Frameaccurate

Frameaccurate is a term used to describe operations that align with the exact boundaries of individual video frames. It denotes precision in where actions such as seeking, cutting, or rendering occur, rather than only at larger units like keyframes or groups of pictures (GOP).

In playback, frameaccurate seeking means a player can start and continue playback from any specific frame, not just from a keyframe. Achieving this often requires decoding from nearby frames to reconstruct the target frame, which can increase decoding work and affect latency, especially for long GOP structures or highly compressed streams.

In editing and transcoding, frameaccurate work ensures edits occur precisely at frame boundaries. Many codecs organize data around I-frames and other reference frames, so exact edits may necessitate re-encoding the affected segments or using decoding paths that allow precise frame reconstruction. Some formats and tools support frameaccurate trimming by re-encoding only the edited portion, while others may require broader re-encoding to maintain exact frame integrity.

Context and limitations differ by application. Video editors and professional pipelines frequently optimize for frameaccurate operations, while streaming or live playback may rely on more coarse seeking depending on codec, container, and network constraints. The feasibility of frameaccurate work is influenced by codec choice (for example, the placement and frequency of keyframes) and by container support for precise frame indexing and decoding.