FFmpeg 6.1 Released With Vulkan Video Decoding, VA-API AV1 Encode

While it was supposed to ship back in H1'2023, FFmpeg 6.1 finally released last night as the newest feature update to this widely-used multimedia library.

FFmpeg 6.1 is running a half year behind schedule to the "constant activity in the repository", but in any event they have now released FFmpeg 6.1. FFmpeg 6.1 will be succeeded by FFmpeg 7.0 with a tentative release plan for February.

The FFmpeg 6.1 release does bring some exciting additions such as Vulkan Video accelerated decoding for AV1 / HEVC / H.264, various new Vulkan accelerated filters, VA-API AV1 encoding, a Microsoft RLE video encoder, a vMix video decoder, and a variety of other enhancements.

- libaribcaption decoder
- Playdate video decoder and demuxer
- Extend VAAPI support for libva-win32 on Windows
- afireqsrc audio source filter
- arls filter
- ffmpeg CLI new option: -readrate_initial_burst
- zoneplate video source filter
- command support in the setpts and asetpts filters
- Vulkan decode hwaccel, supporting H264, HEVC and AV1
- color_vulkan filter
- bwdif_vulkan filter
- nlmeans_vulkan filter
- RivaTuner video decoder
- xfade_vulkan filter
- vMix video decoder
- Essential Video Coding parser, muxer and demuxer
- Essential Video Coding frame merge bsf
- bwdif_cuda filter
- Microsoft RLE video encoder
- Raw AC-4 muxer and demuxer
- Raw VVC bitstream parser, muxer and demuxer
- Bitstream filter for editing metadata in VVC streams
- Bitstream filter for converting VVC from MP4 to Annex B
- scale_vt filter for videotoolbox
- transpose_vt filter for videotoolbox
- support for the P_SKIP hinting to speed up libx264 encoding
- Support HEVC,VP9,AV1 codec in enhanced flv format
- apsnr and asisdr audio filters
- OSQ demuxer and decoder
- Support HEVC,VP9,AV1 codec fourcclist in enhanced rtmp protocol
- CRI USM demuxer
- ffmpeg CLI '-top' option deprecated in favor of the setfield filter
- VAAPI AV1 encoder
- ffprobe XML output schema changed to account for multiple variable-fields elements within the same parent element
- ffprobe -output_format option added as an alias of -of

Downloads and more details on FFmpeg 6.1 via FFmpeg.org.