Can I get raw video frames from DirectShow without playback

Question

I'm working on a media player using Media foundation. I want to support VOB files playback. However, media foundation currently does not support the VOB container. Therefore I wish to use DirectShow for the same.

My idea here is not to take an alternate path using a DirectsShow graph, but just grab a video frame and pass it to the same pipeline in media foundation. In media foundation, I have an 'IMFSourceReader' which simply reads frames from the video file. Is there a direct show equivalent, which just gives me the frames without needing to create a graph, start playback cycle, and then trying to extract frames from the renders pin? (To be more clear, does DirectsShow support an architecture wherein it could give me raw frames without actually having to play the video?)

I've read about ISampleGrabber but its deprecated and I think it won't fit my architecture. I've not worked on DirectShow before.

Thanks, Mots

Answer 1

You have to build a graph and accept frames from the respective parser/demultiplexer filter which will read container and deliver individual frames on its output.

The playback does not have to be realtime, nor you need to fake painting those video frames somewhere. Once you get the data you need in Sample Grabber filter, or a customer filter, you can terminate pipeline with a Null Renderer. That is, you can arrange getting frames you need in a more or less convenient way.

Answer 2

You can use Monogram frame grabber filter to connect the VOB DS filter's output - it works great. See the comments there for how to connect the output to external application.