[BUG] Recorded video skips frames periodically

[chominskid]

Bug Report

Description

Videos recorded are always choppy (periodic freeze in playback every 0.5-2 seconds), no matter the resolution, frame rate, bitrate or encoding (though lower resolutions, frame rates and bitrates make the video less choppy). Battery optimization is disabled, and the app was open during the recording. This problem is significantly worse in v3.1.0 beta (32) than in v3.0.1 (31).

A sample video is included. It was recorded at 3840x2160, 30 fps, 30 Mbps:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dx9ElI3PAOZYLQzZSRh4y1jcchibBzD5/view?usp=sharing

Environment

• Device: Google Pixel 7
• GrapheneOS, Android 16
• v3.0.1 (31) and v3.1.0 beta (32) (the APK is called v4.0.0 beta2 though?).

Priority

Medium

[anonfaded]

• v3.0.1 (31) and v3.1.0 beta (32) (the APK is called v4.0.0 beta2 though?).

We are skipping v3.0.1, i also uploaded FadCam_v4.0.0-beta3 just now which has correct version mentioned in about screen.

Videos recorded are always choppy (periodic freeze in playback every 0.5-2 seconds), no matter the resolution, frame rate, bitrate or encoding (though lower resolutions, frame rates and bitrates make the video less choppy). Battery optimization is disabled, and the app was open during the recording. This problem is significantly worse in v3.1.0 beta (32) than in v3.0.1 (31).

I will examine this. But have you tried lower bitrate? On hevc codec, you can set it 50% lower than what the auto is and then see if it works. e.g. if auto is 8, you can try 4 or 3 values.

[chominskid]

I will examine this. But have you tried lower bitrate? On hevc codec, you can set it 50% lower than what the auto is and then see if it works. e.g. if auto is 8, you can try 4 or 3 values.

Yes, 30 is already 2/3 of the auto 45, but the video skips even at 1 Mbps! The skips do get much shorter with lower bitrate, but they're still there.

[anonfaded]

Yes, 30 is already 2/3 of the auto 45, but the video skips even at 1 Mbps! The skips do get much shorter with lower bitrate, but they're still there.

can you share debug logs which can help in finding the stress points?
if you have a PC, you can install adb tool and use my this tool to capture logs and then send here:
https://github.com/anonfaded/fadcat

Else in the settings tab of fadcam you can enable the debug logging option and reproduce the issue to record logs and send the log file here.

The PC method will capture better logs than the fadcam's debug option.

[chominskid]

Hi, here is the log:

log.txt

[anonfaded]

Hi, here is the log:

Thanks. I will analyze it soon.

[davehudsons]

samsung galaxy s25 same problem in 4k

[anonfaded]

samsung galaxy s25 same problem in 4k

the issue is fixed. please download the beta7 version:
https://github.com/anonfaded/FadCam/releases/tag/v3.1.0-beta

[davehudsons]

tnx for the new beta but i still have the problem, let's see what the main issue guy will experience.
those are my settings and watermark is disabled. video preview disabled. lowering bitrate doesn't help, hevc/avc, 30/60 fps both laggy video. 1920x1080 almost no lag, still a bit.
https://imgur.com/a/qxpwUkF

[anonfaded]

tnx for the new beta but i still have the problem, let's see what the main issue guy will experience.
those are my settings and watermark is disabled. video preview disabled. lowering bitrate doesn't help, hevc/avc, 30/60 fps both laggy video. 1920x1080 almost no lag, still a bit.
https://imgur.com/a/qxpwUkF

Reducing the bitrate by 50%, does it still lag?
I'll try adding more logs and in next beta you will need to capture logs and send so i can analyze them.
Also can you try some other open source video recording app like Open Camera etc and see if the lag happens there as well on high settings?

[davehudsons]

i dropped bitrate 50%, didn't fix. tried open camera app, 4k 60fps it records fine without lagging.
sure i can give you logs. just please describe how to do that.

[anonfaded]

i dropped bitrate 50%, didn't fix. tried open camera app, 4k 60fps it records fine without lagging.
sure i can give you logs. just please describe how to do that.

If you have a PC we can capture the logs easily. You should download my other software https://github.com/anonfaded/FadCat.

Enable USB debugging and connect your phone to PC, in FadCat click on refresh to load the device and filter the package to com.fadcam.beta and click on start. Then you can record a video in FadCam for ~30seconds, save logs and upload that file here so i can then check.

This will hopefully help in identifying the bottlenecks, else in next beta version I'll add more logging and you will repeat this process of capturing logs.

[davehudsons]

log_laggyvideo1.zip
i got this during video recording from adb logs directly actually, maybe we can try with this? it has everything.
chatgpt says the app maybe pushing the camera/encoder pipeline too hard and not handling buffers properly. not sure if it helps.

[lopizuh]

The video recording is freezing for me also with FadCam_v4.0.0-beta7.

[anonfaded]

log_laggyvideo1.zip i got this during video recording from adb logs directly actually, maybe we can try with this? it has everything. chatgpt says the app maybe pushing the camera/encoder pipeline too hard and not handling buffers properly. not sure if it helps.

I'll check this soon