mux: write PTS (presentation), not DTS, as the MKV block timecode

The video codec parsers (HEVC, H.264, VC-1, MPEG-2) used
pes.dts.or(pes.pts) as each frame's timestamp. MKV block timecodes
are presentation timestamps; frames are stored in decode order and
the player reorders for display by timecode. Using DTS makes the
timecode monotonic in storage order, presenting B-frames in decode
order — visible motion judder / wrong frames on playback, and
PTS-based seeking lands on the wrong frame.

The compressed video was always byte-correct (verified by NAL-level
diff against a known-good demux); this was purely a timestamp defect
affecting every B-frame title. Fix: prefer PTS (pes.pts.or(pes.dts)).
Verified on a real UHD iso->mkv: emitted PTS now reorders for
B-frames identically to a reference muxer.

Update the two tests that asserted the old DTS-preferred behavior and
add an HEVC regression test pinning PTS as the block timecode.
This commit is contained in:
MattJackson
2026-06-05 20:01:13 -07:00
parent 6be5198886
commit 5b702a76a7
4 changed files with 61 additions and 18 deletions
+11 -8
View File
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ impl CodecParser for H264Parser {
return Vec::new();
}
// Use DTS when available (monotonic for B-frame content), fall back to PTS
let pts_ns = pes.dts.or(pes.pts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
// MKV block timecodes are PRESENTATION timestamps; frames are stored in
// decode order and the player reorders by timecode. Use PTS, not DTS —
// DTS presents B-frames in decode order (visible judder) and breaks
// PTS-based seeking. Fall back to DTS only if PTS is absent.
let pts_ns = pes.pts.or(pes.dts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
// Scan NAL units for SPS, PPS, and IDR detection
let mut keyframe = false;
@@ -451,10 +454,10 @@ mod tests {
assert!(frames.is_empty());
}
// --- DTS preferred over PTS when present ---
// --- PTS (presentation) used for the MKV block timecode, not DTS ---
#[test]
fn dts_preferred_over_pts() {
fn pts_preferred_over_dts() {
let mut parser = H264Parser::new();
let mut data = Vec::new();
@@ -464,13 +467,13 @@ mod tests {
let pes = PesPacket {
pid: 0x1011,
pts: Some(180000), // 2 seconds
dts: Some(90000), // 1 second
pts: Some(180000), // 2 seconds (presentation)
dts: Some(90000), // 1 second (decode)
data,
};
let frames = parser.parse(&pes);
assert_eq!(frames.len(), 1);
// DTS should be used, not PTS
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 1_000_000_000);
// PTS must be used — MKV block timecodes are presentation timestamps.
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 2_000_000_000);
}
}
+34 -2
View File
@@ -48,8 +48,13 @@ impl CodecParser for HevcParser {
return Vec::new();
}
// Use DTS when available (monotonic for B-frame content), fall back to PTS
let pts_ns = pes.dts.or(pes.pts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
// MKV block timecodes are PRESENTATION timestamps; frames are stored
// in decode order (the order they arrive here) and the player reorders
// for display by timecode. So use PTS, not DTS — using DTS makes the
// block timecode monotonic in storage order, which presents B-frames in
// decode order (visible judder / wrong frames) and breaks PTS-based
// seeking. Fall back to DTS only if PTS is somehow absent.
let pts_ns = pes.pts.or(pes.dts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
let data = &pes.data;
let mut keyframe = false;
// Pre-size: output is ~input bytes with a few 4-byte length
@@ -583,6 +588,33 @@ mod tests {
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 1_000_000_000);
}
// --- PTS (presentation), not DTS, drives the MKV block timecode ---
// Regression for B-frame presentation: writing DTS as the block timecode
// presents frames in decode order (visible judder) and breaks seeking.
#[test]
fn pts_preferred_over_dts() {
let mut parser = HevcParser::new();
let mut data = Vec::new();
data.extend_from_slice(&[0x00, 0x00, 0x01]);
data.extend_from_slice(&hevc_nal_header(1)); // TRAIL_R slice
data.extend_from_slice(&[0x10, 0x20]);
let pes = PesPacket {
pid: 0x1011,
pts: Some(180000), // 2 s (presentation)
dts: Some(90000), // 1 s (decode)
data,
};
let frames = parser.parse(&pes);
assert_eq!(frames.len(), 1);
assert_eq!(
frames[0].pts_ns, 2_000_000_000,
"block timecode must be PTS"
);
}
// --- Dolby Vision enhancement layer ---
#[test]
+5 -1
View File
@@ -96,7 +96,11 @@ impl CodecParser for Mpeg2Parser {
return Vec::new();
}
let pts_ns = pes.dts.or(pes.pts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
// MKV block timecodes are PRESENTATION timestamps; frames are stored in
// decode order and the player reorders by timecode. Use PTS, not DTS —
// DTS presents B-frames in decode order (visible judder) and breaks
// PTS-based seeking. Fall back to DTS only if PTS is absent.
let pts_ns = pes.pts.or(pes.dts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
let data = &pes.data;
let mut keyframe = false;
let mut has_picture = false;
+11 -7
View File
@@ -41,8 +41,11 @@ impl CodecParser for Vc1Parser {
return Vec::new();
}
// Use DTS when available (monotonic for B-frame content), fall back to PTS
let ts_ns = pes.dts.or(pes.pts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
// MKV block timecodes are PRESENTATION timestamps; frames are stored in
// decode order and the player reorders by timecode. Use PTS, not DTS —
// DTS presents B-frames in decode order (visible judder) and breaks
// PTS-based seeking. Fall back to DTS only if PTS is absent.
let ts_ns = pes.pts.or(pes.dts).map(pts_to_ns).unwrap_or(0);
let mut has_seq_header = false;
let mut has_entry_point = false;
let mut frame_start: Option<usize> = None;
@@ -419,10 +422,10 @@ mod tests {
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 1_000_000_000);
}
// --- DTS preferred over PTS ---
// --- PTS (presentation) used for the MKV block timecode, not DTS ---
#[test]
fn dts_preferred_over_pts() {
fn pts_preferred_over_dts() {
let mut parser = Vc1Parser::new();
let mut data = Vec::new();
@@ -431,13 +434,14 @@ mod tests {
let pes = PesPacket {
pid: 0x1011,
pts: Some(180000),
dts: Some(90000),
pts: Some(180000), // presentation
dts: Some(90000), // decode
data,
};
let frames = parser.parse(&pes);
assert_eq!(frames.len(), 1);
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 1_000_000_000);
// PTS must be used — MKV block timecodes are presentation timestamps.
assert_eq!(frames[0].pts_ns, 2_000_000_000);
}
// --- find_next_sc utility ---