diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/CMakeLists.txt b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/CMakeLists.txt
index a0dc7d7b1..b9c0340ed 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ SET(TARGET_SRC
     FFmpegDecoderVideo.cpp
     FFmpegImageStream.cpp
     FFmpegAudioStream.cpp
+    FFmpegParameters.cpp
     ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
 )
 
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ SET(TARGET_H
     FFmpegPacket.hpp
     FFmpegImageStream.hpp
     FFmpegAudioStream.hpp
+    FFmpegParameters.hpp
     MessageQueue.hpp
 )
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.cpp
index 85cabbac3..bd1308519 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "FFmpegDecoder.hpp"
+#include "FFmpegParameters.hpp"
 
 #include <osg/Notify>
 #include <osgDB/FileNameUtils>
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ FFmpegDecoder::~FFmpegDecoder()
 }
 
 
-bool FFmpegDecoder::open(const std::string & filename)
+bool FFmpegDecoder::open(const std::string & filename, FFmpegParameters* parameters)
 {
     try
     {
@@ -100,7 +101,9 @@ bool FFmpegDecoder::open(const std::string & filename)
         }
         else
         {
-            if (av_open_input_file(&p_format_context, filename.c_str(), 0, 0, 0) !=0 )
+            AVInputFormat* av_format = (parameters ? parameters->getFormat() : 0);
+            AVFormatParameters* av_params = (parameters ? parameters->getFormatParameter() : 0);
+            if (av_open_input_file(&p_format_context, filename.c_str(), av_format, 0, av_params) !=0 )
                 throw std::runtime_error("av_open_input_file() failed");
         }
         
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
index a783f0161..f0212214b 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegDecoder.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 
 namespace osgFFmpeg {
 
+class FFmpegParameters;
+
 class FormatContextPtr
 {
     public:
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ public:
     FFmpegDecoder();
     ~FFmpegDecoder();
 
-    bool open(const std::string & filename);
+    bool open(const std::string & filename, FFmpegParameters* parameters);
     void close(bool waitForThreadToExit);
 
     bool readNextPacket();
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
index bd25ef8bd..89984628c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 #include "FFmpegImageStream.hpp"
 #include "FFmpegAudioStream.hpp"
+#include "FFmpegParameters.hpp"
 
 #include <OpenThreads/ScopedLock>
 #include <osg/Notify>
@@ -60,11 +61,11 @@ FFmpegImageStream::~FFmpegImageStream()
 
 
 
-bool FFmpegImageStream::open(const std::string & filename)
+bool FFmpegImageStream::open(const std::string & filename, FFmpegParameters* parameters)
 {
     setFileName(filename);
 
-    if (! m_decoder->open(filename))
+    if (! m_decoder->open(filename, parameters))
         return false;
 
     setImage(
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
index 4395a58df..11cb332b7 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegImageStream.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace osgFFmpeg
 
     template <class T>
     class MessageQueue;
+    
+    class FFmpegParameters;
 
     class FFmpegImageStream : public osg::ImageStream, public OpenThreads::Thread
     {
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ namespace osgFFmpeg
 
         META_Object(osgFFmpeg, FFmpegImageStream);
 
-        bool open(const std::string & filename);
+        bool open(const std::string & filename, FFmpegParameters* parameters);
 
         virtual void play();
         virtual void pause();
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b64e0315c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+
+#include "FFmpegParameters.hpp"
+
+#include <string>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <sstream>
+
+
+
+namespace osgFFmpeg {
+
+
+
+FFmpegParameters::FFmpegParameters() :
+    m_format(0)
+{
+    memset(&m_parameters, 0, sizeof(m_parameters));
+}
+
+
+FFmpegParameters::~FFmpegParameters()
+{}
+
+
+void FFmpegParameters::parse(const std::string& name, const std::string& value)
+{
+    if (value.empty())
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+    else if (name == "format")
+    {
+        avdevice_register_all();
+        m_format = av_find_input_format(value.c_str());
+        if (!m_format)
+            OSG_NOTICE<<"Failed to apply input video format: "<<value.c_str()<<std::endl;
+    }
+    else if (name == "pixel_format")
+    {
+        m_parameters.pix_fmt = avcodec_get_pix_fmt(value.c_str());
+    }
+    else if (name == "frame_size")
+    {
+        int frame_width = 0, frame_height = 0;
+        if (av_parse_video_frame_size(&frame_width, &frame_height, value.c_str()) < 0)
+        {
+            OSG_NOTICE<<"Failed to apply frame size: "<<value.c_str()<<std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+        if ((frame_width % 2) != 0 || (frame_height % 2) != 0)
+        {
+            OSG_NOTICE<<"Frame size must be a multiple of 2: "<<frame_width<<"x"<<frame_height<<std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+        m_parameters.width = frame_width;
+        m_parameters.height = frame_height;
+    }
+    else if (name == "frame_rate")
+    {
+        AVRational frame_rate;
+        if (av_parse_video_frame_rate(&frame_rate, value.c_str()) < 0)
+        {
+            OSG_NOTICE<<"Failed to apply frame rate: "<<value.c_str()<<std::endl;
+            return;
+        }
+        m_parameters.time_base.den = frame_rate.num;
+        m_parameters.time_base.num = frame_rate.den;
+    }
+    else if (name == "audio_sample_rate")
+    {
+        int audio_sample_rate = 44100;
+        std::stringstream ss(value); ss >> audio_sample_rate;
+        m_parameters.sample_rate = audio_sample_rate;
+    }
+}
+
+
+
+} // namespace osgFFmpeg
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.hpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c2d4b922
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/FFmpegParameters.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+
+#ifndef HEADER_GUARD_OSGFFMPEG_FFMPEG_PARAMETERS_H
+#define HEADER_GUARD_OSGFFMPEG_FFMPEG_PARAMETERS_H
+
+#include "FFmpegHeaders.hpp"
+
+#include <osg/Notify>
+
+
+namespace osgFFmpeg {
+
+
+
+class FFmpegParameters : public osg::Referenced
+{
+public:
+
+    FFmpegParameters();
+    ~FFmpegParameters();
+
+    bool isFormatAvailable() const { return m_format!=NULL; }
+    
+    AVInputFormat* getFormat() { return m_format; }
+    AVFormatParameters* getFormatParameter() { return &m_parameters; }
+    
+    void parse(const std::string& name, const std::string& value);
+
+protected:
+
+    AVInputFormat* m_format;
+    AVFormatParameters m_parameters;
+};
+
+
+
+} // namespace osgFFmpeg
+
+
+
+#endif // HEADER_GUARD_OSGFFMPEG_FFMPEG_PARAMETERS_H
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
index c58b59d6b..c108235cb 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ffmpeg/ReaderWriterFFmpeg.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 #include "FFmpegHeaders.hpp"
 #include "FFmpegImageStream.hpp"
+#include "FFmpegParameters.hpp"
 
 #include <osgDB/Registry>
 #include <osgDB/FileNameUtils>
@@ -49,6 +50,12 @@ public:
         supportsExtension("sav",    "MPEG-4");
         supportsExtension("3gp",    "MPEG-4");
         supportsExtension("sdp",    "MPEG-4");
+        
+        supportsOption("format",            "Force setting input format (e.g. vfwcap for Windows webcam)");
+        supportsOption("pixel_format",      "Set pixel format");
+        supportsOption("frame_size",              "Set frame size (e.g. 320x240)");
+        supportsOption("frame_rate",        "Set frame rate (e.g. 25)");
+        supportsOption("audio_sample_rate", "Set audio sampling rate (e.g. 44100)");
 
 #ifdef USE_AV_LOCK_MANAGER
         // enable thread locking
@@ -75,9 +82,16 @@ public:
 
         if (filename.compare(0, 5, "/dev/")==0)
         {
-            return readImageStream(filename, options);
+            return readImageStream(filename, NULL);
         }
-    
+
+        osg::ref_ptr<osgFFmpeg::FFmpegParameters> parameters(new osgFFmpeg::FFmpegParameters);
+        parseOptions(parameters.get(), options);
+        if (parameters->isFormatAvailable())
+        {
+            return readImageStream(filename, parameters.get());
+        }
+
         if (! acceptsExtension(ext))
             return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
 
@@ -88,22 +102,36 @@ public:
         if (path.empty())
             return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_FOUND;
 
-        return readImageStream(path, options);
+        return readImageStream(path, parameters.get());
     }
     
-    ReadResult readImageStream(const std::string& filename, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options * options) const
+    ReadResult readImageStream(const std::string& filename, osgFFmpeg::FFmpegParameters* parameters) const
     {
         OSG_INFO << "ReaderWriterFFmpeg::readImage " << filename << std::endl;
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osgFFmpeg::FFmpegImageStream> image_stream(new osgFFmpeg::FFmpegImageStream);
 
-        if (! image_stream->open(filename))
+        if (! image_stream->open(filename, parameters))
             return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
 
         return image_stream.release();
     }
 
 private:
+    
+    void parseOptions(osgFFmpeg::FFmpegParameters* parameters, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options * options) const
+    {
+        if (options && options->getNumPluginStringData()>0)
+        {
+            const FormatDescriptionMap& supportedOptList = supportedOptions();
+            for (FormatDescriptionMap::const_iterator itr = supportedOptList.begin();
+                 itr != supportedOptList.end(); ++itr)
+            {
+                const std::string& name = itr->first;
+                parameters->parse(name, options->getPluginStringData(name));
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
 #ifdef USE_AV_LOCK_MANAGER
     static int lockMgr(void **mutex, enum AVLockOp op)