docs/pwg/advanced-clock.xml

<chapter id="chapter-advanced-clock">
  <title>Clocking</title>

  <para>
    When playing complex media, each sound and video sample must be played in a
    specific order at a specific time. For this purpose, GStreamer provides a
    syncrhonization mechanism.
  </para>

  <sect1 id="section-clock-time-types" xreflabel="Types of time"> 
    <title> Types of time </title>

    <para>
      There are kinds of time in GStreamer. <emphasis
	role="strong">Clock time</emphasis> is an absolute time. By contrast,
      <emphasis role="strong">element time</emphasis> is the relative time,
      usually to the start of the current media stream. The element time
      represents the time that should have a media sample that is being
      processed by the element at this time. The element time is calculated by
      adding an offset to the clock time.
    </para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="section-clocks" xreflabel="Clocks">
    <title>Clocks</title>
    <para>
      GStreamer can use different clocks. Though the system time can be used
      as a clock, soundcards and other devices provides a better time source. For
      this reason some elements provide a clock. The method
      <function>get_clock</function> is implemented in elements that provide
      one.
    </para>
    
    <para>
      As clocks return an absolute measure of time, they are not usually used
      directly. Instead, a reference to a clock is stored in any element that needs
      it, and it is used internaly by GStreamer to calculate the element time.
    </para>
  </sect1>
  
  <sect1 id="section-time-data-flow" xreflabel="Flow of data between elements
    and time">
    <title>
      Flow of data between elements and time
    </title>
    <para>
      Now we will see how time information travels the pipeline in different states.
    </para>
    
    <para>
      The pipeline starts playing.
      The source element typically knows the time of each sample. 
      <footnote> 
	<para>
	  Sometimes it
	  is a parser element the one that knows the time, for instance if a pipeline
	  contains a filesrc element connected to a MPEG decoder element, the former 
	  is the one that knows the time of each sample, because the knowledge of
	  when to play each sample is embedded in the MPEG format. In this case this
	  element will be regarded as the source element for this discussion.
	</para>
      </footnote> 
      First, the source element sends a discontinous event. This event carries information
      about the current relative time of the next sample. This relative time is
      arbitrary, but it must be consistent with the timestamp that will be
      placed in buffers. It is expected to be the relative time to the start
      of the media stream, or whatever makes sense in the case of each media.
      When receiving it, the other elements adjust their offset of the element time so that this
      time matches the time written in the event.
    </para>

    <para>
      Then the source element sends media samples in buffers. This element places a
      timestamp in each buffer saying when the sample should be played. When the
      buffer reachs the sink pad of the last element, this element compares the
      current element time with the timestamp of the buffer. If the timestamp is
      higher or equal it plays the buffer, otherwise it waits until the time to
      place the buffer arrives with <function>gst_element_wait()</function>.
    </para>
    
    
    <para>
      If the stream is seeked, the next samples sent will have a timestamp that
      is not adjusted with the element time. Therefore, the source element must
      send a discontinous event.
    </para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="section-clock-obligations-of-each-element" xreflabel="Obligations
    of each element">
    <title>
      Obligations of each element.
    </title>
    
    <para>
      Let us clarify the contract between GStreamer and each element in the
      pipeline.
    </para>
    
    <sect2>
      <title>Source elements </title>
      <para>
	Source elements (or parsers of formats that provide notion of time, such
	as MPEG, as explained above). must place a timestamp in each buffer that
	they deliver. The origin of the time used is arbitrary, but it must match
	the time delivered in the discontinous event (see bellow). However, it is 
	expected that the origin is the origin of the media stream.
      </para>
      <para>
	In order to initialize the element time of the rest of the pipeline, a
	source element must send a discontinous event before starting to play.
	In addition, after seeking, a discontinious event must be sent, because 
	the timestamp of the next element does not match the element time of the
	rest of the pipeline.
      </para>
      
    </sect2>
    
    <sect2> <title> Sink elements </title>
      <para>
	If the element is intended to emit samples at a specific time (real time
	playing), the element should require a clock, and thus implement the
	method <function>set_clock</function>.
      </para>
      
      <para>
	In addition, before playing each sample, if the current element time is
	less than the timestamp in the sample, it wait until the current time
	arrives should call <function>gst_element_wait()</function>
	<footnote>
	  <para>
	    With some schedulers, <function>gst_element_wait()</function> 
	    blocks the pipeline. For instance, if there is one audio sink element
	    and one video sink element, while the audio element is waiting for a
	    sample the video element cannot play other sample. This behaviour is
	    under discussion, and might change in a future release.
	  </para>
	</footnote>
	See an example in <xref linkend="other-sink-processing"/>
      </para>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
  
</chapter>