diff --git a/src/codec/packet/packet.rs b/src/codec/packet/packet.rs
index f1a10843..afd1eed4 100644
--- a/src/codec/packet/packet.rs
+++ b/src/codec/packet/packet.rs
@@ -213,13 +213,22 @@ impl Packet {
         }
     }
 
-    #[inline]
-    pub fn read(&mut self, format: &mut format::context::Input) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        unsafe {
-            match av_read_frame(format.as_mut_ptr(), self.as_mut_ptr()) {
-                0 => Ok(()),
-                e => Err(Error::from(e)),
-            }
+    /// Read a packet from the input format context.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    /// this is unsafe because you can potentially "read" a packet twice like so:
+    /// ```rust,ignore
+    /// let mut packet = Packet::empty();
+    /// packet.read(&mut ictx)?;
+    /// packet.read(&mut ictx)?;
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// it is recommended to use the input packet read api's
+    #[inline]
+    pub unsafe fn read(&mut self, format: &mut format::context::Input) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        match av_read_frame(format.as_mut_ptr(), self.as_mut_ptr()) {
+            0 => Ok(()),
+            e => Err(Error::from(e)),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/format/context/input.rs b/src/format/context/input.rs
index c73f985e..9b8b6d90 100644
--- a/src/format/context/input.rs
+++ b/src/format/context/input.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ use std::ffi::CString;
 use std::mem;
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 
+use crate::packet::Mut;
+
 use super::common::Context;
 use super::destructor;
 use ffi::*;
@@ -136,6 +138,17 @@ impl Input {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn next_packet(&mut self) -> Result<Packet, Error> {
+        let mut packet = Packet::empty();
+        unsafe {
+            match av_read_frame(self.as_mut_ptr(), packet.as_mut_ptr()) {
+                0 => Ok(packet),
+                e => Err(Error::from(e)),
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Deref for Input {
@@ -169,7 +182,7 @@ impl<'a> Iterator for PacketIter<'a> {
         let mut packet = Packet::empty();
 
         loop {
-            match packet.read(self.context) {
+            match unsafe { packet.read(self.context) } {
                 Ok(..) => unsafe {
                     return Some((
                         Stream::wrap(mem::transmute_copy(&self.context), packet.stream()),