Using NVIDIA's NVENC On Linux With FFmpeg

[pinguinpc]

Have you tried different presets? i.e. -c:v nvenc -preset llhq. Presets are
hq = high quality (I think libnvenc uses this)
hp = high performance
bd = Bluray Disk
ll = low latency
llhq = low latency high quality
llhp = low latency high performance
default = between llhq and llhp, I suppose it's same as ll

You can also use 2 pass with low latency presets too, with option -2pass 1. I'm not sure are all presets supported by kepler cards though.

I test llhp and hp and quality still very similar, however nvenc go up bitrate meanwhile time are passed for example begins around 3000k but at 10 to 15 bitrate up considerably normally stay around 5000k to 6000k

Quality stay similar to actual bitrate 5750k for lastest videos

Maybe more later upload some videos about this

[pinguinpc]

As commented before this is some tests using low latency high quality and high quality preset compared to actual bitrate used 5750k


NVENC 5750k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3wK6LLTedw

NVENC High Quality Preset

NVENC Low Latency High Quality Preset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zirBMj6Cxk0

[tuke81]

Does anyone have 2nd generation maxwell(gtx980/970/960), nvenc 5.0 sdk have now h265 support. Well I'm quite sure it won't work with ffmpeg yet but I'm a bit curious how it works with samples bundled with sdk.

[Brainiarc7]

Does anyone have 2nd generation maxwell(gtx980/970/960), nvenc 5.0 sdk have now h265 support. Well I'm quite sure it won't work with ffmpeg yet but I'm a bit curious how it works with samples bundled with sdk.

I've tested the latest ffmpeg version (git) with a Maxwell Gen 2 GTX 980M and NVENC for H.264 and H.265/HEVC is working just fine.

[cacasodo]

This thread was helpful to me in getting FFmpeg compiled on Fedora 22. I posted initial results of the CPU offload from a 2.7K source video and FPS increase by using nvenc over libx264. Impressive.

[Nille]

i get much much more fps with my 960. I have Encoded a 1080p with over 200 fps.

ffmpeg -i "input(1080p).mp4" -map 0 -loglevel repeat+verbose -c copy -c:v nvenc -preset slow -movflags +faststart "output-nvenc.mp4"

And the same wile with hevc/h265 around 90 fps

ffmpeg -i "input(1080p).mp4" -map 0 -loglevel repeat+verbose -c copy -c:v nvenc_hevc -preset slow -movflags +faststart "output-nvenc_hevc.mp4"

Each one that is interested in a ffmpeg build for windows with it, can use this scrips to build it. https://github.com/jb-alvarado/media-autobuild_suite This Download everything needed an build some a/v tools from git.

i would provide my builds but due to all the included stuff its not distributable.

[cacasodo]

Hi Nille,
I should have made it more clear that my source is a much larger 2.7K video from a GoPro, not the 1080P content that you're transcoding.

That being said, I'll try a 1080P render to see what I get.
'sodo

[Nille]

i download a uhd sample right now and see if it is a big impact (ofc there is a impact)

EDIT: So UHD 3840x2160 are encoded with hevc with around 27 fps and with h264 33fps. I can test it also with quicksync
Uh, but the quality is low. I test it with another preset slow = horrible
EDIT2: hq looks better but still low. ok the source file is over 1GB and the output has only 30MB. He goes to 2000 kbit for both per default. Without the Preset the encoding is a bit faster, around 40fps with uhd

PS: qsv is not starting but eat up one core without progress

[cacasodo]

Interesting. I'll play around with some of the options later on as well. Here is what the ffmpeg help states about the switches we have access to:

[sodo@box ~]$ ffmpeg -h encoder=nvenc
ffmpeg version 2.6.8 Copyright (c) 2000-2016 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 5.3.1 (GCC) 20151207 (Red Hat 5.3.1-2)
..
Encoder nvenc [Nvidia NVENC h264 encoder]:
    Threading capabilities: no
    Supported pixel formats: nv12
nvenc AVOptions:
  -preset            <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding preset (one of hq, hp, bd, ll, llhq, llhp, default) (default "hq")
  -cbr               <int>        E..V.... Use cbr encoding mode (from 0 to 1) (default 0)
  -2pass             <int>        E..V.... Use 2pass cbr encoding mode (low latency mode only) (from -1 to 1) (default -1)
  -gpu               <int>        E..V.... Selects which NVENC capable GPU to use. First GPU is 0, second is 1, and so on. (from 0 to INT_MAX) (default 0)

[Nille]

You can also try nvenc_hevc for h265. But i see a difference. On Windows i have more pixel formats [Supported pixel formats: yuv420p nv12 yuv444p] and i can set a profile etc. Im Using the latest git code.

Encoder nvenc [NVIDIA NVENC h264 encoder]:
    General capabilities: delay
    Threading capabilities: none
    Supported pixel formats: yuv420p nv12 yuv444p
nvenc AVOptions:
  -preset            <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding preset (one of slow = hq 2pass, medium = hq, fast = hp, hq, hp, bd, ll, llhq, llhp, lossless, losslesshp, default) (default "medium")
  -profile           <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding profile (high, main, baseline or high444p) (default "main")
  -level             <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding level restriction (auto, 1.0, 1.0b, 1.1, 1.2, ..., 4.2, 5.0, 5.1) (default "auto")
  -tier              <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding tier (main or high) (default "main")
  -cbr               <boolean>    E..V.... Use cbr encoding mode (default false)
  -2pass             <boolean>    E..V.... Use 2pass encoding mode (default auto)
  -gpu               <int>        E..V.... Selects which NVENC capable GPU to use. First GPU is 0, second is 1, and so on. (from 0 to INT_MAX) (default 0)
  -delay             <int>        E..V.... Delays frame output by the given amount of frames. (from 0 to INT_MAX) (default INT_MAX)

Encoder nvenc_hevc [NVIDIA NVENC hevc encoder]:
    General capabilities: delay
    Threading capabilities: none
    Supported pixel formats: yuv420p nv12 yuv444p
nvenc_hevc AVOptions:
  -preset            <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding preset (one of slow = hq 2pass, medium = hq, fast = hp, hq, hp, bd, ll, llhq, llhp, lossless, losslesshp, default) (default "medium")
  -profile           <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding profile (high, main, baseline or high444p) (default "main")
  -level             <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding level restriction (auto, 1.0, 1.0b, 1.1, 1.2, ..., 4.2, 5.0, 5.1) (default "auto")
  -tier              <string>     E..V.... Set the encoding tier (main or high) (default "main")
  -cbr               <boolean>    E..V.... Use cbr encoding mode (default false)
  -2pass             <boolean>    E..V.... Use 2pass encoding mode (default auto)
  -gpu               <int>        E..V.... Selects which NVENC capable GPU to use. First GPU is 0, second is 1, and so on. (from 0 to INT_MAX) (default 0)
  -delay             <int>        E..V.... Delays frame output by the given amount of frames. (from 0 to INT_MAX) (default INT_MAX)