VAAPI (Video Acceleration API)

ID 727121
Updated 2/25/2022
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VAAPI (Video Acceleration API) is an open-source library and API specification, which provides access to graphics hardware acceleration capabilities for video processing. It consists of a main library and driver-specific acceleration backends for each supported hardware vendor.

The following features are currently supported in VAAPI for Intel graphics cards:

Hardware Supported

  • Intel® GMA X4500HD.
  • Intel® HD Graphics (in Intel® 2010 Core™ i7/i5/i3 processor family).
  • Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000 (in 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processor family).
  • Intel® HD Graphics 2500/4000 (in 3nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processor family).
  • Intel® HD Graphics 4200/4400/4600/5000, Intel® Iris™ Graphics 5100, and Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics 5200 (in 4nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processor family).

Features

  • Support MPEG2 decode acceleration Main Profile @ HL up to 80 Mbps.
  • Support MPEG2 encode acceleration Main profile @ HL up to 80 Mbps (excludes GMA X4500HD, HD Graphics and HD Graphics 2000/3000)
  • Support VC-1 decode acceleration Advanced Profile @ Level 3 up to 40 Mbps (excludes GMA X4500HD and HD Graphics)
  • Support H.264/AVC decode acceleration High Profile @ L4.1 up to 40 Mbps, with:
     
    • H.264 / AVC Hardware Variable Length Decoding (VLD) - CABAC
    • H.264 / AVC Hardware Variable Length Decoding (VLD) - CAVLC
    • H.264 / AVC Hardware Inverse Transform (IT)
    • H.264 / AVC Hardware Motion Compensation (HWMC)
    • H.264 / AVC Hardware In-Loop Deblocking (ILDB)
       
  • Support H.264/AVC encode acceleration Main Profile @ L4.1 up to 40 Mbps (excludes GMA X4500HD and HD Graphics).
  • Support JPEG/MJPEG decoding (excludes GMA X4500HD, HD Graphics and HD Graphics 2000/3000).
  • Support Video Post Processing (excludes GMA X4500HD).


 

VAAPI Capability MPEG2 decode MPEG2 encode H.264/AVC decode VC-1 decode H.264/AVC encode JPEG/MJPEG Video Post Processing
Intel® GMA X4500HD Yes Not supported by hardware Yes with g45-h264 branch Not implemented Not supported by hardware Not supported by Hardware No
Intel® HD Graphics Yes Not supported by hardware Yes Not implemented Not supported by hardware Not supported by Hardware Yes
Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000 Yes Not supported by hardware Yes Yes Yes Not supported by Hardware Yes
Intel® Ivy Bridge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Intel® Haswell Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

To understand more about the VA API development, and participate in the process, the following are the main guidelines to get started:

 

Github Resources

Issues

Mailing list

  • General developers discussions occur on the intel-vaapi-media@lists.01.org mailing list.
  • Subscribe to the list at https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/intel-vaapi-media
  • Archives are found at http://lists.01.org/pipermail/intel-vaapi-media/

IRC

Intel's VA API developers hang out in ##intel-media@freenode.net.

Slack

  • We also use [#Slack](https://slack.com) and host [VAAPI Media Slack Team](https://intel-media.slack.com).
  • You can sign up by submitting your email address to our [Slack Team invite page](https://intelmedia.stamplayapp.com).
  • Slack complements our other means of communication.  Pick the one that works best for you!

Project: Open Source Media Framework