LlamaCasty/TASKS/task-53-output-formats.md

TASK 53 — Output-format verification: Shorts / TikTok geometry (queued 2026-10-08)

Catalog: TASKS.md — status and requirements live here.

Why: the output formats have never been tested end-to-end. The site claims "vertical 1080p60 (9:16)" and Shorts-style streams, but nobody has verified that the geometry actually comes out correct for Shorts and TikTok — safe zones, caption clearance, and the text-safe inset all still need checking against a real capture.

Goal: prove the vertical/short-form path is geometrically correct, or fix the gaps and then prove it. Make the output formats a tested, locked contract instead of an assumption.

Slices (one integration test each, in order):

1. ✅ What we actually emit (2026-11-04; creator visually reviewed and accepted) — six creator-supplied recordings confirm the emitted configurations. All are H.264 with exact average frame rates and dimensions:

   Mode	File	Output
   Landscape 1080p60	rec1-1080p60.mp4	1920×1080 @60 fps
   Landscape 1080p30	rec2-1080p30.mp4	1920×1080 @30 fps
   Landscape 720p60	rec3-720p60.mp4	1280×720 @60 fps
   Landscape 720p30	rec4-720p30.mp4	1280×720 @30 fps
   Vertical 1080p30	rec5-1080p30-vert.mp4	1080×1920 @30 fps
   Vertical 1080p60	rec6-1080p60-vert.mp4	1080×1920 @60 fps

2. ✅ 9:16 output resolution (resolution-only acceptance, 2026-11-04) — creator-supplied ty-20261104-0927-982-0000-2.mp4 reports H.264 1080×1920 at 60 fps. The creator accepted the resolution check only; captions and visual safe-zone placement were not reviewed.
3. ☐ 9:16 safe-zone geometry — confirm the composite is laid out for a phone: viewer-safe top strip (TikTok/Shorts overlays live top-left and bottom), caption/text clearance, and webcam placement. Test a known layout and assert element placement against the contract.
4. ☐ Live-shorts check on a real stream — private Test Stream at 9:16, then pull the thumbnail/ player quirk list from YouTube (Title visible, overlays); confirm nothing the streamer put on screen sits under YouTube's own chrome. This is the "never tested" item the creator flagged — test on a real vertical test stream and cite the observation.
5. ☐ Recorded .mp4 matches output — the saved vertical .mp4 must carry the same 9:16 frame the stream showed, not a squeezed/wider master. Test: record vertical, decode first frames, assert.

Design decisions:

• Geometry is a contract with tests, not a hope. Derived ratios (stream vs composite vs canvas) get a derived-value test so one change can't silently wreck Shorts/TikTok output.
• Keep widescreen untouched — only add what vertical needs (the existing test suite stays green for 16:9).