# What Is the Token Warning Threshold for Token-Burner Mode in Claude-Video?

> Discover the token warning threshold for token-burner mode in Claude-Video. Learn when the 250 frame limit triggers for efficient video processing.

- Repository: [bradautomates/claude-video](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video)
- Tags: faq
- Published: 2026-08-07

---

**The token warning threshold for token-burner mode in the bradautomates/claude-video repository is fixed at 250 frames.**

The `claude-video` project provides AI-powered video processing capabilities through modular skills. Within the `watch` skill, selecting **token-burner** mode captures every scene-change frame across the entire video duration, creating a proportional increase in image token consumption. To prevent users from accidentally incurring excessive API costs, the codebase implements a hardcoded **token warning threshold** of 250 frames that alerts users before processing completes.

## The 250-Frame Safety Check in watch.py

The warning logic resides in [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) around lines 319‑324. When the `--detail token-burner` argument is active, the script evaluates the extracted frame count against the threshold:

```python
if detail == "token-burner" and len(frames) > 250:
    print()
    print(
        f"> **Warning:** token-burner detail selected {len(frames)} frames. "
        "This may use a large number of image tokens."
    )

```

This conditional statement triggers exclusively when **token-burner mode** is selected and the `frames` list exceeds **250 elements**. The warning prints to standard output, providing immediate visibility into potential token costs without halting execution.

## Configuration of Detail Levels

The valid detail level options, including `token-burner`, are centrally defined in [`skills/watch/scripts/config.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/config.py). This configuration file acts as the schema for the `--detail` CLI argument, ensuring that `token-burner` is recognized as a high-fidelity extraction mode. While [`config.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/config.py) defines the available modes, the 250-frame threshold itself is implemented as runtime logic in [`watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/watch.py), creating a separation between mode definitions and safety guardrails.

## Practical Execution and Warning Scenarios

Invoking the watch skill with token-burner mode on lengthy content requires explicit detail selection:

```bash
python -m skills.watch.scripts.watch https://example.com/video.mp4 --detail token-burner

```

If scene detection yields more than **250 frames**, the console outputs the formatted warning string prior to API submission. This allows operators to abort the process if the projected token count exceeds budget constraints. The [`tests/test_watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/tests/test_watch.py) file contains test cases validating this specific behavior, ensuring the warning fires correctly when frame counts surpass the threshold.

## Summary

- The **token warning threshold** for token-burner mode is **250 frames**.
- The validation occurs in [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) at lines 319‑324.
- The warning triggers only when `detail == "token-burner"` and the frame list length exceeds 250.
- Available detail levels are defined in [`skills/watch/scripts/config.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/config.py).
- This mechanism prevents unintentional consumption of large image token budgets.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What happens if I exceed the token warning threshold in token-burner mode?

The system prints a console warning displaying the total frame count and a caution about high image token usage, then continues processing the video. This notification is informational rather than a hard stop, giving users visibility into costs without blocking workflow.

### Where is the token warning threshold defined in the codebase?

The threshold is hardcoded as the integer `250` in [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) within the frame processing logic at lines 319‑324. This specific value determines when the warning message emits during token-burner operations.

### Can I adjust the 250-frame threshold for token-burner warnings?

Currently, the limit is fixed at 250 frames in the source code. To change this threshold, you must modify the integer value in the conditional check within [`skills/watch/scripts/watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/watch.py) and redeploy the application; no configuration file externalizes this parameter.

### Does the low or medium detail level trigger the same token warnings?

No. The warning logic specifically targets the `token-burner` detail level. Alternative modes like `low` or `medium` employ different frame sampling strategies that do not activate this specific 250-frame threshold validation.