When passing "videoCompression":0, the output video does not work

[beelio]

Current behavior:

In my cypress.json I have the following configuration:

{
  "videoCompression":0
}

When running my specs with cypress run the videos that are generated of the tests seems broken somehow.

I'm trying to open them on a mac (mojave) with quicktime and vlc. Quicktime can't open the file, and vlc crashes when opening it.

[jsurbaitis]

Also ran into this, using a value > 0 worked

[jennifer-shehane]

Yes, I can confirm this is happening. The video will be recorded and saved to the location, but attempting to open the video does not work.

Behind the scenes we're just passing -crf 0 to ffmpeg.

ffmpeg -i ../cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4 -y -vcodec libx264 -preset fast -crf 0 ../cypress/videos/spec.js-compressed.mp4

Here are the video compression logs:

  -  Started processing:  Compressing to 0 CRF
  cypress:server:video processing video from /Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4 to /Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js-compressed.mp4 video compression 0 +2ms
  cypress:server:video compression started { command: 'ffmpeg -i /Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4 -y -vcodec libx264 -preset fast -crf 0 /Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js-compressed.mp4' } +7ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: 'ffmpeg version N-92718-g092cb17983-tessus  https://evermeet.cx/ffmpeg/  Copyright (c) 2000-2018 the FFmpeg developers' } +13ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  built with Apple LLVM version 10.0.0 (clang-1000.11.45.5)' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  configuration: --cc=/usr/bin/clang --prefix=/opt/ffmpeg --extra-version=tessus --enable-avisynth --enable-fontconfig --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenh264 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-libzimg --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-version3 --pkg-config-flags=--static --disable-ffplay' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libavutil      56. 24.101 / 56. 24.101' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libavcodec     58. 42.102 / 58. 42.102' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libavformat    58. 24.101 / 58. 24.101' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libavdevice    58.  6.101 / 58.  6.101' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libavfilter     7. 46.101 /  7. 46.101' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libswscale      5.  4.100 /  5.  4.100' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libswresample   3.  4.100 /  3.  4.100' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  libpostproc    55.  4.100 / 55.  4.100' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: "Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js.mp4':" } +19ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  Metadata:' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    major_brand     : isom' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    minor_version   : 512' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    encoder         : Lavf58.24.101' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  Duration: 00:00:02.44, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 334 kb/s' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Constrained Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuvj420p(pc), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 330 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 12800 tbn, 50 tbc (default)' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    Metadata:' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '      handler_name    : VideoHandler' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: 'Stream mapping:' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression codec data: { format: 'mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2', audio: '', video: 'h264 (Constrained Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661)', duration: '00:00:02.44', video_details: [ 'h264 (Constrained Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661)', 'yuvj420p(pc)', '1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9]', '330 kb/s', '25 fps', '25 tbr', '12800 tbn', '50 tbc (default)' ] } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 (native) -> h264 (libx264))' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: 'Press [q] to stop, [?] for help' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] using SAR=1/1' } +20ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 SSE4.2 AVX FMA3 BMI2 AVX2' } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] profile High 4:4:4 Predictive, level 3.1, 4:2:0, 8-bit' } +2ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] 264 - core 157 r2935 545de2f - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec - Copyleft 2003-2018 - http://www.videolan.org/x264.html - options: cabac=1 ref=2 deblock=1:0:0 analyse=0x1:0x111 me=hex subme=6 psy=0 mixed_ref=1 me_range=16 chroma_me=1 trellis=0 8x8dct=1 cqm=0 deadzone=21,11 fast_pskip=0 chroma_qp_offset=0 threads=18 lookahead_threads=3 sliced_threads=0 nr=0 decimate=1 interlaced=0 bluray_compat=0 constrained_intra=0 bframes=0 weightp=1 keyint=250 keyint_min=25 scenecut=40 intra_refresh=0 rc=cqp mbtree=0 qp=0' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: "Output #0, mp4, to '/Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/spec.js-compressed.mp4':" } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '  Metadata:' } +2ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    major_brand     : isom' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    minor_version   : 512' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    encoder         : Lavf58.24.101' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (libx264) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuvj420p(pc), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=-1--1, 25 fps, 12800 tbn, 25 tbc (default)' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    Metadata:' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '      handler_name    : VideoHandler' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '      encoder         : Lavc58.42.102 libx264' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '    Side data:' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '      cpb: bitrate max/min/avg: 0/0/0 buffer size: 0 vbv_delay: -1' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: 'frame=   61 fps=0.0 q=-1.0 Lsize=     160kB time=00:00:02.40 bitrate= 547.8kbits/s speed=14.4x    ' } +141ms
  cypress:server:video compression progress: { frames: 61, currentFps: 0, currentKbps: 547.8, targetSize: 160, timemark: '00:00:02.40', percent: 98.36065573770492 } +1ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: 'video:159kB audio:0kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 0.661493%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] frame I:2     Avg QP: 0.00  size: 39792' } +5ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] frame P:59    Avg QP: 0.00  size:  1409' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] mb I  I16..4: 92.3%  0.0%  7.7%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] mb P  I16..4:  0.5%  0.0%  0.1%  P16..4:  2.5%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%  0.0%    skip:96.9%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] 8x8 transform intra:0.0% inter:4.6%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] coded y,uvDC,uvAC intra: 9.8% 2.4% 2.4% inter: 0.6% 0.0% 0.0%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] i16 v,h,dc,p: 86% 13%  2%  0%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] i4 v,h,dc,ddl,ddr,vr,hd,vl,hu: 15% 16% 15% 45%  1%  1%  1%  1%  3%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] i8c dc,h,v,p: 95%  4%  1%  0%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] Weighted P-Frames: Y:0.0% UV:0.0%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] ref P L0: 48.7% 51.3%' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '[libx264 @ 0x7fd03c00e800] kb/s:533.56' } +0ms
  cypress:server:video compression stderr log { message: '' } +25ms
  cypress:server:video compression ended +0ms
  -  Finished processing: /Users/jennifer/Dev/cypress-transform-test/cypress/videos/s    (0 seconds)
                          pec.js.mp4

[RoySegall]

This is strange because I remember in another project I created a year ago, the videos were compatible with Quicktime. Indeed, strange.... But, opening the videos with chrome solved the issue.

[liambutler]

I also encounter this issue when videoCompression is set to 0. Though its still mentioned in the Cypress docs:

The value can be false to disable compression or a value between 0 and 51
https://docs.cypress.io/guides/references/configuration#Videos

Also results in an error on the Cypress dashboard when the videos are uploaded to there

Though, interestingly, it is possible to open via VLC

[cypress-bot]

Released in 12.11.0.

This comment thread has been locked. If you are still experiencing this issue after upgrading to
Cypress v12.11.0, please open a new issue.