VideoTools Roadmap

This roadmap is intentionally lightweight. It captures the next few high-priority goals without locking the project into a rigid plan.

How We Use This

The roadmap is a short list, not a full backlog.
Items can move between buckets as priorities change.
We update this at the start of each dev cycle.

Current State

dev21 focused on stylistic filters and enhancement module planning.
Filters module now includes decade-based authentic effects (8mm, 16mm, B&W Film, Silent Film, VHS, Webcam).
Player stability identified as critical blocker for enhancement development.
dev23 delivered UI cleanup (dropdown styling, settings panel polish, about/support layout).

Now (dev24 focus)

Rock-solid video player implementation - CRITICAL PRIORITY
- Fix fundamental A/V synchronization issues
- Implement frame-accurate seeking without restarts
- Add hardware acceleration (CUDA/VA-API/VideoToolbox)
- Integrate chapter detection from Author module
- Build foundation for frame extraction and keyframing
- Eliminate seeking glitches and desync issues
Enhancement module foundation - DEPENDS ON PLAYER
- Unified Filters + Upscale workflow
- Content-type aware processing (general/anime/film)
- AI model management system (extensible for future models)
- Multi-pass processing pipeline
- Before/after preview system
- Real-time enhancement feedback

Next (dev25+)

Enhancement module completion - DEPENDS ON PLAYER
- Open-source AI model integration (BasicVSR, RIFE, RealCUGan)
- Model registry system for easy addition of new models
- Content-aware model selection
- Advanced restoration (SVFR, SeedVR2, diffusion-based)
- Quality-aware enhancement strategies
Trim module with timeline interface - DEPENDS ON PLAYER
- Frame-accurate trimming and cutting
- Manual chapter support with keyframing
- Visual timeline with chapter markers
- Preview-based trimming with exact frame selection
- Import chapter detection from Author module
Professional workflow integration
- Seamless module communication (Player ↔ Enhancement ↔ Trim)
- Batch enhancement processing through queue
- Cross-platform frame extraction
- Hardware-accelerated enhancement pipeline

Later

Advanced AI features
- AI-powered scene detection
- Intelligent upscaling model selection
- Temporal consistency algorithms
- Custom model training framework
- Cloud processing options
Module expansion
- Audio enhancement and restoration
- Subtitle processing and burning
- Multi-track management
- Advanced metadata editing

Versioning Note

We keep continuous dev numbering. After v0.1.1 release, the next dev tag becomes v0.1.1-dev22 (or whatever the next number is).

Technical Debt and Architecture

Player Module Critical Issues Identified

The current video player has fundamental architectural problems preventing stable playback:

Separate A/V Processes - No synchronization, guaranteed drift
Command-Line Interface Limitations - VLC/MPV controllers use basic CLI, not proper IPC
Frame-Accurate Seeking - Seeking restarts processes with full re-decoding
No Frame Extraction - Critical for enhancement and chapter functionality
Poor Buffer Management - Small audio buffers cause stuttering
No Hardware Acceleration - Software decoding causes high CPU usage

Proposed Go-Based Solution

Unified FFmpeg Player Architecture:

Single FFmpeg process with multiplexed A/V output
Proper PTS-based synchronization with drift correction
Frame buffer pooling and memory management
Hardware acceleration through FFmpeg's native support
Frame extraction via pipe without restarts

Key Implementation Strategies:

Ring buffers for audio/video to eliminate stuttering
Master clock reference for A/V sync
Adaptive frame timing with drift correction
Zero-copy frame operations where possible
Hardware backend detection and utilization

This player enhancement is the foundation requirement for all advanced features including enhancement module and all other features that depend on reliable video playback.

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