| Introduction | The FFmpeg 6.1 open source multimedia framework recently released a major update, bringing new features, new codecs, new filters and many other changes. |
More than eight months after the release of FFmpeg 6.0 "Von Neumann" version, FFmpeg 6.1 is named "Heaviside" and introduces multi-threaded Vulkan hardware accelerated decoding, support for H264, HEVC and AV1 codecs, and VAAPI (Video Acceleration API) AV1 encoder.
It also adds support for HEVC, VP9 and AV1 codecs in enhanced FLV and RTMP formats, Playdate video decoder and demultiplexer, OSQ demultiplexer and decoder, basic video codec parser, muxer , demuxer and frame combining bsf, original AC-4 multiplexer and demuxer and original VVC bitstream parser, multiplexer and demuxer.
FFmpeg 6.1 also adds support for P_SKIP hints to speed up libx264 encoding, and also introduces vMix video decoder, RivaTuner video decoder, libaribcaption decoder, Microsoft RLE video encoder, CRI USM solution multiplexer and extended VAAPI support for libva-win32 on Windows.
As expected, this version also provides new filters, including afireqsrc audio source filter, arls filter, zoneeplate video source filter, color_vulkan filter, bwdif_vulkan filter, nlmeans_vulkan filter filter, xfade_vulkan filter, bwdif_cuda filter, scale_vt and transpose_vt filters for VideoToolbox, and apsnr and asisdr audio filters.
Additionally, FFmpeg 6.1 adds bitstream filters for editing metadata in VVC streams and converting VVC from MP4 to Annex B. Additionally, commandssupport has been added in the setpts and asetpts filters
Among other notable changes, FFmpeg 6.1 deprecates the -top command line option in favor of the setfield filter, change Modified the ffprobe XML output mode to consider multiple variable field elements in the same parent element, added a new -readrate_initial_burst command line option, and made the ffprobe -output_format option an alias for -of.
FFmpeg 6.1 is now available for download from the official website, which includes multiple updated components such as libavutil 58.29.100, libavcodec 60.31.102, libavformat 60.16.100, libavdevice 60.3.100, libavfilter 9.12.100, libswscale 7.5. 100, libswresample 4.12.100 and libpostproc 57.3.100.
The next major version of FFmpeg is version 7.0, scheduled for release in February 2024.