# What was the reasoning behind using FFmpeg for the redux?



## jbone (Oct 20, 2014)

Don't get me wrong, FFmpeg is great and truly is the swiss army knife of video libraries/applications although I am just curious as to why you guys decided to go with FFmpeg to handle the encoding in the redux as opposed to using x264 and your hardware encoders from the original OBS? 

If I was starting from scratch I would probably use FFmpeg aswell, atlthough you guys had a working version using x264 alone with the hardware encoders integrated already. Considering x264 is cross platform, and the hardware encoders are cross platform aswell and probably wouldn't require many changes. 

The only thing I can think of is FFmpeg supports more codecs out of the box giving more options. Although more encoding options isn't really a good thing when x264 is the best option for live streaming even over HEVC IMO.  Or did you guys go with it for it's other video producing capabilities?

So I am just wanting to pick the developers brains a little bit to figure out why you guys decided to go with FFmpeg. Do you guys plan on supporting hardware acceleration in the future with OBS studio?


----------



## Jack0r (Oct 20, 2014)

The redux will support more than just x264/h264 output, OBS in general is not a streaming only application :) But if there is more behind it, Jim will have to tell us (I am just a dumb mod).


----------



## H4ndy (Oct 20, 2014)

The multiplatform rewrite uses x264 only at the moment for encoding. FFmpeg is used for input formats like images, etc.


----------



## dodgepong (Oct 21, 2014)

H4ndy is right, OBS Multiplatform still uses x264 for encoding h.264 video. FFmpeg will be used for other output formats, as well as reading various media types as input sources.


----------



## Jim (Oct 24, 2014)

FFmpeg provides:
* audio resampling
* software video scaling
* codecs up the wazoo, with the ability to decode even regular image files, video files, and includes a fully functional, and fully GPL AAC encoder (though not as good as others at lower bitrates)

Right now, we mostly just use it for audio sampling and the GPL AAC encoder.  The software scaling and other things are optional.

I also use it for decoding USB 2.0 devices on windows, and there's also an FFmpeg output plugin available.  Also, an FFmpeg playback source is in the works by someone.

I'm trying not to become too dependent upon it however due to the whole debian issue, but so far that's been working out fine.


----------

