diff --git a/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c b/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
index 9fd5c00d60..3c7688cd33 100644
--- a/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
+++ b/doc/examples/transcode_aac.c
@@ -171,8 +171,11 @@ static int open_output_file(const char *filename,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    av_strlcpy((*output_format_context)->filename, filename,
-               sizeof((*output_format_context)->filename));
+    if (!((*output_format_context)->url = av_strdup(filename))) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Could not allocate url.\n");
+        error = AVERROR(ENOMEM);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
 
     /* Find the encoder to be used by its name. */
     if (!(output_codec = avcodec_find_encoder(AV_CODEC_ID_AAC))) {
diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg.c b/fftools/ffmpeg.c
index 918eb353aa..a37de2ff98 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg.c
@@ -1563,7 +1563,7 @@ static void print_final_stats(int64_t total_size)
         uint64_t total_packets = 0, total_size = 0;
 
         av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "Input file #%d (%s):\n",
-               i, f->ctx->filename);
+               i, f->ctx->url);
 
         for (j = 0; j < f->nb_streams; j++) {
             InputStream *ist = input_streams[f->ist_index + j];
@@ -1597,7 +1597,7 @@ static void print_final_stats(int64_t total_size)
         uint64_t total_packets = 0, total_size = 0;
 
         av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_VERBOSE, "Output file #%d (%s):\n",
-               i, of->ctx->filename);
+               i, of->ctx->url);
 
         for (j = 0; j < of->ctx->nb_streams; j++) {
             OutputStream *ost = output_streams[of->ost_index + j];
@@ -2105,7 +2105,7 @@ static void check_decode_result(InputStream *ist, int *got_output, int ret)
 
     if (exit_on_error && *got_output && ist) {
         if (ist->decoded_frame->decode_error_flags || (ist->decoded_frame->flags & AV_FRAME_FLAG_CORRUPT)) {
-            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_FATAL, "%s: corrupt decoded frame in stream %d\n", input_files[ist->file_index]->ctx->filename, ist->st->index);
+            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_FATAL, "%s: corrupt decoded frame in stream %d\n", input_files[ist->file_index]->ctx->url, ist->st->index);
             exit_program(1);
         }
     }
@@ -2989,7 +2989,7 @@ static int check_init_output_file(OutputFile *of, int file_index)
     //assert_avoptions(of->opts);
     of->header_written = 1;
 
-    av_dump_format(of->ctx, file_index, of->ctx->filename, 1);
+    av_dump_format(of->ctx, file_index, of->ctx->url, 1);
 
     if (sdp_filename || want_sdp)
         print_sdp();
@@ -4252,7 +4252,7 @@ static int process_input(int file_index)
     }
     if (ret < 0) {
         if (ret != AVERROR_EOF) {
-            print_error(is->filename, ret);
+            print_error(is->url, ret);
             if (exit_on_error)
                 exit_program(1);
         }
@@ -4301,7 +4301,7 @@ static int process_input(int file_index)
         goto discard_packet;
 
     if (exit_on_error && (pkt.flags & AV_PKT_FLAG_CORRUPT)) {
-        av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_FATAL, "%s: corrupt input packet in stream %d\n", is->filename, pkt.stream_index);
+        av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_FATAL, "%s: corrupt input packet in stream %d\n", is->url, pkt.stream_index);
         exit_program(1);
     }
 
@@ -4668,11 +4668,11 @@ static int transcode(void)
             av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR,
                    "Nothing was written into output file %d (%s), because "
                    "at least one of its streams received no packets.\n",
-                   i, os->filename);
+                   i, os->url);
             continue;
         }
         if ((ret = av_write_trailer(os)) < 0) {
-            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Error writing trailer of %s: %s\n", os->filename, av_err2str(ret));
+            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Error writing trailer of %s: %s\n", os->url, av_err2str(ret));
             if (exit_on_error)
                 exit_program(1);
         }
diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
index 92199b3ac2..997d538381 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ static int choose_encoder(OptionsContext *o, AVFormatContext *s, OutputStream *o
     if (type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO || type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_AUDIO || type == AVMEDIA_TYPE_SUBTITLE) {
         MATCH_PER_STREAM_OPT(codec_names, str, codec_name, s, ost->st);
         if (!codec_name) {
-            ost->st->codecpar->codec_id = av_guess_codec(s->oformat, NULL, s->filename,
+            ost->st->codecpar->codec_id = av_guess_codec(s->oformat, NULL, s->url,
                                                          NULL, ost->st->codecpar->codec_type);
             ost->enc = avcodec_find_encoder(ost->st->codecpar->codec_id);
             if (!ost->enc) {
@@ -2334,7 +2334,7 @@ loop_end:
 #endif
 
     if (!oc->nb_streams && !(oc->oformat->flags & AVFMT_NOSTREAMS)) {
-        av_dump_format(oc, nb_output_files - 1, oc->filename, 1);
+        av_dump_format(oc, nb_output_files - 1, oc->url, 1);
         av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Output file #%d does not contain any stream\n", nb_output_files - 1);
         exit_program(1);
     }
@@ -2466,8 +2466,8 @@ loop_end:
 
     /* check filename in case of an image number is expected */
     if (oc->oformat->flags & AVFMT_NEEDNUMBER) {
-        if (!av_filename_number_test(oc->filename)) {
-            print_error(oc->filename, AVERROR(EINVAL));
+        if (!av_filename_number_test(oc->url)) {
+            print_error(oc->url, AVERROR(EINVAL));
             exit_program(1);
         }
     }
diff --git a/fftools/ffplay.c b/fftools/ffplay.c
index 9bfa3e6cea..f2028d4b13 100644
--- a/fftools/ffplay.c
+++ b/fftools/ffplay.c
@@ -2712,8 +2712,8 @@ static int is_realtime(AVFormatContext *s)
     )
         return 1;
 
-    if(s->pb && (   !strncmp(s->filename, "rtp:", 4)
-                 || !strncmp(s->filename, "udp:", 4)
+    if(s->pb && (   !strncmp(s->url, "rtp:", 4)
+                 || !strncmp(s->url, "udp:", 4)
                 )
     )
         return 1;
@@ -2928,7 +2928,7 @@ static int read_thread(void *arg)
             ret = avformat_seek_file(is->ic, -1, seek_min, seek_target, seek_max, is->seek_flags);
             if (ret < 0) {
                 av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR,
-                       "%s: error while seeking\n", is->ic->filename);
+                       "%s: error while seeking\n", is->ic->url);
             } else {
                 if (is->audio_stream >= 0) {
                     packet_queue_flush(&is->audioq);
diff --git a/fftools/ffprobe.c b/fftools/ffprobe.c
index 0e7a771517..acb403e3b1 100644
--- a/fftools/ffprobe.c
+++ b/fftools/ffprobe.c
@@ -2778,7 +2778,7 @@ static int show_format(WriterContext *w, InputFile *ifile)
     int ret = 0;
 
     writer_print_section_header(w, SECTION_ID_FORMAT);
-    print_str_validate("filename", fmt_ctx->filename);
+    print_str_validate("filename", fmt_ctx->url);
     print_int("nb_streams",       fmt_ctx->nb_streams);
     print_int("nb_programs",      fmt_ctx->nb_programs);
     print_str("format_name",      fmt_ctx->iformat->name);
diff --git a/tools/uncoded_frame.c b/tools/uncoded_frame.c
index 606bdb746a..3aaa4b6897 100644
--- a/tools/uncoded_frame.c
+++ b/tools/uncoded_frame.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             goto fail;
         }
         if (!(st->mux->oformat->flags & AVFMT_NOFILE)) {
-            ret = avio_open2(&st->mux->pb, st->mux->filename, AVIO_FLAG_WRITE,
+            ret = avio_open2(&st->mux->pb, st->mux->url, AVIO_FLAG_WRITE,
                              NULL, NULL);
             if (ret < 0) {
                 av_log(st->mux, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to init output: %s\n",