Add sub stream recording with adaptive quality playback (#24009)

* add sub stream recording with adaptive quality playback

Optionally record a second, lower bitrate stream alongside the main
recording stream via a `record_sub` input role and `record.sub` config block, with its own retention windows.
Recordings rows now carry the stream type plus the media details needed to serve both streams from one manifest: video codec, audio presence, audio codec and rate, and a record-time keyframe index.

Playback resolves coverage across both streams and merges them into a single VOD sequence, falling back to a discontinuity manifest with per-clip init segments when the media signatures differ. The player exposes a quality selector, and an auto governor picks the stream from stall time, bandwidth, codec support, and the save-data hint.

* fix tests and i18n

frigate/config/camera/camera.py

@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@ from enum import Enum
 
 from pydantic import Field, PrivateAttr, model_validator
 
-from frigate.const import CACHE_DIR, CACHE_SEGMENT_FORMAT, REGEX_CAMERA_NAME
+from frigate.const import (
+    CACHE_DIR,
+    CACHE_SEGMENT_FORMAT,
+    REGEX_CAMERA_NAME,
+    SUB_CACHE_TAG,
+)
 from frigate.ffmpeg_presets import (
     parse_preset_hardware_acceleration_decode,
     parse_preset_hardware_acceleration_scale,
@@ -294,6 +299,28 @@ class CameraConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
                 + ffmpeg_output_args
             )
 
+        if (
+            "record_sub" in ffmpeg_input.roles
+            and self.record.enabled
+            and self.record.sub.enabled
+        ):
+            sub_output_args = self.ffmpeg.output_args.effective_record_sub
+            record_args = get_ffmpeg_arg_list(
+                parse_preset_output_record(
+                    sub_output_args,
+                    self.ffmpeg.apple_compatibility,
+                )
+                or sub_output_args
+            )
+
+            ffmpeg_output_args = (
+                record_args
+                + [
+                    f"{os.path.join(CACHE_DIR, self.name)}{SUB_CACHE_TAG}@{CACHE_SEGMENT_FORMAT}.mp4"
+                ]
+                + ffmpeg_output_args
+            )
+
         # if there aren't any outputs enabled for this input
         if len(ffmpeg_output_args) == 0:
             return None

frigate/config/camera/ffmpeg.py

@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@ class FfmpegOutputArgsConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
         title="Record output arguments",
         description="Default output arguments for record role streams.",
     )
+    record_sub: str | list[str] = Field(
+        default_factory=list,
+        title="Sub stream record output arguments",
+        description="Output arguments for record_sub role streams. The record output arguments are used when this is not set.",
+    )
+
+    @property
+    def effective_record_sub(self) -> str | list[str]:
+        """Output arguments used for the record_sub role.
+
+        Falls back to the record arguments rather than to the stock preset so
+        that a customized record value keeps applying to both recorded streams.
+        """
+        return self.record_sub or self.record
 
 
 class FfmpegConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
@@ -99,6 +113,7 @@ class FfmpegConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
 class CameraRoleEnum(str, Enum):
     audio = "audio"
     record = "record"
+    record_sub = "record_sub"
     detect = "detect"
 
 

frigate/config/camera/record.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "RecordExportConfig",
     "RecordPreviewConfig",
     "RecordQualityEnum",
+    "RecordSubConfig",
     "EventsConfig",
     "ReviewRetainConfig",
     "RecordRetainConfig",
@@ -110,6 +111,34 @@ class RecordExportConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
     )
 
 
+class RecordSubConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
+    enabled: bool = Field(
+        default=False,
+        title="Enable sub stream recording",
+        description="Enable recording of a second, lower quality stream for adaptive quality playback and extended retention.",
+    )
+    continuous: RecordRetainConfig = Field(
+        default_factory=RecordRetainConfig,
+        title="Sub stream continuous retention",
+        description="Number of days to retain sub stream recordings regardless of tracked objects or motion.",
+    )
+    motion: RecordRetainConfig = Field(
+        default_factory=RecordRetainConfig,
+        title="Sub stream motion retention",
+        description="Number of days to retain sub stream recordings triggered by motion.",
+    )
+    alerts: ReviewRetainConfig = Field(
+        default_factory=ReviewRetainConfig,
+        title="Sub stream alert retention",
+        description="Retention settings for sub stream recordings of alerts.",
+    )
+    detections: ReviewRetainConfig = Field(
+        default_factory=ReviewRetainConfig,
+        title="Sub stream detection retention",
+        description="Retention settings for sub stream recordings of detections.",
+    )
+
+
 class RecordConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
     enabled: bool = Field(
         default=False,
@@ -151,12 +180,35 @@ class RecordConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
         title="Preview config",
         description="Settings controlling the quality of recording previews shown in the UI.",
     )
+    sub: RecordSubConfig = Field(
+        default_factory=RecordSubConfig,
+        title="Sub stream recording",
+        description="Settings for recording a second, lower quality stream.",
+    )
     enabled_in_config: bool | None = Field(
         default=None,
         title="Original recording state",
         description="Indicates whether recording was enabled in the original static configuration.",
     )
 
+    @property
+    def effective_alert_days(self) -> float:
+        """Alert retention extended to the sub stream window when sub is enabled.
+
+        Review items and tracked objects must stay visible for as long as
+        either stream still has recordings.
+        """
+        if self.sub.enabled:
+            return max(self.alerts.retain.days, self.sub.alerts.days)
+        return self.alerts.retain.days
+
+    @property
+    def effective_detection_days(self) -> float:
+        """Detection retention extended to the sub window when sub is enabled."""
+        if self.sub.enabled:
+            return max(self.detections.retain.days, self.sub.detections.days)
+        return self.detections.retain.days
+
     @property
     def event_pre_capture(self) -> int:
         return max(

frigate/config/camera/updater.py

@@ -129,8 +129,13 @@ class CameraConfigUpdateSubscriber:
             config.objects = updated_config
         elif update_type == CameraConfigUpdateEnum.record:
             old_enabled_in_config = config.record.enabled_in_config
+            old_sub_enabled = config.record.sub.enabled
             config.record = updated_config
-            if old_enabled_in_config != updated_config.enabled_in_config:
+            # the record and record_sub ffmpeg outputs are gated on these
+            if (
+                old_enabled_in_config != updated_config.enabled_in_config
+                or old_sub_enabled != updated_config.sub.enabled
+            ):
                 config.recreate_ffmpeg_cmds()
         elif update_type == CameraConfigUpdateEnum.review:
             config.review = updated_config

frigate/config/config.py

@@ -255,6 +255,15 @@ def verify_config_roles(camera_config: CameraConfig) -> None:
             f"Camera {camera_config.name} has record enabled, but record is not assigned to an input."
         )
 
+    if (
+        camera_config.record.enabled
+        and camera_config.record.sub.enabled
+        and "record_sub" not in assigned_roles
+    ):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Camera {camera_config.name} has sub stream recording enabled, but record_sub is not assigned to an input."
+        )
+
     if camera_config.audio.enabled and "audio" not in assigned_roles:
         raise ValueError(
             f"Camera {camera_config.name} has audio events enabled, but audio is not assigned to an input."
@@ -275,13 +284,11 @@ def verify_valid_live_stream_names(
             )
 
 
-def verify_recording_segments_setup_with_reasonable_time(
-    camera_config: CameraConfig,
+def verify_record_output_args_segment_time(
+    camera_config: CameraConfig, output_args: str | list[str], role: str
 ) -> None:
-    """Verify that recording segments are setup and segment time is not greater than 60."""
-    record_args: list[str] = get_ffmpeg_arg_list(
-        camera_config.ffmpeg.output_args.record
-    )
+    """Verify that a recording role's output args segment at a reasonable time."""
+    record_args: list[str] = get_ffmpeg_arg_list(output_args)
 
     if record_args[0].startswith("preset"):
         return
@@ -291,16 +298,32 @@ def verify_recording_segments_setup_with_reasonable_time(
     except ValueError:
         raise ValueError(
             f"Camera {camera_config.name} has no segment_time in \
-                         recording output args, segment args are required for record."
+                         {role} output args, segment args are required for record."
         ) from None
 
     if int(record_args[seg_arg_index + 1]) > 60:
         raise ValueError(
-            f"Camera {camera_config.name} has invalid segment_time output arg, \
+            f"Camera {camera_config.name} has invalid segment_time in {role} output args, \
                          segment_time must be 60 or less."
         )
 
 
+def verify_recording_segments_setup_with_reasonable_time(
+    camera_config: CameraConfig,
+) -> None:
+    """Verify that recording segments are setup and segment time is not greater than 60."""
+    verify_record_output_args_segment_time(
+        camera_config, camera_config.ffmpeg.output_args.record, "recording"
+    )
+
+    if camera_config.record.sub.enabled:
+        verify_record_output_args_segment_time(
+            camera_config,
+            camera_config.ffmpeg.output_args.effective_record_sub,
+            "sub stream recording",
+        )
+
+
 def verify_zone_objects_are_tracked(camera_config: CameraConfig) -> None:
     """Verify that user has not entered zone objects that are not in the tracking config."""
     for zone_name, zone in camera_config.zones.items():