iPhone: Will jailbreak of iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1, allow recording of 60 FPS video?

[jjw141]

Hi,

With rumors of an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.1 coming on Sunday, I may take the leap and jailbreak my iPhone 4S for the first time. I want to be able to shoot video at 720p and 60fps. Under iOS 5, I had an app called SloPro that allowed me to do this, but the upgrade to iOS 6 broke this function.

I'm a newbie to jailbreaking. If I jailbreak my 4S, is there an app or tweak that will enable my camera to shoot video at 60fps?

I've searched the forums and the web for this, but could not find the answer. Apologies if I've missed something obvious. Any helpful answers are appreciated.

jjw

iPhone 4S, 16GB, iOS 6.1

[jwm2]

If you can find an app that allows for it, it might be possible. We won't know until someone tries it.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

Hi,

With rumors of an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.1 coming on Sunday, I may take the leap and jailbreak my iPhone 4S for the first time. I want to be able to shoot video at 720p and 60fps. Under iOS 5, I had an app called SloPro that allowed me to do this, but the upgrade to iOS 6 broke this function.

I'm a newbie to jailbreaking. If I jailbreak my 4S, is there an app or tweak that will enable my camera to shoot video at 60fps?

I've searched the forums and the web for this, but could not find the answer. Apologies if I've missed something obvious. Any helpful answers are appreciated.

jjw

iPhone 4S, 16GB, iOS 6.1

I'll be hacking all 60 fps-capable iPhone / iPad models (4S, 5, iPad 3+) as soon as the JB is out. (I'm the developer of several previous video enhancers see e.g. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1178171 )

Nevertheless, if 60 fps will at all work (it's still unknown), I'd still recommend against it. Anything over 30 fps results in halved(!) vertical resolution. It's better to get a real camera not suffering from this major problem.

[Dwalls90]

Interesting idea. Wouldn't this potentially be a hardware limitation?

[braddick]

Chite Fing "Better Camcorder" might be the app you're looking for.
Works for me.

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

I'll be hacking all 60 fps-capable iPhone / iPad models (4S, 5, iPad 3+) as soon as the JB is out. (I'm the developer of several previous video enhancers see e.g. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1178171 )

Nevertheless, if 60 fps will at all work (it's still unknown), I'd still recommend against it. Anything over 30 fps results in halved(!) vertical resolution. It's better to get a real camera not suffering from this major problem.

Thanks very much, Menneisyys2,

I'll check out your post on the video enhancers you've developed. As for the 60 fps, it previously worked very well for my 4S with the SloPro app under iOS 5. If I transferred the raw video to my Mac, the file info listed the frame rate as 60 fps. SloPro now states that this feature of their app will not work under iOS 6, only iOS 5.

When you say the vertical resolution is halved, are you referring to the fact that I would have to record at 720p, rather than 1080p? That's OK with me. The slow-mo effect is worth the loss of resolution. SloPro recorded 60 fps at 720p. I do agree that "real" camera would solve the problem, but "the best camera is the one that's always with me", and that's my iPhone.

jjw

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Originally Posted by Dwalls90

Interesting idea. Wouldn't this potentially be a hardware limitation?

Yes, it is, and you do take a hit in terms of the resolution (720p instead of 1080p), but it used to work like a charm when I was running iOS 5.

Apple must have done something to cripple it in iOS 6. If Apple had a reason for doing this, I'm fine with that. I just wish they would have explained why they did it.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by braddick

Chite Fing "Better Camcorder" might be the app you're looking for.
Works for me.

No it doesn't work under iOS6. It's only under pre-iOS6 that it delivers >30 fps video.

BTW, I don't recommend it even for iOS 5.x users. Use SloPro instead - it consistently delivers 60 fps on the 4S, unlike Better Camcorder, which tops at around 35 fps.

(More info on all these questions: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1489146 )

----------

Originally Posted by jjw141

Apple must have done something to cripple it in iOS 6. If Apple had a reason for doing this, I'm fine with that. I just wish they would have explained why they did it.

Dunno why they crippled it. Probably because the 5S will support 60 fps and they needed to cripple older but 60 fps-capable models (4s/5) not to shoot at 60 fps? Well, Apple is pretty much known for intentionally crippling their old models:

- removing antialiasing of the iPhone 2x mode from iPad 1/2 in iOS 5 and lying antialiasing in the previous versions were a "bug"

- making even two-year-old hardware like the 2nd gen iPod touch (sold, as a recent device, up to Sept/2010) unable to run any new app after Sep/2012 by forcing the deployment target to be 4.3 as a minimum

- making the iPhone 3G deliberately slow on 4.x. (It was all deliberate. They haven't done the same to the 2nd gen iPod touch, which has almost the same hardware. This is why the latter is orders of magnitude faster than the 3G, both running on 4.2.1 - unlike in the pre-iOS4 times.)

etc.

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Originally Posted by jjw141

When you say the vertical resolution is halved, are you referring to the fact that I would have to record at 720p, rather than 1080p? That's OK with me. The slow-mo effect is worth the loss of resolution.

720p is further halved - that is, the effective (vertical) resolution is 360 line pairs. Let me copy the relevant part of my dedicated article, which shows all this:

Recording video at more than 30 frames per second (fps)

Unfortunately, while it is possible to record more than 30 fps, the vertical resolution will always be halved (and, if you use the binned mode, also the horizontal), independent of the actual resolution used. This is the case with both directly editing /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ MediaToolbox.framework/N94/ AVCaptureSession.plist and using the third-party apps(currently) capable of recording at more than 30 fps: Better Camcorder and SloPro.

It seems the system automatically switches to line doubling mode when any application attempts to record at any higher framerate than 30 fps. Yes, even recording at 31 fps will trigger this nasty behaviour.

This means you really don't want to record at high frame rates unless you really don't mind the reduced resolution.

Two examples at vastly different resolutions of the effects of the halved resolution (I've annotated the Nyquist threshold with a red line. An ideal camera should render an image very close to these thresholds in which the number of both the horizontal and vertical lines can still be counted. If they can't or are presented as fewer lines, aliasing already occurs where it shouldn't do.):





(800*450; both recorded by Better Camcorder. The first used the Maximum frame rate setting; the video was recorded at 37 fps. The second, as you may already have guessed, used plain, default 30p – hence the definitely superior vertical resolution (the horizontal one is exactly the same). Click the crops for the full, original chart framegrab!)





720p. The difference in the vertical resolution is staggering. (I don't think I need to tell you which one is a framegrab of a >30 fps video.)

BTW, here's also a 720p60 framegrab of the binned mode (only) recommended for low-light shooting. As you can see, as has been already mentioned, here, the horizontal resolution is also halved, not only the vertical one (the latter because of the greater-than-30 fps mode. BTW, the horizontal Nyguist annotation is at the wrong place: just as on other 720p framegrabs, it should be at around 7.2, not at 9.2. Sorry, I don't have the time to fix the shot.):

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by braddick

Chite Fing "Better Camcorder" might be the app you're looking for.
Works for me.

Thanks for the suggestion, Braddick.

Unfortunately, after reading Menneisyys2's excellent review of "framerate booster" apps, including Better Camcorder, it doesn't sound like this app will record at over 30 fps under iOS 6. Everything I have read suggests it is a problem with the OS, not the apps. http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=16292547

That's the real reason I'm interested in the jailbreak. If it is possible to "restore" the 60 fps function, I'm willing to try to jailbreak my phone.

jjw

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

Unfortunately, after reading Menneisyys2's excellent review of "framerate booster" apps, including Better Camcorder, it doesn't sound like this app will record at over 30 fps under iOS 6.

Currently, no AppStore app does this. This is why, for example, FiLMiC Pro 2 was removed from the AppStore.

----------

Originally Posted by jjw141

That's the real reason I'm interested in the jailbreak. If it is possible to "restore" the 60 fps function, I'm willing to try to jailbreak my phone.

As soon as the JB is out, I'll start hacking and let you all know whether it's possible.

[Applejuiced]

I heard with the next JB there will be a hack that adds a front facing camera on the 3GS

[TriJetHero]

Originally Posted by applejuiced

i heard with the next jb there will be a hack that adds a front facing camera on the 3gs

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

No it doesn't work under iOS6. It's only under pre-iOS6 that it delivers >30 fps video.

BTW, I don't recommend it even for iOS 5.x users. Use SloPro instead - it consistently delivers 60 fps on the 4S, unlike Better Camcorder, which tops at around 35 fps.

(More info on all these questions: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1489146 )

----------



Dunno why they crippled it. Probably because the 5S will support 60 fps and they needed to cripple older but 60 fps-capable models (4s/5) not to shoot at 60 fps? Well, Apple is pretty much known for intentionally crippling their old models:

- removing antialiasing of the iPhone 2x mode from iPad 1/2 in iOS 5 and lying antialiasing in the previous versions were a "bug"

- making even two-year-old hardware like the 2nd gen iPod touch (sold, as a recent device, up to Sept/2010) unable to run any new app after Sep/2012 by forcing the deployment target to be 4.3 as a minimum

- making the iPhone 3G deliberately slow on 4.x. (It was all deliberate. They haven't done the same to the 2nd gen iPod touch, which has almost the same hardware. This is why the latter is orders of magnitude faster than the 3G, both running on 4.2.1 - unlike in the pre-iOS4 times.)

etc.

----------



720p is further halved - that is, the effective (vertical) resolution is 360 line pairs. Let me copy the relevant part of my dedicated article, which shows all this:

Recording video at more than 30 frames per second (fps)

Unfortunately, while it is possible to record more than 30 fps, the vertical resolution will always be halved (and, if you use the binned mode, also the horizontal), independent of the actual resolution used. This is the case with both directly editing /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ MediaToolbox.framework/N94/ AVCaptureSession.plist and using the third-party apps(currently) capable of recording at more than 30 fps: Better Camcorder and SloPro.

It seems the system automatically switches to line doubling mode when any application attempts to record at any higher framerate than 30 fps. Yes, even recording at 31 fps will trigger this nasty behaviour.

This means you really don't want to record at high frame rates unless you really don't mind the reduced resolution.

Two examples at vastly different resolutions of the effects of the halved resolution (I've annotated the Nyquist threshold with a red line. An ideal camera should render an image very close to these thresholds in which the number of both the horizontal and vertical lines can still be counted. If they can't or are presented as fewer lines, aliasing already occurs where it shouldn't do.):

[clipped images and text]

Wow! You've obviously spent some time analyzing this, Menneisyys2, and your knowledge is much deeper than the superficial level I've picked up reading a few blog posts. I appreciate the detailed explanation, including the hypothesis about Apple's reasons for crippling their products

For me, the 60 fps was really just a fun hobby. I'm not concerned too much with the loss of resolution right now, but I can see that in the future, I may not be willing to lose the quality. I suppose at that point, I would consider carrying two cameras (my phone and a more serious camera).

I'll still consider the jailbreak, as there seem to be many other advantages. If I find the 60 fps does work after the jailbreak, I will post here to let folks know.

Again, your response is much appreciated.

jjw

[Menneisyys2]

BTW, I've retested both Better Camcorder and SloPro (the latest versions) under the final version of 6.1 too (without JB, of course). No >30 fps recordings.

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

Currently, no AppStore app does this. This is why, for example, FiLMiC Pro 2 was removed from the AppStore.

----------



As soon as the JB is out, I'll start hacking and let you all know whether it's possible.

I'll look forward to seeing your post in the future.
Thanks!
jjw

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

I'll still consider the jailbreak, as there seem to be many other advantages.

I'd say JB'ing is a MUST. The jailbroken world is a completely new one with goodies like using external storage cards (for the time being, on iPads only) as true storage even from AppStore apps; hardware decoding-assisted video playback; in-app Camera tweaks; f.lux etc.

I couldn't live without jailbreaking. Actually, being able to JB is the only thing that still makes me purchase iDevices for private use (apart from my teaching iOS programming). I'd be gone the Android way with the release of the Nexus 10 because Android has a so much more open programming API. And it's possible to upgrade even the oldest Android HW to the latest Android versions with unofficial but still excellently working cooked ROM's. And the Android manufacturers don't dumb down / cripple their previous-generation hardware intentionally, unlike Apple (apart from not releasing OS upgrades at all, of course - but that's what XDA-Dev cooked ROM's are for)...

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

I'd say JB'ing is a MUST. The jailbroken world is a completely new one with goodies like using external storage cards (for the time being, on iPads only) as true storage even from AppStore apps; hardware decoding-assisted video playback; in-app Camera tweaks; f.lux etc.

I couldn't live without jailbreaking. Actually, being able to JB is the only thing that still makes me purchase iDevices for private use (apart from my teaching iOS programming). I'd be gone the Android way with the release of the Nexus 10 because Android has a so much more open programming API. And it's possible to upgrade even the oldest Android HW to the latest Android versions with unofficial but still excellently working cooked ROM's. And the Android manufacturers don't dumb down / cripple their previous-generation hardware intentionally, unlike Apple (apart from not releasing OS upgrades at all, of course - but that's what XDA-Dev cooked ROM's are for)...

Now I'm really looking forward to Sunday

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

Now I'm really looking forward to Sunday

So far no success. Apple has (again) changed how /System/Library/ looks. There's absolutely no sign of /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MediaToolbox.framework/ at all. Neither is there AVCaptureSession.plist anywhere under /System/Library/, it seems. All this on my iOS 6.1 iPhone 5.

I'll continue investigating.

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

So far no success. Apple has (again) changed how /System/Library/ looks. There's absolutely no sign of /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MediaToolbox.framework/ at all. Neither is there AVCaptureSession.plist anywhere under /System/Library/, it seems. All this on my iOS 6.1 iPhone 5.

I'll continue investigating.

I should have checked here first for your post. I, too tried to edit AVCaptureSession.plist as described in this thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1243511

I managed to find the MediaToolbox.framework directory only through a search with my FTP client. It is not in the location described in the thread. Fortunately, I backed up the original .plist file before editing After making the suggested changes, my camera would only shut down each time I tried to open it. Replacing the edited file with the original backup fixed that.

I also tried CameraTweak 0.31, but no joy there either. A setting of 60 FPS resulted in a 30 FPS video file, at least according to the Quicktime file inspector on my Mac.

I'll post here if I find anything new. Thanks.
jjw
iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1
Evasi0n 1.0

P.S. The file I edited is located here:
/System/Library/Frameworks/MediaToolbox.framework/N94/AVCaptureSession.plist

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

P.S. The file I edited is located here:
/System/Library/Frameworks/MediaToolbox.framework/N94/AVCaptureSession.plist

Thanks! iExplorer (the desktop tool with which I examined and copied the entire file system) didn't list anything under /System/Library/Frameworks/ - this is why I've thought it's completely empty. I've also found the file (now, strictly on the iPhone (5), with iFile) and will start hacking.

BTW, did you find my 60 fps test video I've generated programmatically, with which it's very easy to see whether the recorded footage is indeed, truly 60 fps (and doesn't drop any frame)?

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

Thanks! iExplorer (the desktop tool with which I examined and copied the entire file system) didn't list anything under /System/Library/Frameworks/ - this is why I've thought it's completely empty. I've also found the file (now, strictly on the iPhone (5), with iFile) and will start hacking.

BTW, did you find my 60 fps test video I've generated programmatically, with which it's very easy to see whether the recorded footage is indeed, truly 60 fps (and doesn't drop any frame)?

No success so far.

I've tried doing the following, one-by-one:

- changed MinFrameRate 24 to 60

- added TemporalNoiseReductionMode with 0

- changed Binned from YES to NO

- changed isExperimental from YES to NO

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

Thanks! iExplorer (the desktop tool with which I examined and copied the entire file system) didn't list anything under /System/Library/Frameworks/ - this is why I've thought it's completely empty. I've also found the file (now, strictly on the iPhone (5), with iFile) and will start hacking.

BTW, did you find my 60 fps test video I've generated programmatically, with which it's very easy to see whether the recorded footage is indeed, truly 60 fps (and doesn't drop any frame)?

Glad I could give back a little help after all the good advice I've received from posters on this forum

I could only find YouTube videos on your blog post, not the original video files. I'm probably looking in the wrong place...

I do have some 60 FPS footage of my own that I took with the SloPro app before I upgraded to iOS 6. Here is a comparison of my most recent video stats versus the SloPro app footage from last year (both taken on the same phone):

SloPro app, iPhone 4S, iOS 5, No Jailbreak, July 3, 2012
Format: H.264, 1,280 x 720, AAC, 44100 Hz, Mono
FPS: 59.01
Data Rate: 10.72 Mbit/s
File Size: 25.4 MB (18 seconds)

CameraTweak 0.31 (Cydia), iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1, Evasi0n 1.0, Feb. 5, 2013
Format: H.264, 1,920 x 1,080, AAC, 44100 Hz, Mono
FPS: 29.97
Data Rate: 21.72 Mbit/s
File Size: 22 MB (8 seconds)

Hope this helps,
jjw

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

Glad I could give back a little help after all the good advice I've received from posters on this forum

I could only find YouTube videos on your blog post, not the original video files. I'm probably looking in the wrong place...

I meant this counter - I do all my true frame rate tests with it:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81986513/08...-optimized.mp4

(more info on how it's been created HERE)

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

I meant this counter - I do all my true frame rate tests with it:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81986513/08...-optimized.mp4

(more info on how it's been created HERE)

BTW, on the iPhone 5, it's possible to use teh entire sensor area for dramatically improved low-light performance AND FoV: see http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=16794422 for more info.

[jjw141]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

BTW, on the iPhone 5, it's possible to use teh entire sensor area for dramatically improved low-light performance AND FoV: see http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=16794422 for more info.

I sent an email to the developer of CameraTweak, and got a response pretty much immediately. I appreciated the quick turnaround, but the message doesn't make much sense to me:

"Hi, The development of the tweak was done on an iPhone 4 on which the fps at 60 just works, for some reason(I guess a change of hardware) the 4s camera doesn't support 60fps. Therefore you'd only be able to get up to 30fps. It's a technicality that can't be fixed on a software level".

Two problems with this: (1) Why would it work on an iPhone 4, but not a 4S? (2) 60 FPS worked on my 4S before I upgraded to iOS 6, so it is possible.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by jjw141

I sent an email to the developer of CameraTweak, and got a response pretty much immediately. I appreciated the quick turnaround, but the message doesn't make much sense to me:

"Hi, The development of the tweak was done on an iPhone 4 on which the fps at 60 just works, for some reason(I guess a change of hardware) the 4s camera doesn't support 60fps. Therefore you'd only be able to get up to 30fps. It's a technicality that can't be fixed on a software level".

Two problems with this: (1) Why would it work on an iPhone 4, but not a 4S? (2) 60 FPS worked on my 4S before I upgraded to iOS 6, so it is possible.

Yup, he must be wrong - the 4S indeed does support true 60 fps under 5.x.