For a playlist of separate video files, use ffprobe to check each file’s actual video dimensions, then have your playlist-generation script include only files that match your chosen target. This omits mismatched files; it does not resize them. If by “playlist” you mean one video made by joining clips, use FFmpeg’s concat filter and scale the inputs to a common size instead.
Choose what “skip” should mean
Decide whether you need to keep separate files or create one joined video. The right resolution rule also depends on your goal: exact dimensions such as 1920x1080, or a rule such as “any video with a height of 1080 pixels.” The title does not specify a target, so choose one before filtering.
- Separate playlist entries: keep matching files in the playlist and leave the original files unchanged.
- One continuous output: normalize the clips’ dimensions and concatenate them. This requires re-encoding if the inputs need scaling.
- Only a matching height matters: compare height alone, and do not reject a file just because its width differs.
Filter separate files by resolution
Check one file with ffprobe
Use the first actual video stream’s width and height, not a filename or a label such as “720p.” This command prints dimensions as widthxheight:
ffprobe -v error -select_streams V:0
-show_entries stream=width,height
-of csv=s=x:p=0 input.mp4V:0 selects the first video stream while excluding attached-picture streams. For a file with several video streams, make sure the first one is the stream you intend to check. If the command fails or prints no dimensions, treat the file as a nonmatch or investigate it; do not assume it matches.
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Generate an ffconcat playlist containing only exact matches
The following Python script checks every file in one directory, keeps exact width-and-height matches, and writes an FFmpeg concat-demuxer playlist named matching.ffconcat. Set the target dimensions and folder to suit your files. It reports probe failures rather than silently including them.
from pathlib import Path
import json
import subprocess
folder = Path("videos")
target_width, target_height = 1920, 1080
extensions = {".mp4", ".mkv", ".mov", ".webm", ".avi"}
entries = []
for path in sorted(folder.iterdir()):
if not path.is_file() or path.suffix.lower() not in extensions:
continue
result = subprocess.run(
["ffprobe", "-v", "error", "-select_streams", "V:0",
"-show_entries", "stream=width,height", "-of", "json", str(path)],
capture_output=True, text=True
)
try:
streams = json.loads(result.stdout).get("streams", [])
width, height = streams[0]["width"], streams[0]["height"]
except (json.JSONDecodeError, IndexError, KeyError, TypeError):
print(f"Skipping (probe failed or dimensions unavailable): {path}")
continue
if result.returncode != 0:
print(f"Skipping (ffprobe error): {path}: {result.stderr.strip()}")
continue
if (width, height) == (target_width, target_height):
entries.append(path.resolve())
else:
print(f"Skipping ({width}x{height}): {path}")
def ffconcat_quote(path):
# Escape characters that have special meaning in an ffconcat quoted path.
value = str(path).replace("\", "\\").replace("'", "\'")
return "'" + value + "'"
with open("matching.ffconcat", "w", encoding="utf-8") as playlist:
playlist.write("ffconcat version 1.0\n")
for path in entries:
playlist.write("file " + ffconcat_quote(path) + "\n")
print(f"Wrote {len(entries)} matching entries to matching.ffconcat")Run it with Python 3 in the directory containing videos. The script assumes ffprobe is installed and available on your command path. To check only height, replace the exact-match condition with height == target_height. That deliberately allows different widths.
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Play or process the filtered list
An .ffconcat file is for FFmpeg’s concat demuxer; it is not interchangeable with every player’s playlist format. To make a single output from compatible entries without re-encoding, for example:
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i matching.ffconcat -c copy output.mp4Stream copying does not resize or normalize anything. It can work only when the inputs and output container are compatible for concatenation; if their codecs, stream layouts, or other relevant properties differ, it may fail or produce an unsuitable result. If you want a player playlist rather than an FFmpeg input, use the same filtering logic but write the syntax required by that player.
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If you mean one joined video with uniform dimensions
Use the concat filter when clips have different frame sizes and need normalization. The example below scales two clips into a 1920×1080 box while preserving the full image, pads any unused space with bars, then joins the video and audio streams and encodes an MP4:
ffmpeg -i first.mp4 -i second.mp4
-filter_complex "[0:v]scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2[v0];[1:v]scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2[v1];[v0][0:a][v1][1:a]concat=n=2:v=1:a=1[outv][outa]"
-map "[outv]" -map "[outa]" -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -preset medium -c:a aac output.mp4This is a two-input example in which each file has one audio stream. If a clip has no audio, has multiple audio or video streams, or uses a different stream layout, adapt the filter inputs and output maps; the example is not a universal stream-layout recipe. The chosen target size and encoding settings are examples, not a promise of lossless output or universal playback compatibility.
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Padding or cropping
- Scale and pad: preserves the whole image and fills unused space with bars, as in the command above.
- Scale and crop: fills the target frame but cuts off part of the picture. Choose this only if losing image area is acceptable.
FFmpeg also has a concat demuxer and concat protocol. The demuxer may avoid re-encoding when the inputs are suitable, but it does not scale clips. The concat filter is the appropriate route when filtering and re-encoding are needed. Check the FFmpeg documentation for the version installed on your system: the online documentation tracks development and may not match an older local build.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why stream selection alone does not skip playlist files
FFmpeg’s automatic stream selection and the -map option decide which streams from input media are included in an output. They do not scan a directory and filter separate playlist entries against your chosen resolution. For that, probe each file and apply the matching rule while generating the playlist.
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Troubleshoot mismatches and failed outputs
- A file that looks like 1080p is skipped: inspect its actual width and height with
ffprobe. Labels and filenames are not a reliable dimension check. - The probe reports no dimensions or returns an error: the file may be unreadable, lack a usable video stream, or have an unexpected stream layout. Keep it out of the filtered list until you can inspect it.
- The wrong video stream is checked:
V:0checks the first non-attached-picture video stream. If the desired image is another stream, identify and select that stream deliberately. - The playlist has no entries: confirm that the target dimensions are correct, that the directory and file extensions match the script, and that the source files actually include those dimensions.
- The concat-demuxer command fails: check whether all listed files have compatible streams and formats. Filtering by dimensions alone does not establish concat compatibility; use the concat filter and re-encode if normalization is required.
- The joined image has bars: that is the expected result of preserving the entire frame with padding. Use a crop-based scale workflow only if you accept losing parts of the source image.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded videos looping as a YouTube live stream rather than create a local playlist or joined file, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud keeps it running, so nothing has to stay on at home. It streams uploads as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded videos and YouTube streams, not going live from a camera; it does not replace FFmpeg when you need to filter files or produce a normalized output.
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