If I use Flash Media Live Encoder to send a stream to an RTMP server, and then, on that server, run the below command, I can create thumbnails from the stream. But when I try to do the same when I stream the file to the server using ffmpeg, I get errors, and no thumbnails are created Server command and output: $ /usr/bin/ffmpeg -report -i "rtmp://localhost:1935/osc-live-packager/cumin?offsetFromLive=10,userID=testUser1/mp4:rebroadcast_testUser1" -y -r 29.97 -threads 4 -c:v copy -c:a copy /mnt_ephemeral1/media/cumin/cumin_1000.mp4 -filter:v "scale=w=178:h=100" -f image2 -vf "fps=fps=1/5" "/mnt_ephemeral1/media/cumin/cumin/thumbs/thumb_%04d.png" ffmpeg started on 2016-04-25 at 18:28:39 Report written to "/var/log/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-20160425-182839.log" ffmpeg version 2.7.2-static http://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/ Copyright (c) 2000-2015 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 4.9.3 (Debian 4.9.3-1) configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-shared --disable-debug --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libwebp --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libfreetype --enable-fontconfig --enable-libxvid --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libtheora --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-gray --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libass --enable-gnutls --enable-libvidstab --enable-libsoxr --cc=gcc-4.9 libavutil 54. 27.100 / 54. 27.100 libavcodec 56. 41.100 / 56. 41.100 libavformat 56. 36.100 / 56. 36.100 libavdevice 56. 4.100 / 56. 4.100 libavfilter 5. 16.101 / 5. 16.101 libswscale 3. 1.101 / 3. 1.101 libswresample 1. 2.100 / 1. 2.100 libpostproc 53. 3.100 / 53. 3.100 [NULL @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 110664 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 2338 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 2645 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 2600 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 8421 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 2895 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 1759 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 776 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] missing picture in access unit with size 13391 [h264 @ 0x31b65e0] no frame! -truncated a bunch more similar messages- [flv @ 0x31b3c00] decoding for stream 0 failed [flv @ 0x31b3c00] Could not find codec parameters for stream 0 (Video: h264, none): unspecified size Consider increasing the value for the 'analyzeduration' and 'probesize' options Input #0, flv, from 'rtmp://localhost:1935/osc-live-packager/cumin?offsetFromLive=10,userID=testUser1/mp4:rebroadcast_testUser1': Metadata: moovPosition : 36 avcprofile : 100 avclevel : 31 videoframerate : 25 audiochannels : 2 timescale : 1000 length : 839 sampletype : .mp3 Duration: 00:00:00.84, start: 0.040000, bitrate: N/A Stream #0:0: Video: h264, none, 25 tbr, 1k tbn, 2k tbc Stream #0:1: Subtitle: text Stream #0:2: Audio: mp3, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16p, 128 kb/s Output #1, image2, to '/mnt_ephemeral1/media/cumin/cumin/thumbs/thumb_%04d.png': Metadata: moovPosition : 36 avcprofile : 100 avclevel : 31 videoframerate : 25 audiochannels : 2 timescale : 1000 length : 839 sampletype : .mp3 Output file #1 does not contain any stream Received signal 2: terminating. --- Here's how I start the stream from my local machine: --- ffmpeg -re -i testVideo.mp4 -ar 44100 -c:v libx264 -f flv rtmp://xxxxxxxx:1935/xxxxx/xxxxx/xxxxx_1000.mp4 ffmpeg version 2.8.4 Copyright (c) 2000-2015 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 5.2.0 (GCC) configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libdcadec --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-decklink --enable-zlib libavutil 54. 31.100 / 54. 31.100 libavcodec 56. 60.100 / 56. 60.100 libavformat 56. 40.101 / 56. 40.101 libavdevice 56. 4.100 / 56. 4.100 libavfilter 5. 40.101 / 5. 40.101 libswscale 3. 1.101 / 3. 1.101 libswresample 1. 2.101 / 1. 2.101 libpostproc 53. 3.100 / 53. 3.100 Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'testVideo.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : isom minor_version : 512 compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41 creation_time : 1970-01-01 00:00:00 encoder : Lavf53.24.2 Duration: 00:01:02.32, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1347 kb/s Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 959 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 12800 tbn, 50 tbc (default) Metadata: creation_time : 1970-01-01 00:00:00 handler_name : VideoHandler Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, 5.1, fltp, 383 kb/s (default) Metadata: creation_time : 1970-01-01 00:00:00 handler_name : SoundHandler [libx264 @ 03052340] using SAR=1/1 [libx264 @ 03052340] using cpu capabilities: MMX2 SSE2Fast SSSE3 SSE4.2 AVX FMA3 AVX2 LZCNT BMI2 [libx264 @ 03052340] profile High, level 3.1 [libx264 @ 03052340] 264 - core 148 r2638 7599210 - H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec - Copyleft 2003-2015 - http://www.videolan.org/x264.html - options: cabac=1 ref=3 deblock=1:0:0 analyse=0x3:0x113 me=hex subme=7 psy=1 psy_rd=1.00:0.00 mixed_ref=1 me_range=16 chroma_me=1 trellis=1 8x8dct=1 cqm=0 deadzone=21,11 fast_pskip=1 chroma_qp_offset=-2 threads=12 lookahead_threads=2 sliced_threads=0 nr=0 decimate=1 interlaced=0 bluray_compat=0 constrained_intra=0 bframes=3 b_pyramid=2 b_adapt=1 b_bias=0 direct=1 weightb=1 open_gop=0 weightp=2 keyint=250 keyint_min=25 scenecut=40 intra_refresh=0 rc_lookahead=40 rc=crf mbtree=1 crf=23.0 qcomp=0.60 qpmin=0 qpmax=69 qpstep=4 ip_ratio=1.40 aq=1:1.00 Output #0, flv, to 'rtmp://xxxxxx:1935/xxxx/xxxxx/xxxxx_1000.mp4': Metadata: major_brand : isom minor_version : 512 compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41 encoder : Lavf56.40.101 Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (libx264) ([7][0][0][0] / 0x0007), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=-1--1, 25 fps, 1k tbn, 25 tbc (default) Metadata: creation_time : 1970-01-01 00:00:00 handler_name : VideoHandler encoder : Lavc56.60.100 libx264 Stream #0:1(und): Audio: mp3 (libmp3lame) ([2][0][0][0] / 0x0002), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp (default) Metadata: creation_time : 1970-01-01 00:00:00 handler_name : SoundHandler encoder : Lavc56.60.100 libmp3lame Stream mapping: Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 (native) -> h264 (libx264)) Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (aac (native) -> mp3 (libmp3lame)) Press [q] to stop, [?] for help frame= 1336 fps= 25 q=28.0 size= 7310kB time=00:00:53.63 bitrate=1116.6kbits/s