diff --git doc/examples/demuxing_decoding.c doc/examples/demuxing_decoding.c
index 69a31a8935..b2db3f1afa 100644
--- doc/examples/demuxing_decoding.c
+++ doc/examples/demuxing_decoding.c
@@ -55,29 +55,34 @@ static AVPacket pkt;
 static int video_frame_count = 0;
 static int audio_frame_count = 0;
 
-/* Enable or disable frame reference counting. You are not supposed to support
- * both paths in your application but pick the one most appropriate to your
- * needs. Look for the use of refcount in this example to see what are the
- * differences of API usage between them. */
-static int refcount = 0;
-
-static int decode_packet(int *got_frame, int cached)
+static int decode_packet(int cached)
 {
-    int ret = 0;
-    int decoded = pkt.size;
+    int ret;
+    AVCodecContext *ctx;
 
-    *got_frame = 0;
+    if (pkt.stream_index == video_stream_idx)
+        ctx = video_dec_ctx;
+    else if (pkt.stream_index == audio_stream_idx)
+        ctx = audio_dec_ctx;
 
-    if (pkt.stream_index == video_stream_idx) {
-        /* decode video frame */
-        ret = avcodec_decode_video2(video_dec_ctx, frame, got_frame, &pkt);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "Error decoding video frame (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
-            return ret;
-        }
+    /* send the packet with the compressed data to the decoder */
+    ret = avcodec_send_packet(ctx, &pkt);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error submitting the packet to the decoder\n");
+        exit(1);
+    }
 
-        if (*got_frame) {
+    /* read all the output frames (in general there may be any number of them */
+    while (ret >= 0) {
+        ret = avcodec_receive_frame(ctx, frame);
+        if (ret == AVERROR(EAGAIN) || ret == AVERROR_EOF)
+            return 0;
+        else if (ret < 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Error during decoding\n");
+            exit(1);
+        }
 
+        if (pkt.stream_index == video_stream_idx) {
             if (frame->width != width || frame->height != height ||
                 frame->format != pix_fmt) {
                 /* To handle this change, one could call av_image_alloc again and
@@ -105,21 +110,7 @@ static int decode_packet(int *got_frame, int cached)
 
             /* write to rawvideo file */
             fwrite(video_dst_data[0], 1, video_dst_bufsize, video_dst_file);
-        }
-    } else if (pkt.stream_index == audio_stream_idx) {
-        /* decode audio frame */
-        ret = avcodec_decode_audio4(audio_dec_ctx, frame, got_frame, &pkt);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "Error decoding audio frame (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
-            return ret;
-        }
-        /* Some audio decoders decode only part of the packet, and have to be
-         * called again with the remainder of the packet data.
-         * Sample: fate-suite/lossless-audio/luckynight-partial.shn
-         * Also, some decoders might over-read the packet. */
-        decoded = FFMIN(ret, pkt.size);
-
-        if (*got_frame) {
+        } else if (pkt.stream_index == audio_stream_idx) {
             size_t unpadded_linesize = frame->nb_samples * av_get_bytes_per_sample(frame->format);
             printf("audio_frame%s n:%d nb_samples:%d pts:%s\n",
                    cached ? "(cached)" : "",
@@ -138,12 +129,7 @@ static int decode_packet(int *got_frame, int cached)
         }
     }
 
-    /* If we use frame reference counting, we own the data and need
-     * to de-reference it when we don't use it anymore */
-    if (*got_frame && refcount)
-        av_frame_unref(frame);
-
-    return decoded;
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int open_codec_context(int *stream_idx,
@@ -186,8 +172,6 @@ static int open_codec_context(int *stream_idx,
             return ret;
         }
 
-        /* Init the decoders, with or without reference counting */
-        av_dict_set(&opts, "refcounted_frames", refcount ? "1" : "0", 0);
         if ((ret = avcodec_open2(*dec_ctx, dec, &opts)) < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Failed to open %s codec\n",
                     av_get_media_type_string(type));
@@ -230,24 +214,18 @@ static int get_format_from_sample_fmt(const char **fmt,
 
 int main (int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    int ret = 0, got_frame;
+    int ret = 0;
 
     if (argc != 4 && argc != 5) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [-refcount] input_file video_output_file audio_output_file\n"
+        fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s input_file video_output_file audio_output_file\n"
                 "API example program to show how to read frames from an input file.\n"
                 "This program reads frames from a file, decodes them, and writes decoded\n"
                 "video frames to a rawvideo file named video_output_file, and decoded\n"
-                "audio frames to a rawaudio file named audio_output_file.\n\n"
-                "If the -refcount option is specified, the program use the\n"
-                "reference counting frame system which allows keeping a copy of\n"
-                "the data for longer than one decode call.\n"
-                "\n", argv[0]);
+                "audio frames to a rawaudio file named audio_output_file.\n",
+                argv[0]);
         exit(1);
     }
-    if (argc == 5 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-refcount")) {
-        refcount = 1;
-        argv++;
-    }
+
     src_filename = argv[1];
     video_dst_filename = argv[2];
     audio_dst_filename = argv[3];
@@ -325,23 +303,19 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
     /* read frames from the file */
     while (av_read_frame(fmt_ctx, &pkt) >= 0) {
-        AVPacket orig_pkt = pkt;
-        do {
-            ret = decode_packet(&got_frame, 0);
-            if (ret < 0)
-                break;
-            pkt.data += ret;
-            pkt.size -= ret;
-        } while (pkt.size > 0);
-        av_packet_unref(&orig_pkt);
+        ret = decode_packet(0);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            break;
     }
 
     /* flush cached frames */
     pkt.data = NULL;
     pkt.size = 0;
-    do {
-        decode_packet(&got_frame, 1);
-    } while (got_frame);
+    ret = decode_packet(1);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        printf("Flushing cached frames failed\n");
+        goto end;
+    }
 
     printf("Demuxing succeeded.\n");
 
