reading samples with AVAssetReader and timeRange in real time

Question

Previously I read audio samples from a complete audio file using CMSampleBufferGetAudioBufferListWithRetainedBlockBuffer. Right now I would like to do the same using ranges (ie i specify the range in time.. read a small chunk of audio as per the time, and then go back and read again). The reason why I want to use time range is b/c I want to control the size of each read (to fit in a packet with a max size).

for some reason, there is always a bump between each read. In my code you'll notice that I start the AVAssetReader and end it every time I set a time range, and that's b/c I cannot dynamically adjust the time range after the reader has started (see here for more details).

Could it be that starting and ending a reader is just too expensive to produce a continuous real time experience? Or are there other ways of doing this that I'm not aware of?

Also note that this jitter or lag happens at whatever point I set the time interval to be.. which makes me believe that starting and ending a reader the way I am is too expensive for real time audio playback.

- (void) setupReader 
{
    NSURL *assetURL = [NSURL URLWithString:@"ipod-library://item/item.m4a?id=1053020204400037178"];   
    songAsset = [AVURLAsset URLAssetWithURL:assetURL options:nil];

    track = [songAsset.tracks objectAtIndex:0];     
    nativeTrackASBD = [self getTrackNativeSettings:track];

    // set CM time parameters
    assetCMTime = songAsset.duration;
    CMTimeReadDurationInSeconds = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(1, assetCMTime.timescale);
    currentCMTime = CMTimeMake(0,assetCMTime.timescale); 
}

-(void)readVBRPackets
{
    // make sure assetCMTime is greater than currentCMTime
    while (CMTimeCompare(assetCMTime,currentCMTime) == 1 )
    {
        NSError * error = nil;
        reader = [[AVAssetReader alloc] initWithAsset:songAsset error:&error];
        readerOutput = [AVAssetReaderTrackOutput assetReaderTrackOutputWithTrack:track
                                                                  outputSettings:nil];

        [reader addOutput:readerOutput];
        reader.timeRange = CMTimeRangeMake(currentCMTime, CMTimeReadDurationInSeconds);

        [reader startReading];

        while ((sample = [readerOutput copyNextSampleBuffer])) {
            CMItemCount numSamples = CMSampleBufferGetNumSamples(sample);
            if (numSamples == 0) {
                continue;
            }

            NSLog(@"reading sample");               

            CMBlockBufferRef CMBuffer = CMSampleBufferGetDataBuffer( sample );                                                         
            AudioBufferList audioBufferList;  

            OSStatus err = CMSampleBufferGetAudioBufferListWithRetainedBlockBuffer(
                                                                               sample,
                                                                               NULL,
                                                                               &audioBufferList,
                                                                               sizeof(audioBufferList),
                                                                               NULL,
                                                                               NULL,
                                                                               kCMSampleBufferFlag_AudioBufferList_Assure16ByteAlignment,
                                                                               &CMBuffer
                                                                                   );



            const AudioStreamPacketDescription   * inPacketDescriptions;
            size_t                               packetDescriptionsSizeOut;
            size_t inNumberPackets;

            CheckError(CMSampleBufferGetAudioStreamPacketDescriptionsPtr(sample, 
                                                                         &inPacketDescriptions,
                                                                         &packetDescriptionsSizeOut),
                       "could not read sample packet descriptions");

            inNumberPackets = packetDescriptionsSizeOut/sizeof(AudioStreamPacketDescription);

            AudioBuffer audioBuffer = audioBufferList.mBuffers[0];


            for (int i = 0; i < inNumberPackets; ++i)
            {

                SInt64 dataOffset = inPacketDescriptions[i].mStartOffset;
                UInt32 packetSize   = inPacketDescriptions[i].mDataByteSize;            

                size_t packetSpaceRemaining;
                packetSpaceRemaining = bufferByteSize - bytesFilled;

                // if the space remaining in the buffer is not 
                // enough for the data contained in this packet
                // then just write it
                if (packetSpaceRemaining < packetSize)
                {
                    [self enqueueBuffer];           
                }

                // copy data to the audio queue buffer
                AudioQueueBufferRef fillBuf = audioQueueBuffers[fillBufferIndex];
                memcpy((char*)fillBuf->mAudioData + bytesFilled, 
                       (const char*)(audioBuffer.mData + dataOffset), packetSize);                                                                

                // fill out packet description
                packetDescs[packetsFilled] = inPacketDescriptions[i];
                packetDescs[packetsFilled].mStartOffset = bytesFilled;

                bytesFilled += packetSize;
                packetsFilled += 1;

                // if this is the last packet, then ship it
                size_t packetsDescsRemaining = kAQMaxPacketDescs - packetsFilled;
                if (packetsDescsRemaining == 0) {          
                    [self enqueueBuffer];              
                }                  
            }

            CFRelease(CMBuffer);
            CMSampleBufferInvalidate(sample);
            CFRelease(sample);
        }

        [reader cancelReading];
        reader = NULL;
        readerOutput = NULL;

        currentCMTime = CMTimeAdd(currentCMTime, CMTimeReadDurationInSeconds);
    }


}

Answer 1

I know what happens :-D It took me near a whole day to figure it out.

In fact AVAssetReader fades the first 1024 samples (maybe a little more) in. That's why you hear the jitter effect.

I fixed it by reading 1024 samples before the position I really want to read, then skip that 1024 samples.

I hope it'll work for you also.