---
title: AVCaptureVideoDataOutput
framework: avfoundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Class
path: avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput
---

# AVCaptureVideoDataOutput

A capture output that records video and provides access to video frames for processing.

## Declaration

```swift
class AVCaptureVideoDataOutput
```

## Mentioned in

Setting up a capture session

## Overview

Overview Use this output to process compressed or uncompressed frames from the captured video. You can access the frames with the captureOutput(_:didOutput:from:) delegate method. This object supports compressed video data output for macOS only. It can output pixel buffers in several pixel formats. Consider the usability and performance characteristics of these formats and choose the best format for your app. important: Avoid defaulting to a BGRA format, because BGRA formats aren’t native and require conversion. Additionally, BGRA formats requires significantly more memory than many of the native formats. For more information, see TN3121: Selecting a pixel format for an AVCaptureVideoDataOutput.

## Topics

### Configuring video capture

- [videoSettings](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/videosettings.md)
- [Video settings](avfoundation/video-settings.md)
- [alwaysDiscardsLateVideoFrames](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/alwaysdiscardslatevideoframes.md)
- [automaticallyConfiguresOutputBufferDimensions](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/automaticallyconfiguresoutputbufferdimensions.md)
- [deliversPreviewSizedOutputBuffers](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/deliverspreviewsizedoutputbuffers.md)
- [preparesCellularRadioForNetworkConnection](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/preparescellularradiofornetworkconnection.md)
- [preservesDynamicHDRMetadata](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/preservesdynamichdrmetadata.md)
- [recommendedMediaTimeScaleForAssetWriter](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/recommendedmediatimescaleforassetwriter.md)
- [recommendedMovieMetadata(forVideoCodecType:assetWriterOutputFileType:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/recommendedmoviemetadata(forvideocodectype:assetwriteroutputfiletype:).md)
- [recommendedVideoSettings(forVideoCodecType:assetWriterOutputFileType:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/recommendedvideosettings(forvideocodectype:assetwriteroutputfiletype:).md)
- [recommendedVideoSettings(forVideoCodecType:assetWriterOutputFileType:outputFileURL:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/recommendedvideosettings(forvideocodectype:assetwriteroutputfiletype:outputfileurl:).md)
- [recommendedVideoSettingsForAssetWriter(writingTo:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/recommendedvideosettingsforassetwriter(writingto:).md)

### Retrieving supported video types

- [availableVideoPixelFormatTypes](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/availablevideopixelformattypes.md)
- [availableVideoCodecTypes](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/availablevideocodectypes.md)
- [availableVideoCodecTypesForAssetWriter(writingTo:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/availablevideocodectypesforassetwriter(writingto:).md)
- [AVVideoCodecType](avfoundation/avvideocodectype.md)

### Receiving captured video data

- [setSampleBufferDelegate(_:queue:)](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/setsamplebufferdelegate(_:queue:).md)
- [sampleBufferDelegate](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/samplebufferdelegate.md)
- [sampleBufferCallbackQueue](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/samplebuffercallbackqueue.md)
- [AVCaptureVideoDataOutputSampleBufferDelegate](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutputsamplebufferdelegate.md)

### Creating video capture output

- [init()](avfoundation/avcapturevideodataoutput/init().md)

## Relationships

### Inherits From

- [AVCaptureOutput](avfoundation/avcaptureoutput.md)

### Conforms To

- [CVarArg](swift/cvararg.md)
- [CustomDebugStringConvertible](swift/customdebugstringconvertible.md)
- [CustomStringConvertible](swift/customstringconvertible.md)
- [Equatable](swift/equatable.md)
- [Hashable](swift/hashable.md)
- [NSObjectProtocol](objectivec/nsobjectprotocol.md)

## See Also

### Stream capture

- [Capturing Spatial Audio in your iOS app](avfoundation/capturing-spatial-audio-in-your-ios-app.md)
- [AVCaptureAudioDataOutput](avfoundation/avcaptureaudiodataoutput.md)
- [AVCaptureSpatialAudioMetadataSampleGenerator](avfoundation/avcapturespatialaudiometadatasamplegenerator.md)