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First, tell an input loop from a process restart
Watch the FFmpeg process when the rotation returns to its first video. If the same process stays alive, the input sequence may be looping. If FFmpeg exits and a script, service, container policy, or scheduler starts a new process, investigate that external restart separately. The symptom alone does not establish which is happening.
Check which input receives -stream_loop
FFmpeg treats -stream_loop as an input option, and options normally apply to the next specified file. The value -1 means loop indefinitely. If the next -i is a single clip, that clip can repeat before the other playlist entries are reached. For a concat-list input, the intended command shape is:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt ... OUTPUT
Here, -stream_loop -1 is immediately before the concat input, playlist.txt. The ellipses and OUTPUT are placeholders for the options and destination required by your setup; this is not a tested, ready-to-run command. Match the encoding, output format, and destination to your actual files and streaming configuration. See the FFmpeg command-line documentation for option behavior and -stream_loop.
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Verify that the concat playlist is the input
The concat demuxer reads a text script of files and directives, then presents the files sequentially as though their packets had been muxed together. FFmpeg adjusts timestamps so each file follows the preceding one. Check both the command and the list itself:
- Confirm that
-f concatand the intended list file belong to the input immediately preceded by-stream_loop -1. - Open the playlist and verify that every intended
fileentry is present and in the desired order. - Check that each path resolves from the working directory used by the FFmpeg process.
- If automation creates or updates the list, inspect whether its generator replaces or truncates the file.
The concat demuxer’s safe-path check is enabled by default and rejects unsafe paths or directives. Use -safe 0 only when the playlist genuinely needs paths that fail that check; it permits any filename, so do not use it casually with an untrusted list. See the FFmpeg formats documentation.
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If later clips play but joins glitch or fail
The concat demuxer expects the files to have the same streams, including codecs and time base. Incorrect duration information can also produce artifacts. If the files differ in stream layout, codec, time base, or have problematic duration metadata, the demuxer may not be suitable as-is.
- Check each source file’s streams and the playlist’s duration information.
- If the sources cannot be joined under the demuxer’s requirements, consider the concat filter, which FFmpeg recommends when re-encoding is needed.
The concat demuxer is useful when avoiding re-encoding; the concat filter is the alternative when re-encoding is necessary. Consult the FFmpeg FAQ for its concat guidance.
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