    BOOL success = YES;
    NSError *localError = nil;

    // Instruct the asset reader and asset writer to get ready to do work
    success = [assetReader startReading];
    if (!success)
        localError = [assetReader error];
    if (success)
    {
        success = [assetWriter startWriting];
        if (!success)
            localError = [assetWriter error];
    }

    if (success)
    {
        dispatch_group_t dispatchGroup = dispatch_group_create();

        // Start a sample-writing session
        [assetWriter startSessionAtSourceTime:[self timeRange].start];

        // Start reading and writing samples
        if (audioSampleBufferChannel)
        {
            // Only set audio delegate for audio-only assets, else let the video channel drive progress
            id <RWSampleBufferChannelDelegate> delegate = nil;
            if (!videoSampleBufferChannel)
                delegate = self;

            dispatch_group_enter(dispatchGroup);
            [audioSampleBufferChannel startWithDelegate:delegate completionHandler:^{
                dispatch_group_leave(dispatchGroup);
            }];
        }
        if (videoSampleBufferChannel)
        {
            dispatch_group_enter(dispatchGroup);
            [videoSampleBufferChannel startWithDelegate:self completionHandler:^{
                dispatch_group_leave(dispatchGroup);
            }];
        }

        // Set up a callback for when the sample writing is finished
        dispatch_group_notify(dispatchGroup, serializationQueue, ^{
            BOOL finalSuccess = YES;
            NSError *finalError = nil;

            if (cancelled)
            {
                [assetReader cancelReading];
                [assetWriter cancelWriting];
            }
            else
            {
                if ([assetReader status] == AVAssetReaderStatusFailed)
                {
                    finalSuccess = NO;
                    finalError = [assetReader error];
                }

                if (finalSuccess)
                {
                    finalSuccess = [assetWriter finishWriting];
                    if (!finalSuccess)
                        finalError = [assetWriter error];
                }
            }

            [self readingAndWritingDidFinishSuccessfully:finalSuccess withError:finalError];
        });

        dispatch_release(dispatchGroup);
    }

    if (outError)
        *outError = localError;

    return success;
}

Answer 3

AVAssetWriter will automatically interleave requests on its associated AVAssetWriterInputs in order to integrate different tracks into the output file. Just add an AVAssetWriterInput for each of the tracks that you have, and then call requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:usingBlock: on each of your AVAssetWriterInputs.

Here's a method I have that calls requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:usingBlock:. I call this method from a loop over the number of output/input pairs I have. (A separate method is good both for code readability and also because, unlike a loop, each call sets up a separate stack frame for the block.)

You only need one dispatch_queue_t and can reuse it for all of the tracks. Note that you definitely should not call dispatch_async from your block, because requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:usingBlock: expects the block to, well, block until it has filled in as much data as the AVAssetWriterInput will take. You don't want to return before then.

- (void)requestMediaDataForTrack:(int)i {
  AVAssetReaderOutput *output = [[_reader outputs] objectAtIndex:i];
  AVAssetWriterInput *input = [[_writer inputs] objectAtIndex:i];

  [input requestMediaDataWhenReadyOnQueue:_processingQueue usingBlock:
    ^{
      [self retain];
      while ([input isReadyForMoreMediaData]) {
        CMSampleBufferRef sampleBuffer;
        if ([_reader status] == AVAssetReaderStatusReading &&
            (sampleBuffer = [output copyNextSampleBuffer])) {

          BOOL result = [input appendSampleBuffer:sampleBuffer];
          CFRelease(sampleBuffer);

          if (!result) {
            [_reader cancelReading];
            break;
          }
        } else {
          [input markAsFinished];

          switch ([_reader status]) {
            case AVAssetReaderStatusReading:
              // the reader has more for other tracks, even if this one is done
              break;

            case AVAssetReaderStatusCompleted:
              // your method for when the conversion is done
              // should call finishWriting on the writer
              [self readingCompleted];
              break;

            case AVAssetReaderStatusCancelled:
              [_writer cancelWriting];
              [_delegate converterDidCancel:self];
              break;

            case AVAssetReaderStatusFailed:
              [_writer cancelWriting];
              break;
          }

          break;
        }
      }
    }
  ];
}