ffprobe.exe

FFprobe Media Analysis Tool

CPU Usage

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Memory

N/A

Location

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Publisher

N/A

License

FFprobe is part of the FFmpeg project and is distributed under the LGPL/GPL depending on the build configuration.

Publisher

FFmpeg Project

Best Practices

Use ffprobe.exe to validate media inputs before processing, integrate metadata extraction into automated pipelines, and keep FFmpeg builds up to date to access the latest codecs and fixes.

What is ffprobe.exe?

ffprobe.exe is the companion tool to FFmpeg that inspects media files and streams to extract structural information. It reports container format, stream counts, video/audio codecs, durations, bitrates, frame rates, metadata, and stream-specific details, enabling quick validation and pipeline automation across local and network sources.

ffprobe.exe leverages FFmpeg's demuxers and decoders to parse media containers and streams, producing structured output (e.g., JSON, XML, or text) with per-stream details such as codec_id, resolution, sample rate, and duration. It is essential for diagnostic checks in encoding pipelines.

Is it Safe?

Is it a Virus?

Why is it Running?

Reasons it's running:

Media file validation: To verify container integrity, streams, and metadata before processing or transcoding, ensuring inputs are supported and correctly described.
Pipeline automation: Used in batch scripts and automation to extract metadata for indexing, cataloging, or conditional processing in media workflows.
Debugging encoding issues: Helps diagnose mismatched codecs, incorrect frame rates, or corrupted streams by exposing detailed per-stream information.
Quality control: Assists QA teams by providing objective metrics such as duration, bitrate, and stream counts to verify media conformity.
Streaming analysis: Analyzes network streams (e.g., RTSP/HTTP) to verify availability, formats, and codec support for live monitoring and troubleshooting.

Can I Disable or Remove It?

Common Problems

Common Causes & Solutions

: Verify the file integrity, ensure the container is supported, and try a different probe configuration (e.g., -show_format -show_streams).
: Run with elevated privileges or adjust NTFS permissions for the file and containing directory.
: Check container support, ensure correct input path, and update to a recent FFmpeg build that includes newer parsers.
: Increase probing parameters (e.g., -probesize, -analyzeduration) or target shorter segments for analysis.
: Inspect the console error, ensure codec packs are present, and verify dependencies and permissions in the environment.
: Specify a machine-readable format with -print_format json and optionally use -show_format and -show_streams.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ffprobe.exe and how is it different from ffmpeg?

ffprobe.exe is a dedicated metadata and stream information tool that analyzes media files and streams, while ffmpeg is the full suite used for decoding, encoding, and transcoding. They often work together in workflows.

Is ffprobe.exe safe to run on Windows?

Yes, when obtained from official FFmpeg builds or trusted distributors. Always verify signatures and hashes before execution to avoid tampered binaries.

How do I get JSON output from ffprobe?

Run ffprobe.exe with -print_format json and use -show_format and -show_streams to produce structured JSON metadata for automation.

Can ffprobe analyze streaming (RTSP/HTTP) sources?

Yes. ffprobe can probe network streams by providing a valid URL (e.g., rtsp:// or http://) and will report available streams and formats.

What are common options to show format and stream info?

Common options include -show_format, -show_streams, -hide_banner, -print_format json, and -select_streams to focus on specific streams.

Why does ffprobe sometimes fail with 'No such file or directory'?

This usually indicates an incorrect input path, missing file, or insufficient permissions. Verify the path, existence, and permissions, and try again.