Filter the word “frame” indicates either a video frame or a group of audio as stored in an AVFrame structure Format for each input and each output the list of supported formats For video that means pixel format For audio that means channel sample they are references to shared objects When the negotiation mechanism computes the intersection of the formats supported at each end of a all references to both lists are replaced with a reference to the intersection And when a single format is eventually chosen for a link amongst the remaining list