Prepare media for the model and API you will actually use: check supported formats and upload limits, make images clear and correctly oriented, and choose video clips and frame sampling to match the event you need analyzed. The details below use Google’s Gemini documentation as a concrete example; formats, token accounting, and processing options are not universal across providers.
Start with the target model’s requirements
Before converting or uploading anything, identify the provider, API, and model version. Check its accepted media formats, file-size and duration limits, supported input routes, and available video-processing modes. These details can vary by model and change over time, so confirm them in the current official documentation.
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For Gemini, Google lists these image MIME types: PNG (image/png), JPEG (image/jpeg), WEBP (image/webp), HEIC (image/heic), and HEIF (image/heif). Images can be provided by URL, inline data, or file upload; Google recommends the Files API for larger images or files that will be reused. See Gemini image understanding.
Gemini’s documented video MIME types are video/mp4, video/mpeg, video/mov, video/avi, video/x-flv, video/mpg, video/webm, video/wmv, and video/3gpp. Its video guide distinguishes inline data for smaller, short, one-off inputs from the Files API or Cloud Storage registration for larger or reusable videos. Consult the Gemini video understanding guide for the limits that apply to your selected API and model.
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How should you prepare image data?
Check orientation and clarity
Confirm that the image is upright and not blurry before sending it. If the task depends on small text, a fine visual feature, or a particular region, preserve enough resolution for that detail to remain legible. Google’s image guidance notes that higher media_resolution can help with fine text and small details, but also increases token use and latency.
Balance detail against processing cost
Google’s Gemini image guide gives a specific token calculation: an image with both dimensions at or below 384 pixels uses 258 tokens. Larger images are divided into 768-by-768-pixel tiles, each costing 258 tokens under the documented calculation. These figures are Gemini-specific; exact accounting can depend on the model and settings. The consulted documentation does not state a publication year. Check the current guide before estimating a live workload.
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Put the prompt and image in the documented order
For Gemini, the image guide recommends placing the text prompt before a single image in the input array. Follow the target API’s instructions rather than assuming another provider uses the same ordering.
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Choose sampling for the event
In Gemini’s static video processing, frames are extracted at 1 frame per second by default. Google warns that this can miss fast action or quick scene changes. That rate can suit a general overview, but it is a poor fit when the answer depends on a brief gesture, impact, transition, or other fleeting event.
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For static processing, Gemini documents custom frame-rate sampling and clip start and end offsets. Narrow the clip to the interval that matters, then use a supported sampling rate appropriate to the event. If the model interface supports it, supplying selected frames directly is another option. Neither a higher rate nor selected frames guarantee correct interpretation; verify the result against the original video.
Check whether dynamic navigation is available
Google also documents agentic video processing for specified Gemini model versions. In that mode, the model can navigate the timeline and selectively inspect transcript, frames, or audio. Availability is model-version-specific, so verify support before building a workflow around it. Static mode instead uses fixed-rate frame extraction. The Google Cloud inference reference describes video metadata controls for frame rate and clip offsets, as well as processing-mode and media-resolution settings.
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- Full HD Video: Records 1080p video for travel clips, family moments, or simple vlogging
- Memory Support: Works with Class 10 SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards up to 512GB
- Rechargeable Battery: Included LB-012 lithium-ion battery charges in the camera over USB with the supplied adapter in about 2 hours; charge it for at least 4 hours before first use to maximize battery life
Use timestamps and concise prompts
When referring to a moment in a Gemini video, use an explicit timestamp in MM:SS form. Specify what the model should do—such as describe a sequence or inspect an event—and identify the relevant time window when you know it. For a single video combined with text, Gemini’s guide says to place the text prompt after the video part in the input array.
What do Gemini’s video token figures mean?
Google’s documented static-processing calculation assigns 66 tokens per frame at low media resolution and 258 tokens per frame otherwise. Its guide also estimates approximately 100 tokens per second at default low media resolution, or approximately 300 tokens per second at high media resolution, including audio and metadata. These are estimates for the documented Gemini behavior, not universal token rates or prices; the consulted page does not state a publication year. Confirm current model-specific accounting before budgeting.
Quick Recap
A practical preparation workflow
- Identify the API and model. Confirm supported formats, limits, input routes, and processing modes in the provider’s current documentation.
- Inspect images. Correct rotation and check that the image is sharp enough for the task. Retain detail needed to read text or identify small objects.
- Define the video question. Decide whether you need an overall summary, a known moment, or analysis of fast motion.
- Select the clip and sampling approach. Use a bounded interval and a supported sampling rate for static processing, or a documented dynamic mode if the selected model provides it.
- Make the request specific. Include timestamps for relevant moments and state the desired output. Follow the API’s documented order for text and media parts.
- Review the result against the source. Check especially for missed fast events and unreadable small details; adjust the clip or resolution if the task requires more evidence.
How to choose between input options
| Decision | What to check | Practical implication |
|---|---|---|
| Input route | Inline data, URL, uploaded file, or cloud storage; size, duration, and reuse rules | Use the route the provider supports for the file and workflow. Gemini recommends the Files API for larger images or reuse and distinguishes one-off short videos from larger or reusable inputs. |
| Video coverage | Default fixed-rate extraction, configurable static sampling, or supported dynamic navigation | Choose based on whether the task needs an overview, a specific moment, or fast-motion detail; verify model support. |
| Visual detail | Resolution controls and the smallest text or object that must be understood | Use enough detail for the task, recognizing that higher resolution may increase token use and latency. |
| Cost and latency | Current provider- and model-specific token accounting and processing behavior | Estimate from current documentation rather than applying Gemini figures to other APIs. |
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