Should I use software or hardware encoding in FastFlix?

Use software encoding when you want the broadest format support and the most consistent results across machines, and use hardware encoding when you have a compatible GPU and want faster encodes. FastFlix is a free GUI for H.264, HEVC, and AV1 hardware and software encoding, and it relies on FFmpeg (version 4.3 or greater required, 5.0+ recommended) for the actual encoding work. The right choice depends less on preference and more on which encoders your FFmpeg build and hardware can actually provide.

Software encoding: best for compatibility and format coverage

Software encoders run on the CPU and do not require specific graphics hardware. FastFlix lists these software encoders: x265, x264, rav1e, AOM AV1, SVT AV1, VP9, and VVC.

Their feature support, as shown on the FastFlix page, is broad:

✓* means limited support.

A key caveat: if one of these software encoders is not listed in your FastFlix setup, it is because your version of FFmpeg does not have that encoder compiled in. So software encoding gives you the widest feature set, but only if your FFmpeg build includes the encoders you want.

Hardware encoding: faster, but with hardware and setup requirements

Hardware encoders use a GPU or dedicated encoding block. FastFlix supports:

• Nvidia GPU for NVEnc
• Intel GPU/CPU for QSVEnc
• AMD GPU for VCEEnc
• VAAPI (Linux) for compatible hardware
• Apple VideoToolbox (macOS)

Most Nvidia, Intel, and AMD encoders use rigaya's hardware encoders, which must be downloaded separately, extracted to a directory of your choice, and then linked in the FastFlix Settings panel. This is an extra setup step that software encoding does not require.

AV1 hardware encoding is only supported on the latest generation of graphics cards, specifically Intel Arc, Nvidia 4000 series, and AMD 7000 series.

Hardware encoder feature support

AV1

HEVC / H.265

AVC / H.264

Apple VideoToolbox (macOS)

✓* means limited support.

How to decide

Choose software encoding if:

• You need HDR10+ support (x265 and rav1e are the options listed with it).
• You want cover art support across the most encoders.
• You do not have a compatible GPU, or you do not want to download and configure rigaya's encoders separately.
• You want the same encoder behavior regardless of which machine you run FastFlix on.

Choose hardware encoding if:

• You have a supported Nvidia, Intel, AMD, VAAPI, or Apple VideoToolbox setup.
• Speed matters more than the widest possible feature coverage.
• You are encoding AV1 and have an Intel Arc, Nvidia 4000 series, or AMD 7000 series card.
• You are on macOS and want to use Apple VideoToolbox for H.264 or HEVC.

Before you start either path

FastFlix requires FFmpeg and ffprobe executables on your PATH, and they must be executable. Version 4.3 or greater is required for most usage; the latest master build is recommended and required for some features. The version in your package manager may not support all encoders or options. Static builds for Linux and Mac are available from the FFmpeg download page.

If you plan to use hardware encoding, download rigaya's Nvidia NVENC, AMD VCE, and Intel QSV encoders, extract them to a folder on your hard drive, and link them in the FastFlix Settings panel before expecting them to appear.