How can I get MATLAB to play a video without delay?

I want MATLAB to display and start a video right away. Timing is important for me. The implay() function brings up a GUI that the video can be started in but how do I get the video to start automatically?

Evan

Answer 1

[Matthew Eicholtz]

Assuming you have the Computer Vision System Toolbox, you can use VideoFileReader and VideoPlayer objects.

doc vision.VideoPlayer

Use the step method to get the next frame from the reader as well as to send the frame to the player.

reader = vision.VideoFileReader('tilted_face.avi');
player = vision.VideoPlayer;

while ~isDone(reader)
  frame = step(reader); %get the next frame in the video
  step(player,frame); %show the frame
end

release(reader);
release(player);

[Walter Roberson]

Note that it will take time to create the reader and player objects. However, you are not required to output any data to the player until you are ready with your other timing. (I have not used the player myself; it might turn out to be advisable to output a frame of zeros first thing until you are ready to actually display frames.)