pyqt-multimedia

name	pyqt-multimedia
description	PyQt/PySide multimedia - audio playback, video playback, camera, audio recording, media player
metadata	{"author":"mte90","version":"1.0.0","tags":["python","qt","pyqt","multimedia","audio","video","camera","media"]}

PyQt/PySide Multimedia

Audio and video playback, camera capture, and media processing in PyQt/PySide.

Overview

Qt Multimedia provides classes for audio, video, and camera functionality:

• QMediaPlayer - Audio/video playback
• QVideoWidget - Video display
• QAudioOutput - Audio output management
• QCamera - Camera capture
• QMediaRecorder - Audio/video recording

---

Audio Playback

Basic Audio Player

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer, QAudioOutput
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QPushButton, QVBoxLayout, QWidget, QSlider, QLabel
from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QUrl
import sys

class AudioPlayer(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Audio Player")
        
        self.player = QMediaPlayer()
        self.audio_output = QAudioOutput()
        self.player.setAudioOutput(self.audio_output)
        
        # UI
        self.play_btn = QPushButton("Play")
        self.pause_btn = QPushButton("Pause")
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("Stop")
        self.label = QLabel("No file loaded")
        self.volume_slider = QSlider(Qt.Orientation.Horizontal)
        self.volume_slider.setRange(0, 100)
        self.volume_slider.setValue(50)
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.label)
        layout.addWidget(self.play_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.pause_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.volume_slider)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        # Connections
        self.play_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.play)
        self.pause_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.pause)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.stop)
        self.volume_slider.valueChanged.connect(
            lambda v: self.audio_output.setVolume(v / 100)
        )
        
        self.player.positionChanged.connect(self.update_position)
        
    def load_file(self, filepath):
        self.player.setSource(QUrl.fromLocalFile(filepath))
        self.label.setText(filepath.split('/')[-1])
        
    def update_position(self, position):
        # position in milliseconds
        seconds = position // 1000
        minutes = seconds // 60
        seconds = seconds % 60
        print(f"{minutes:02d}:{seconds:02d}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = AudioPlayer()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Audio Playlist

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer, QAudioOutput
from PyQt6.QtCore import QUrl, QModelIndex
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QListView

class PlaylistPlayer:
    def __init__(self, playlist_view: QListView):
        self.player = QMediaPlayer()
        self.audio_output = QAudioOutput()
        self.player.setAudioOutput(self.audio_output)
        
        self.playlist = []  # List of file paths
        self.current_index = -1
        
    def add_to_playlist(self, filepath):
        self.playlist.append(filepath)
        
    def play_index(self, index: int):
        if 0 <= index < len(self.playlist):
            self.current_index = index
            self.player.setSource(QUrl.fromLocalFile(self.playlist[index]))
            self.player.play()
            
    def next(self):
        if self.playlist:
            self.current_index = (self.current_index + 1) % len(self.playlist)
            self.play_index(self.current_index)
            
    def previous(self):
        if self.playlist:
            self.current_index = (self.current_index - 1) % len(self.playlist)
            self.play_index(self.current_index)

---

Video Playback

Video Player with Controls

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer, QAudioOutput
from PyQt6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QHBoxLayout,
    QPushButton, QSlider, QLabel
)
from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QUrl, QTimer
from PyQt6.QtGui import QAction
import sys

class VideoPlayer(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Video Player")
        self.resize(800, 600)
        
        # Media player
        self.player = QMediaPlayer()
        self.audio_output = QAudioOutput()
        self.player.setAudioOutput(self.audio_output)
        
        # Video widget
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        
        # Controls
        self.play_btn = QPushButton("Play")
        self.pause_btn = QPushButton("Pause")
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("Stop")
        
        self.position_slider = QSlider(Qt.Orientation.Horizontal)
        self.position_slider.setRange(0, 0)
        
        self.time_label = QLabel("00:00 / 00:00")
        self.volume_slider = QSlider(Qt.Orientation.Horizontal)
        self.volume_slider.setRange(0, 100)
        self.volume_slider.setValue(50)
        
        # Layout
        control_layout = QHBoxLayout()
        control_layout.addWidget(self.play_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.pause_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.position_slider)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.time_label)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.volume_slider)
        
        main_layout = QVBoxLayout()
        main_layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        main_layout.addLayout(control_layout)
        self.setLayout(main_layout)
        
        # Connect
        self.player.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        self.play_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.play)
        self.pause_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.pause)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.stop)
        
        self.player.positionChanged.connect(self.position_changed)
        self.player.durationChanged.connect(self.duration_changed)
        
        self.volume_slider.valueChanged.connect(
            lambda v: self.audio_output.setVolume(v / 100)
        )
        
    def load_video(self, filepath):
        self.player.setSource(QUrl.fromLocalFile(filepath))
        
    def stop(self):
        self.player.stop()
        self.position_slider.setValue(0)
        
    def position_changed(self, position):
        self.position_slider.setValue(position)
        self.update_time_label()
        
    def duration_changed(self, duration):
        self.position_slider.setRange(0, duration)
        self.update_time_label()
        
    def update_time_label(self):
        pos = self.player.position() // 1000
        dur = self.player.duration() // 1000
        
        pos_m, pos_s = divmod(pos, 60)
        dur_m, dur_s = divmod(dur, 60)
        
        self.time_label.setText(
            f"{pos_m:02d}:{pos_s:02d} / {dur_m:02d}:{dur_s:02d}"
        )
        
    def keyPressEvent(self, event):
        if event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Space:
            if self.player.playbackState() == QMediaPlayer.PlaybackState.PlayingState:
                self.player.pause()
            else:
                self.player.play()
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Left:
            self.player.setPosition(max(0, self.player.position() - 5000))
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Right:
            self.player.setPosition(
                min(self.player.duration(), self.player.position() + 5000)
            )

Fullscreen Video

class FullscreenVideoPlayer(VideoPlayer):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.is_fullscreen = False
        self.video_widget.doubleClicked.connect(self.toggle_fullscreen)
        
    def toggle_fullscreen(self):
        if self.is_fullscreen:
            self.showNormal()
        else:
            self.showFullScreen()
        self.is_fullscreen = not self.is_fullscreen

---

Camera Capture

Display Camera Feed

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QCamera, QMediaDevices
from PyQt6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton
from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt
import sys

class CameraViewer(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Camera Viewer")
        
        # Get available cameras
        self.cameras = QMediaDevices.videoInputs()
        if not self.cameras:
            print("No cameras available")
            return
            
        # Create camera
        self.camera = QCamera(self.cameras[0])
        
        # Video widget
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        
        # Buttons
        self.start_btn = QPushButton("Start")
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("Stop")
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        layout.addWidget(self.start_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        # Connect camera to widget
        self.camera.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        self.start_btn.clicked.connect(self.camera.start)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.camera.stop)
        
    def closeEvent(self, event):
        self.camera.stop()
        super().closeEvent(event)

Capture Photo

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QCamera, QMediaCaptureSession, QImageCapture
from PyQt6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton, QLabel
from PyQt6.QtCore import QUrl

class CameraCapture(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Camera Capture")
        
        self.camera = QCamera()
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        self.capture_session.setCamera(self.camera)
        
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        self.capture_session.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        # Image capture
        self.image_capture = QImageCapture()
        self.capture_session.setImageCapture(self.image_capture)
        
        self.capture_btn = QPushButton("Capture Photo")
        self.preview_label = QLabel()
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        layout.addWidget(self.capture_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.preview_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        self.capture_btn.clicked.connect(self.capture_photo)
        
        self.camera.start()
        
    def capture_photo(self):
        self.image_capture.captureToFile()
        
    def handle_captured(self, id, filePath):
        print(f"Photo saved to: {filePath}")

Record Video

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QCamera, QMediaCaptureSession, QMediaRecorder
from PyQt6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton, QLabel

class VideoRecorder(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        
        self.camera = QCamera()
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        self.capture_session.setCamera(self.camera)
        
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        self.capture_session.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        # Recorder
        self.recorder = QMediaRecorder()
        self.capture_session.setRecorder(self.recorder)
        
        self.record_btn = QPushButton("Start Recording")
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        layout.addWidget(self.record_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        self.record_btn.clicked.connect(self.toggle_recording)
        self.recorder.recorderStateChanged.connect(self.update_status)
        
    def toggle_recording(self):
        if self.recorder.recorderState() == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.recorder.stop()
        else:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile("output.mp4"))
            self.recorder.record()
            
    def update_status(self, state):
        states = {
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.StoppedState: "Stopped",
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState: "Recording",
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.PausedState: "Paused"
        }
        self.status_label.setText(states.get(state, "Unknown"))

---

Audio Recording

Microphone Input

from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaCaptureSession, QAudioInput
from PyQt6.QtCore import QUrl, QStandardPaths
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton, QLabel
import os

class AudioRecorder(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        
        self.recorder = QMediaRecorder()
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        
        self.audio_input = QAudioInput()
        self.capture_session.setAudioInput(self.audio_input)
        self.capture_session.setRecorder(self.recorder)
        
        self.record_btn = QPushButton("Start Recording")
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.record_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        self.record_btn.clicked.connect(self.toggle_recording)
        self.recorder.recorderStateChanged.connect(self.update_status)
        
        # Default output location
        documents = QStandardPaths.writableLocation(
            QStandardPaths.StandardLocation.MoviesLocation
        )
        self.output_path = os.path.join(documents, "recording.mp3")
        
    def toggle_recording(self):
        if self.recorder.recorderState() == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.recorder.stop()
        else:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(self.output_path))
            self.recorder.record()
            
    def update_status(self, state):
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.record_btn.setText("Stop Recording")
            self.status_label.setText("Recording...")
        else:
            self.record_btn.setText("Start Recording")
            self.status_label.setText("Ready")

---

GStreamer Backend

Install GStreamer (Linux)

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install libgstreamer1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly

# For audio/video codecs
sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libav

Install on Windows

PySide6 on Windows typically uses DirectShow or WMF backends. Install K-Lite Codec Pack for additional codec support.

---

Common Issues

No Audio/Video Output

# Check available codecs
from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices
print("Audio outputs:", QMediaDevices.audioOutputs())
print("Video outputs:", QMediaDevices.videoOutputs())

# Check camera
print("Cameras:", QMediaDevices.videoInputs())

Format Not Supported

# Convert using QMediaEncoder with specific codec
from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaFormat

recorder = QMediaRecorder()
recorder.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4)
recorder.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
recorder.setVideoCodec(QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264)

---

Best Practices

Audio/Video Capture

# ✅ GOOD: Check availability first
from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices

if not QMediaDevices.audioInputs():
    print("No microphone available")
    return

# ✅ GOOD: Set output location before recording
recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(path))
recorder.record()  # Start after setting location

Playback

# ✅ GOOD: Check player state
player.play()
# Wait for state change signal, don't assume immediate playback

# ✅ GOOD: Handle missing codecs
# Install K-Lite on Windows, gstreamer on Linux

Resource Management

# ✅ GOOD: Clean up resources
def closeEvent(self, event):
    self.player.stop()
    self.recorder.stop()
    self.camera.stop()
    super().closeEvent(event)

Do:

• Check device availability before use
• Set output location before recording
• Clean up on close

Don't:

• Record without checking available disk space
• Use unsupported formats
• Forget to stop capture sessions

---

References

• Qt Multimedia: https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qtmultimedia-index.html
• PySide6 Multimedia: https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/multimedia.html
• GStreamer: https://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/

Video Playback

QMediaPlayer + QVideoWidget

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer
from PySide6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QHBoxLayout,
    QPushButton, QSlider, QLabel, QMainWindow
)
from PySide6.QtCore import Qt, QUrl, QTimer
from PySide6.QtGui import QAction
import sys

class VideoPlayer(QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Video Player")
        self.resize(800, 600)
        
        # Media player
        self.player = QMediaPlayer()
        self.audio_output = QAudioOutput()
        self.player.setAudioOutput(self.audio_output)
        
        # Video widget
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        
        # Controls
        self.play_btn = QPushButton("▶ Play")
        self.pause_btn = QPushButton("❚❚ Pause")
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("■ Stop")
        
        self.position_slider = QSlider(Qt.Orientation.Horizontal)
        self.position_slider.setRange(0, 0)
        
        self.time_label = QLabel("00:00 / 00:00")
        self.volume_slider = QSlider(Qt.Orientation.Horizontal)
        self.volume_slider.setRange(0, 100)
        self.volume_slider.setValue(50)
        
        # Toolbar layout
        toolbar = QHBoxLayout()
        toolbar.addWidget(self.play_btn)
        toolbar.addWidget(self.pause_btn)
        toolbar.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        toolbar.addWidget(self.position_slider)
        toolbar.addWidget(self.time_label)
        toolbar.addWidget(self.volume_slider)
        toolbar.addStretch()
        
        # Main layout
        main_layout = QVBoxLayout()
        main_layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        main_layout.addLayout(toolbar)
        self.setCentralWidget(QWidget())
        self.centralLayout = self.centralWidget().layout()
        self.centralLayout.addLayout(toolbar)
        
        # Signal connections
        self.player.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        self.play_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.play)
        self.pause_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.pause)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.player.stop)
        
        self.player.positionChanged.connect(self.position_changed)
        self.player.durationChanged.connect(self.duration_changed)
        
        self.volume_slider.valueChanged.connect(
            lambda v: self.audio_output.setVolume(v / 100)
        )
        
        # Keyboard shortcuts
        self.installEventFilter(self)
        
    def load_video(self, filepath):
        """Load a video file."""
        self.player.setSource(QUrl.fromLocalFile(filepath))
        
    def position_changed(self, position):
        """Update position slider and time display."""
        self.position_slider.setValue(position)
        self.update_time_label()
        
    def duration_changed(self, duration):
        """Update slider range and initial time display."""
        self.position_slider.setRange(0, duration)
        self.update_time_label()
        
    def update_time_label(self):
        """Convert position/duration to MM:SS format."""
        pos = self.player.position() // 1000
        dur = self.player.duration() // 1000 if self.player.duration() > 0 else 0
        
        pos_m, pos_s = divmod(pos, 60)
        dur_m, dur_s = divmod(dur, 60)
        
        self.time_label.setText(
            f"{pos_m:02d}:{pos_s:02d} / {dur_m:02d}:{dur_s:02d}"
        )
        
    def keyPressEvent(self, event):
        """Handle keyboard shortcuts."""
        if event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Space:
            if self.player.playbackState() == QMediaPlayer.PlaybackState.PlayingState:
                self.player.pause()
            else:
                self.player.play()
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Left:
            self.player.setPosition(max(0, self.player.position() - 5000))
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_Right:
            self.player.setPosition(
                min(self.player.duration(), self.player.position() + 5000)
            )
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_k:
            self.player.seek(5)
        elif event.key() == Qt.Key.Key_j:
            self.player.seek(-5)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    
    # Set application properties
    app.setApplicationName("Video Player")
    app.setOrganizationName("MyOrg")
    
    window = VideoPlayer()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Controls Reference:

Method	Description
play()	Start playback
pause()	Pause playback
stop()	Stop playback and reset position
setPosition(pos)	Set playback position (milliseconds)
seek(seconds)	Seek relative to current position
playbackState()	Returns current state (PlayingState, PausedState, StoppedState)
position()	Current playback position in milliseconds
duration()	Total duration in milliseconds

Supported Formats:

• Audio/Video files: .mp4, .avi, .mkv, .mov, .flv, .webm, .wmv
• Audio files: .mp3, .wav, .ogg, .flac, .aac
• Real-time: Camera feed, network streams (RTSP, HTTP)

Note: Codec support varies by platform. On Linux, ensure GStreamer backends are installed.

---

Camera Access

QCamera + QMediaCaptureSession

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QCamera, QMediaDevices, QMediaCaptureSession
from PySide6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QHBoxLayout,
    QPushButton, QLabel, QComboBox, QDialogButtonBox
)
from PySide6.QtCore import Qt, QUrl
import sys
from typing import Optional

class CameraViewer(QWidget):
    """Camera viewer with live preview."""
    
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Camera Viewer")
        self.setMinimumSize(640, 480)
        
        # Available cameras
        self.cameras = QMediaDevices.videoInputs()
        if not self.cameras:
            self.init_no_camera()
            return
        
        # Selected camera
        self.camera = QCamera(self.cameras[0])
        
        # Video widget for preview
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        
        # UI components
        self.camera_label = QLabel("No cameras found")
        self.camera_combo = QComboBox()
        self.camera_combo.addItems([f"Camera {i}" for i in range(len(self.cameras))])
        self.start_btn = QPushButton("Start")
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("Stop")
        self.preview_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
        # Layout
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        
        # Camera selection
        select_layout = QHBoxLayout()
        select_layout.addWidget(QLabel("Camera:"))
        select_layout.addWidget(self.camera_combo)
        layout.addLayout(select_layout)
        
        # Video preview
        layout.addWidget(self.camera_label)
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        
        # Controls
        control_layout = QHBoxLayout()
        control_layout.addWidget(self.start_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        layout.addLayout(control_layout)
        
        # Status
        layout.addWidget(self.preview_label)
        layout.addStretch()
        
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        # Setup camera
        self.setup_camera()
        
        # Connect signals
        self.start_btn.clicked.connect(self.start_camera)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.stop_camera)
        
    def init_no_camera(self):
        """Initialize UI when no camera is available."""
        self.camera_label.setText("No camera detected")
        self.preview_label.setText("No camera found")
        self.camera_combo.hide()
        
    def setup_camera(self):
        """Configure camera and connect to video output."""
        camera_index = self.camera_combo.currentIndex()
        camera = self.cameras[camera_index]
        
        self.camera = QCamera(camera)
        self.camera.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
    def start_camera(self):
        """Start camera and enable preview."""
        camera_index = self.camera_combo.currentIndex()
        
        camera = self.cameras[camera_index]
        self.camera = QCamera(camera)
        
        self.camera.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        self.camera.start()
        self.preview_label.setText("Camera active")
        self.start_btn.setText("Restart")
        self.stop_btn.setEnabled(True)
        
    def stop_camera(self):
        """Stop camera and disable preview."""
        self.camera.stop()
        self.preview_label.setText("Camera stopped")
        self.start_btn.setText("Start")
        self.start_btn.setEnabled(False)
        self.stop_btn.setEnabled(False)
        
    def closeEvent(self, event):
        """Clean up camera resources."""
        self.camera.stop()
        super().closeEvent(event)

class CameraCapture(QWidget):
    """Camera with photo capture functionality."""
    
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Camera Capture")
        self.setMinimumSize(640, 480)
        
        self.camera = QCamera()
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        self.image_capture = QImageCapture()
        
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        self.capture_session.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        self.capture_session.setCamera(self.camera)
        self.capture_session.setImageCapture(self.image_capture)
        
        # Image capture settings
        self.image_capture.setCaptureMode(
            QImageCapture.CaptureMode.Photo
        )
        self.image_capture.setResolution(
            self.image_capture.resolutionHighest()
        )
        
        self.image_capture.setCompressionType(
            QImageCapture.CompressionType.Jpeg
        )
        self.image_capture.setJpegQuality(85)
        
        self.capture_btn = QPushButton("Capture Photo")
        self.capture_btn.setEnabled(False)
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
        # Layout
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        layout.addWidget(self.capture_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        # Connect signals
        self.capture_btn.clicked.connect(self.capture_photo)
        self.camera.start()
        
    def capture_photo(self):
        """Capture photo from camera."""
        if self.camera.isRunning():
            self.capture_session.setImageCapture(self.image_capture)
            self.image_capture.triggerCapture(
                self.image_capture.imageSize()
            )
            self.status_label.setText("Capturing...")
            
            # Handle captured image
            self.image_capture.imageReady.connect(self.on_image_ready)
        else:
            self.status_label.setText("Camera not running")
            
    def on_image_ready(self, id: int, filePath: str):
        """Callback when image is captured."""
        self.status_label.setText(f"Photo saved: {filePath}")
        self.capture_btn.setEnabled(True)
        
        # Display captured image
        from PySide6.QtGui import QPixmap, QImage
        pixmap = QPixmap(filePath)
        self.video_widget.setPixmap(pixmap.scaled(
            self.video_widget.size(),
            Qt.AspectRatioMode.KeepAspectRatio,
            Qt.TransformationMode.SmoothTransformation
        ))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    
    window = CameraViewer()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Camera Device Enumeration:

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices

# Get all video input devices (cameras)
cameras = QMediaDevices.videoInputs()
print(f"Available cameras: {len(cameras)}")
for i, camera in enumerate(cameras):
    print(f"  Camera {i}: {camera}")

# Get all video output devices (displays)
video_outputs = QMediaDevices.videoOutputs()

# Get audio input devices (microphones)
audio_inputs = QMediaDevices.audioInputs()

# Get audio output devices (speakers)
audio_outputs = QMediaDevices.audioOutputs()

Photo Capture Options:

# Set capture mode
self.image_capture.setCaptureMode(
    QImageCapture.CaptureMode.Photo
)

# Set resolution
self.image_capture.setResolution(
    QImageCapture.Resolution.QVGA  # or QualityBestResolution
)

# Set compression
self.image_capture.setCompressionType(
    QImageCapture.CompressionType.Jpeg
)
self.image_capture.setJpegQuality(85)

# Set custom capture dimensions
self.image_capture.setCaptureSize(640, 480)

# Manual capture trigger
self.image_capture.triggerCapture(QSize(640, 480))

---

Media Recording

QMediaRecorder Setup

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import (
    QMediaRecorder, QMediaCaptureSession, QCamera, QMediaDevices
)
from PySide6.QtMultimediaWidgets import QVideoWidget
from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QHBoxLayout,
    QPushButton, QLabel, QFileDialog
)
from PySide6.QtCore import QUrl, QStandardPaths
from PySide6.QtGui import QDesktopServices
import os
import sys

class MediaRecorder(QWidget):
    """Complete media recording with audio/video support."""
    
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Media Recorder")
        self.setMinimumSize(800, 600)
        
        # Camera setup
        self.camera = QCamera(QMediaDevices.videoInputs()[0])
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        self.capture_session.setCamera(self.camera)
        self.capture_session.setVideoOutput(self.video_widget)
        
        # Video widget
        self.video_widget = QVideoWidget()
        
        # Recorder
        self.recorder = QMediaRecorder()
        self.capture_session.setRecorder(self.recorder)
        
        # UI components
        self.record_btn = QPushButton("Start Recording")
        self.record_btn.setEnabled(False)
        self.stop_btn = QPushButton("Stop Recording")
        self.stop_btn.setEnabled(False)
        
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        self.progress_label = QLabel("")
        
        self.recorder.recorderStateChanged.connect(self.update_status)
        self.recorder.durationChanged.connect(self.duration_changed)
        
        # Layout
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.video_widget)
        
        control_layout = QHBoxLayout()
        control_layout.addWidget(self.record_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.stop_btn)
        control_layout.addWidget(self.progress_label)
        layout.addLayout(control_layout)
        
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        layout.addStretch()
        
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        # Setup recorder defaults
        self.setup_recorder_defaults()
        
        # Connect signals
        self.record_btn.clicked.connect(self.toggle_recording)
        self.stop_btn.clicked.connect(self.stop_recording)
        
    def setup_recorder_defaults(self):
        """Configure default recording settings."""
        # Default output location in Videos folder
        documents = QStandardPaths.writableLocation(
            QStandardPaths.StandardLocation.MoviesLocation
        )
        
        # Get video extension based on codec
        self.output_format = "mp4"
        self.output_path = os.path.join(documents, f"recording_{self._get_timestamp()}.{self.output_format}")
        
    def _get_timestamp(self):
        """Generate timestamp string."""
        from datetime import datetime
        return datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
        
    def toggle_recording(self):
        """Toggle recording on/off."""
        state = self.recorder.recorderState()
        
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.recorder.stop()
        else:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(self.output_path))
            self.recorder.record()
            
    def stop_recording(self):
        """Stop current recording."""
        self.recorder.stop()
        self.status_label.setText("Recording stopped")
        self.record_btn.setEnabled(True)
        self.record_btn.setText("Record Again")
        self.stop_btn.setEnabled(False)
        
    def update_status(self, state):
        """Update status based on recorder state."""
        states = {
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.StoppedState: "Ready to record",
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState: "Recording...",
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.PausedState: "Paused",
            QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.ErrorState: "Error occurred"
        }
        
        self.status_label.setText(states.get(state, "Unknown"))
        
    def duration_changed(self, duration):
        """Update progress based on recording duration."""
        if duration > 0:
            seconds = duration // 1000
            self.progress_label.setText(f"Recording: {seconds} seconds")
    
    def closeEvent(self, event):
        """Clean up resources."""
        self.recorder.stop()
        self.camera.stop()
        super().closeEvent(event)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    
    window = MediaRecorder()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Audio Recording Example

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaCaptureSession
from PySide6.QtCore import QUrl, QStandardPaths, QMimeType
import os
import sys
from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton, QLabel, QFileDialog
)

class AudioRecorder(QWidget):
    """Audio recording from microphone."""
    
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Audio Recorder")
        
        self.recorder = QMediaRecorder()
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        
        # Audio input setup
        audio_inputs = QStandardPaths.writableLocation(
            QStandardPaths.StandardLocation.MoviesLocation
        )
        
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        self.record_btn = QPushButton("Start Recording")
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.record_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        self.record_btn.clicked.connect(self.toggle_recording)
        self.recorder.recorderStateChanged.connect(self.update_status)
        
        # Default output
        self.output_path = os.path.join(
            audio_inputs, "recording.wav"
        )
        
    def toggle_recording(self):
        """Toggle recording state."""
        state = self.recorder.recorderState()
        
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.recorder.stop()
            self.status_label.setText("Recording stopped")
        else:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(self.output_path))
            self.recorder.setAudioFormat(
                QMediaRecorder.AudioFormat.WAV,
                44100,
                2,
                2,
                -16,
                -1
            )
            self.recorder.record()
            self.status_label.setText("Recording...")
            
    def update_status(self, state):
        """Update status label."""
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.status_label.setText("Recording...")
            self.record_btn.setText("Stop")
        else:
            self.status_label.setText("Recording saved")
            self.record_btn.setText("Start Recording")
    
    def save_recording(self):
        """Save recording to file dialog."""
        file_path, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
            self, "Save Recording", self.output_path,
            "Audio Files (*.wav *.mp3 *.ogg *.flac);;All Files (*)"
        )
        if file_path:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(file_path))
            self.output_path = file_path

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = AudioRecorder()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Video Recording Example

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaCaptureSession
from PySide6.QtCore import QUrl, QStandardPaths
import os
import sys
from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
    QApplication, QWidget, QVBoxLayout, QPushButton, QLabel
)

class VideoRecorder(QWidget):
    """Video recording with encoding options."""
    
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle("Video Recorder")
        
        self.camera = QCamera(QStandardPaths.writableLocation(
            QStandardPaths.StandardLocation.VideosLocation
        ) + "camera.mp4")
        
        self.capture_session = QMediaCaptureSession()
        self.capture_session.setCamera(self.camera)
        
        self.recorder = QMediaRecorder()
        self.capture_session.setRecorder(self.recorder)
        
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        self.record_btn = QPushButton("Start Recording")
        
        layout = QVBoxLayout()
        layout.addWidget(self.record_btn)
        layout.addWidget(self.status_label)
        self.setLayout(layout)
        
        self.record_btn.clicked.connect(self.toggle_recording)
        self.recorder.recorderStateChanged.connect(self.update_status)
        
    def toggle_recording(self):
        """Start/stop video recording."""
        state = self.recorder.recorderState()
        
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.recorder.stop()
        else:
            self.recorder.setMediaFormat(self._get_video_format())
            self.recorder.setVideoCodec(self.recorder.videoFormat().videoCodec())
            self.recorder.setAudioCodec(self.recorder.audioFormat().audioCodec())
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile("video.mp4"))
            self.recorder.record()
            
    def _get_video_format(self):
        """Get H.264 video format."""
        return QMediaFormat(
            QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4,
            self.camera.videoResolution(),
            QMediaFormat.VelocityLevel.Normal,
            2000000,  # 2 Mbps bitrate
            QMediaFormat.ResolutionSelector.Variable
        )
        
    def update_status(self, state):
        """Update status."""
        if state == QMediaRecorder.RecorderState.RecordingState:
            self.status_label.setText("Recording video...")
        else:
            self.status_label.setText("Recording complete")
    
    def save_recording(self):
        """Open save dialog."""
        file_path, _ = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
            self, "Save Video", "recording.mp4",
            "Video Files (*.mp4 *.avi *.mkv);;All Files (*)"
        )
        if file_path:
            self.recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile(file_path))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    window = VideoRecorder()
    window.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec())

Encoding Settings

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaFormat, QMediaRecorder

# Configure video format
video_format = QMediaFormat()
video_format.setMediaType(QMediaFormat.MediaType.Video)
video_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4)

# Set resolution
video_format.setResolution(1280, 720)  # 1280x720

# Set bitrate (bytes per second)
video_format.setBitRate(2000000)  # 2 Mbps

# Set video codec
video_format.setVideoCodec(
    QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264
)

# Set framerate
video_format.setFrameRate(30)  # 30 FPS

# Create recorder and set format
recorder = QMediaRecorder()
recorder.setMediaFormat(video_format)

# Audio format configuration
audio_format = QMediaFormat()
audio_format.setMediaType(QMediaFormat.MediaType.Audio)
audio_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Mp3)
audio_format.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
audio_format.setBitRate(128000)  # 128 kbps

# Full recording setup with encoding
recorder.setVideoCodec(QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264)
recorder.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
recorder.setVideoFormat(video_format)
recorder.setAudioFormat(audio_format)
recorder.setOutputLocation(QUrl.fromLocalFile("output.mp4"))
recorder.record()

---

Error Handling

QMediaRecorder Error Handling

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaFormat
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QMessageBox
import sys
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication

class ErrorHandlingRecorder(QMediaRecorder):
    """MediaRecorder with comprehensive error handling."""
    
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        super().__init__(parent)
        self.error_signal = lambda: self.error_occurred()
        
    def error_occurred(self):
        """Handle recorder errors."""
        error_state = self.error()
        
        error_messages = {
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.NoError: "No error",
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.InvalidRoleError: "Invalid role error",
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.InvalidFormatError: "Invalid format error",
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.UnsupportedFormatError: "Unsupported format",
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.CodecNotAvailableError: "Codec not available",
            QMediaRecorder.ErrorState.UnknownError: "Unknown error"
        }
        
        error_msg = error_messages.get(error_state, "Unknown error")
        QMessageBox.critical(self, "Recording Error", error_msg)
        
        # Reset recorder state
        self.stop()

# Usage with error handling
recorder = ErrorHandlingRecorder()

# Connect to error signal
recorder.error.connect(lambda: print("Recorder error occurred"))

# Set invalid format (to trigger error)
recorder.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat())

QMediaPlayer Error Signal

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QLabel, QPushButton
from PySide6.QtCore import QUrl
import sys

class ErrorHandlingPlayer(QMediaPlayer):
    """MediaPlayer with error handling."""
    
    def __init__(self, parent=None):
        super().__init__(parent)
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
    def playback_error(self, error_state):
        """Handle playback errors."""
        errors = {
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.NoError: "No error",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.InvalidRoleError: "Invalid role error",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.ResourceNotAvailableError: "Resource not available",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.ResourceCannotBeReadError: "Cannot read resource",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.FormatError: "Format error",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.PlaybackFailedError: "Playback failed",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.UnknownMediaError: "Unknown media error",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.ProtocolError: "Protocol error",
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.AbstractError: "Abstract error"
        }
        
        error_msg = errors.get(error_state, "Unknown error")
        self.status_label.setText(f"Error: {error_msg}")
        print(f"MediaPlayer error: {error_msg}")

# Usage
app = QApplication(sys.argv)

player = ErrorHandlingPlayer()
player.playbackError.connect(lambda e: print(f"Error: {e}"))

# Load invalid file (to trigger error)
player.setSource(QUrl.fromLocalFile("invalid_file.mp4"))
player.play()

sys.exit(app.exec())

QCamera Error Signal

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QCamera, QCameraError
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QLabel, QPushButton
import sys

class ErrorHandlingCamera(QCamera):
    """Camera with error handling."""
    
    def __init__(self, video_input, parent=None):
        super().__init__(video_input, parent)
        self.status_label = QLabel("Ready")
        
    def camera_error(self, error):
        """Handle camera errors."""
        error_codes = {
            QCameraError.NoError: "No error",
            QCameraError.UnsupportedBackendError: "Unsupported backend",
            QCameraError.UnsupportedFormatError: "Unsupported format",
            QCameraError.VideoInputNotFound: "Video input not found",
            QCameraError.ErrorStartingCamera: "Error starting camera",
            QCameraError.ErrorStoppingCamera: "Error stopping camera",
            QCameraError.ErrorReadingProperty: "Error reading property",
            QCameraError.ErrorWritingProperty: "Error writing property",
            QCameraError.FrameAlreadyReleasedError: "Frame already released",
            QCameraError.ErrorResolutionChange: "Error changing resolution",
            QCameraError.ErrorSourceChange: "Error changing source",
            QCameraError.ErrorInvalidState: "Invalid state",
            QCameraError.ErrorImageBufferCreation: "Error creating image buffer",
            QCameraError.ErrorImageBufferRelease: "Error releasing image buffer",
            QCameraError.ErrorInvalidState: "Invalid camera state",
            QCameraError.ErrorAccessingFrameBuffer: "Error accessing frame buffer",
            QCameraError.ErrorRecordingStopped: "Recording stopped"
        }
        
        error_msg = error_codes.get(error, "Unknown error")
        self.status_label.setText(f"Error: {error_msg}")
        print(f"Camera error: {error_msg}")

# Usage
app = QApplication(sys.argv)

camera = ErrorHandlingCamera(QCameraError)
camera.start()
camera.stop()

sys.exit(app.exec())

Common Error Scenarios

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaPlayer, QMediaDevices, QCamera
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QMessageBox
from PySide6.QtCore import QUrl
import sys

class CommonErrorHandler:
    """Handle common multimedia errors."""
    
    @staticmethod
    def check_device_availability():
        """Check if required devices are available."""
        if not QMediaDevices.audioInputs():
            raise RuntimeError("No audio input devices found")
            
        if not QMediaDevices.videoInputs():
            raise RuntimeError("No camera devices found")
    
    @staticmethod
    def check_file_exists(filepath):
        """Verify file exists and is accessible."""
        if not os.path.exists(filepath):
            raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {filepath}")
            
        if not os.path.isfile(filepath):
            raise FileExistsError("Path is not a file")
    
    @staticmethod
    def handle_codec_error(player, error_state):
        """Handle codec-related errors."""
        if error_state == QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.FormatError:
            QMessageBox.information(
                None, "Codec Error",
                "The required codec is not installed.\n\n"
                "Install K-Lite Codec Pack (Windows) or GStreamer (Linux)."
            )
    
    @staticmethod
    def handle_network_error(player, error_state):
        """Handle network stream errors."""
        if error_state in [
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.ResourceNotAvailableError,
            QMediaPlayer.ErrorState.ProtocolError
        ]:
            QMessageBox.warning(
                None, "Network Error",
                "Cannot access network stream.\n"
                "Check your network connection and URL."
            )

# Usage
try:
    CommonErrorHandler.check_device_availability()
    CommonErrorHandler.check_file_exists("video.mp4")
    
    player = QMediaPlayer()
    player.play()
    
except (RuntimeError, FileNotFoundError, FileExistsError) as e:
    print(f"Setup error: {e}")
    sys.exit(1)

---

Codec Support

Supported Codecs by Platform

Linux (GStreamer Backend)

Codec	Container	Quality	Required Package
Audio
MP3	.mp3	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-good
WAV	.wav	Excellent	Built-in
OGG	.ogg	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-good
FLAC	.flac	Excellent	gstreamer1.0-plugins-good
AAC	.m4a	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-good
Video
H.264 (AVC)	.mp4, .avi, .mkv	Excellent	gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad
H.265 (HEVC)	.mp4	Good	gstreamer1.0-libav
MPEG-4	.mp4	Good	Built-in
MPEG-2	.mpg, .mpeg	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad
VP8	.webm	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-good
VP9	.webm	Good	gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad
AV1	.webm	Excellent	gstreamer1.0-libav

Windows (DirectShow/WMF Backend)

Codec	Container	Quality	Recommended
Audio
MP3	.mp3	Good	K-Lite Codec Pack
WAV	.wav	Excellent	Built-in
AAC	.m4a	Good	K-Lite Codec Pack
WMA	.wma	Good	Built-in
Video
H.264 (AVC)	.mp4, .avi	Excellent	K-Lite Codec Pack
H.265 (HEVC)	.mp4	Good	HEVC Extension
MPEG-4	.mp4	Good	Built-in
WMV	.wmv	Excellent	Built-in
AV1	.webm	Good	AV1 Extensions

macOS (AVFoundation Backend)

Codec	Container	Quality	Status
Audio
AAC	.m4a	Excellent	Built-in
ALAC	.m4a	Excellent	Built-in
WAV	.wav	Excellent	Built-in
Video
H.264 (AVC)	.mp4, .mov	Excellent	Built-in
H.265 (HEVC)	.mp4	Good	Built-in (Free)
ProRes	.mov	Excellent	Built-in (Professional)
AAC	.m4a	Good	Built-in

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux Installation

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install libgstreamer1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev \
    gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly

# For better codec support
sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-clutter

# Fedora
sudo dnf install gstreamer1-devel gstreamer1-plugins-base-devel \
    gstreamer1-plugins-good gstreamer1-plugins-bad gstreamer1-plugins-ugly

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S gstreamer gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly \
    gst-libav gst-clutter

# Verify installation
python -c "from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices; \
    print('Audio inputs:', len(QMediaDevices.audioInputs())); \
    print('Video inputs:', len(QMediaDevices.videoInputs()))"

Windows Setup

# Check codec support
from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices

def check_codec_support():
    """Check available codec support."""
    audio_inputs = QMediaDevices.audioInputs()
    video_inputs = QMediaDevices.videoInputs()
    
    print(f"Audio devices: {len(audio_inputs)}")
    print(f"Video devices: {len(video_inputs)}")
    
    # If no devices, install codec pack
    if not audio_inputs and not video_inputs:
        print("No codec support detected!")
        print("Install K-Lite Codec Pack: https://codecguide.com/install_windows_kl.mp")

K-Lite Codec Pack (Windows):

• Standard: Audio codecs + video players
• Basic: Essential codecs (MPEG-4, H.264)
• Full: All codecs including proprietary

macOS Notes

No additional installation required. PySide6 uses AVFoundation which includes:

• All standard codecs (H.264, AAC, ProRes)
• AirPlay support for video output
• Camera support via AVFoundation

Format Compatibility Reference

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaFormat

# Check format compatibility
def check_format_compatibility(filepath):
    """Check if format is supported."""
    media = QMediaFormat()
    
    supported_formats = {
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4: "MPEG-4 (MP4, M4V)",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Wav: "WAV (WAV)",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Mp3: "MP3 (MP3)",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Ogg: "OGG (OGG)",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Flac: "FLAC",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Aac: "AAC (M4A)",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.H264: "H.264 Video",
        QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.H265: "H.265/HEVC Video",
    }
    
    return supported_formats

Codec Selection Examples

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaRecorder, QMediaFormat

# Best quality for recording
def setup_high_quality_recording():
    recorder = QMediaRecorder()
    
    # Video format
    video_format = QMediaFormat()
    video_format.setMediaType(QMediaFormat.MediaType.Video)
    video_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4)
    video_format.setVideoCodec(QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264)
    video_format.setResolution(1920, 1080)  # 1080p
    video_format.setBitRate(8000000)  # 8 Mbps
    video_format.setFrameRate(60)  # 60 FPS
    
    # Audio format
    audio_format = QMediaFormat()
    audio_format.setMediaType(QMediaFormat.MediaType.Audio)
    audio_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Mp3)
    audio_format.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
    audio_format.setBitRate(320000)  # 320 kbps
    audio_format.setSampleRate(48000)
    
    recorder.setMediaFormat(video_format)
    recorder.setAudioFormat(audio_format)
    return recorder

# Web-compatible recording
def setup_web_recording():
    recorder = QMediaRecorder()
    
    video_format = QMediaFormat()
    video_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4)
    video_format.setVideoCodec(QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264)
    video_format.setResolution(1280, 720)  # 720p for web
    video_format.setBitRate(2000000)  # 2 Mbps
    video_format.setFrameRate(30)
    
    audio_format = QMediaFormat()
    audio_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Mp3)
    audio_format.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
    audio_format.setBitRate(128000)
    
    recorder.setMediaFormat(video_format)
    recorder.setAudioFormat(audio_format)
    return recorder

# Mobile-optimized recording
def setup_mobile_recording():
    recorder = QMediaRecorder()
    
    video_format = QMediaFormat()
    video_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.MPEG4)
    video_format.setVideoCodec(QMediaFormat.VideoCodec.H264)
    video_format.setResolution(640, 480)  # 480p for mobile
    video_format.setBitRate(500000)  # 0.5 Mbps
    video_format.setFrameRate(30)
    
    audio_format = QMediaFormat()
    audio_format.setMediaFormat(QMediaFormat.MediaFormat.Mp3)
    audio_format.setAudioCodec(QMediaFormat.AudioCodec.AAC)
    audio_format.setBitRate(96000)
    
    recorder.setMediaFormat(video_format)
    recorder.setAudioFormat(audio_format)
    return recorder

Troubleshooting Codec Issues

from PySide6.QtMultimedia import QMediaDevices, QMediaPlayer
from PySide6.QtWidgets import QMessageBox, QLabel

def diagnose_codec_issues():
    """Diagnose codec-related problems."""
    issues = []
    
    # Check device availability
    if not QMediaDevices.audioInputs():
        issues.append("No audio input devices found")
        
    if not QMediaDevices.videoInputs():
        issues.append("No camera devices found")
    
    # Test playback
    player = QMediaPlayer()
    try:
        # This will fail if codec is missing
        player.play()
        issues.append("Playback test inconclusive")
    except Exception as e:
        issues.append(f"Playback error: {e}")
    
    if issues:
        QMessageBox.warning(
            None, "Codec Issues",
            "Issues detected:\n\n" + "\n".join(issues) + "\n\n"
            "Consider installing codec packs for your platform."
        )
    
    return issues