Skim a 20-minute video: video inspect seek fast vs precise

Use seek: "fast" in the frames object of a Sume video inspect request when you are skimming a long video: it snaps each still to the keyframe at or before the instant you asked for, so a still can be earlier by up to one keyframe interval (roughly 0 to 5 seconds on typical sources), never later. Keep precise, the default, when the timestamp must match.

Both modes are documented in the video inspect guide, read 2026-10-04. Inspect accepts a source up to 1800 seconds and up to 24 stills per call, so a 20-minute video fits in one request.

The two modes

Spacing 24 stills over 20 minutes

With fps capped at 2 and a 24-still limit per call, an explicit at[] list gives you control. A 1200-second video sampled at 24 evenly spaced instants gives one still every 50 seconds (1200 / 24). With fast, the response reports sample_times for the instants the tiles actually show and requested_times for the ones you asked for, so you can see how far each still moved.

import json, os, urllib.request

at = [i * 50 for i in range(24)]  # 0, 50, ... 1150 seconds
body = json.dumps({
    'video_url': os.environ['SUME_VIDEO_URL'],
    'frames': {'at': at, 'seek': 'fast'},
}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request(
    'https://api.sume.com/v1/video-inspect', data=body, method='POST',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + os.environ['SUME_API_KEY'],
             'Content-Type': 'application/json',
             'Idempotency-Key': 'skim-demo-001'})
with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
    print(r.status)

Source and cost notes

The video_url must be a media.sume.com clip your workspace already owns; import other URLs first with POST /v1/media-imports. Probe and stills are billed by their Modal compute, and a transcript adds the public rate of $0.01 per audio minute when you ask for one; confirm rates in GET /v1/catalog.

When not to use fast

Do not use fast to check a cut point, a caption time or a frame you will quote. The still can come from an earlier moment, and for exact-frame work use precise or the separate video frames route.