libfreemkv 0.31.5: do not force monotonic block timestamps on video

B-frame video PTS is legitimately non-monotonic in decode/storage order; the
audio-oriented monotonic nudge was clobbering it to prev+1ms, which decoders
flagged as non-monotonic DTS (thousands per title). Apply the nudge to
audio/subtitle only; video keeps its true PES PTS. + regression test.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.31.5 (2026-06-08)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- MKV mux: stop forcing strictly-monotonic block timestamps on the **video**
+  track. The monotonic nudge (added for audio PES that collide on a
+  millisecond) was clobbering B-frame video PTS — which are legitimately
+  non-monotonic in decode/storage order — to prev+1ms. A `copy` remux
+  preserved the wrong value, but decoding derived DTS from the HEVC POC and
+  found them colliding, emitting thousands of "non monotonically increasing
+  dts" warnings per title. Video now keeps its true PES PTS (Matroska
+  SimpleBlock permits non-monotonic block timestamps); audio/subtitle tracks
+  still get the nudge. Verified: a re-mux drops the warning count to zero.
+
 ## 0.31.4 (2026-06-08)
 
 Test cleanup — no runtime changes. Removed 144 unit tests flagged in adversarial

Cargo.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "libfreemkv"
-version = "0.31.4"
+version = "0.31.5"
 edition = "2024"
 rust-version = "1.86"
 license = "AGPL-3.0-only"

src/mux/mkv.rs

@@ -270,6 +270,26 @@ fn monotonic_ts(prev: Option<i64>, pts_ms: i64) -> i64 {
     }
 }
 
+/// Per-track block timestamp. The strictly-monotonic nudge is applied to
+/// AUDIO/SUBTITLE tracks only; VIDEO (track 0) is returned UNCHANGED.
+///
+/// With B-frames, a video frame's presentation PTS is legitimately
+/// non-monotonic in decode/storage order (a B-frame sits between its anchors,
+/// below the frame stored just before it). Forcing it strictly-increasing
+/// clobbers those PTS to prev+1ms — a `copy` remux preserves the (wrong) value,
+/// but a decoder derives DTS from the HEVC POC and finds them colliding
+/// ("non monotonically increasing dts", thousands per title). Matroska
+/// SimpleBlock permits non-monotonic block timestamps (signed block-relative
+/// offsets), so video keeps its true PES PTS; only no-reorder tracks (audio,
+/// subtitles), where a same-millisecond collision IS a real defect, get nudged.
+fn block_ts(track_idx: usize, prev: Option<i64>, pts_ms: i64) -> i64 {
+    if track_idx == 0 {
+        pts_ms
+    } else {
+        monotonic_ts(prev, pts_ms)
+    }
+}
+
 /// Encode a Matroska track number as an EBML VINT into a stack buffer,
 /// returning the buffer and the used length. Track numbers are small (1-based,
 /// a handful of tracks), so 1 byte covers `< 0x80` and 2 bytes covers the rest;
@@ -550,12 +570,19 @@ impl<W: Write + Seek> MkvMuxer<W> {
         // kept keyframe are clamped to t=0 rather than corrupting the timeline.
         let pts_ms = (raw_ms - base).max(0);
 
-        // Enforce strictly-monotonic per-track block timestamps. Some audio PES
+        // Strictly-monotonic block timestamps — AUDIO/SUBTITLE ONLY. Some audio
-        // PTS truncate to the same millisecond as the previous frame (or, rarely,
+        // PES PTS truncate to the same millisecond as the previous frame (or
-        // tick back 1ms), which surfaces as "non-monotonic DTS" and is rejected
+        // tick back 1ms); nudge those to prev+1ms (sub-frame, inaudible).
-        // by ffmpeg/strict players. Nudge to prev+1ms — sub-frame, inaudible,
+        //
-        // and A/V sync is unaffected at millisecond granularity.
+        // VIDEO (track 0) is EXEMPT: with B-frames, presentation PTS is
-        let pts_ms = monotonic_ts(self.last_pts_ms.get(&track_idx).copied(), pts_ms);
+        // legitimately non-monotonic in decode/storage order (a B-frame's PTS
+        // sits between its anchors, below the frame stored before it). Forcing
+        // it strictly-increasing clobbers those PTS to prev+1ms, which a `copy`
+        // remux preserves but a decoder rejects — it derives DTS from the HEVC
+        // POC and finds them colliding ("non monotonically increasing dts").
+        // Matroska SimpleBlock permits non-monotonic block timestamps (negative
+        // block-relative offsets), so leave the true PES PTS intact for video.
+        let pts_ms = block_ts(track_idx, self.last_pts_ms.get(&track_idx).copied(), pts_ms);
 
         let needs_new_cluster = !self.cluster_open
             || (is_video_key && (pts_ms - self.cluster_ts_ms) >= CLUSTER_DURATION_MS);
@@ -974,6 +1001,46 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(out, [1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1032, 1033, 1064]);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn block_ts_exempts_video_from_monotonic_nudge() {
+        // VIDEO (track 0) keeps its true PTS even when non-monotonic in storage
+        // order — a B-frame whose presentation PTS sits below the frame stored
+        // before it must NOT be nudged to prev+1ms (that clobbering is what
+        // produced the "non monotonically increasing dts" flood on decode).
+        assert_eq!(
+            block_ts(0, Some(1040), 1000),
+            1000,
+            "video B-frame PTS preserved"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            block_ts(0, Some(1000), 1000),
+            1000,
+            "video dup-ms PTS preserved"
+        );
+        // A realistic decode-order GOP (I, then B-frames dipping below it):
+        // every value passes through untouched for video.
+        let gop = [1000i64, 960, 920, 1080, 1040];
+        let mut prev = None;
+        let out: Vec<i64> = gop
+            .iter()
+            .map(|&p| {
+                let t = block_ts(0, prev, p);
+                prev = Some(t);
+                t
+            })
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(out, gop, "video timestamps must be left exactly as-is");
+
+        // AUDIO/SUBTITLE (track != 0) still get the strictly-monotonic nudge —
+        // a same-ms collision there is a real defect.
+        assert_eq!(block_ts(1, Some(1000), 1000), 1001, "audio dup-ms nudged");
+        assert_eq!(
+            block_ts(2, Some(1001), 1000),
+            1002,
+            "subtitle back-tick nudged"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn mkv_multiple_tracks() {
         let buf = Cursor::new(Vec::new());