OS Manuals

/usr/bin/ffmpeg

ffmpeg multimedia library with CUDA support

From ffmpeg-cuda-6 6.1.6-r15 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running ffmpeg --help (exit 0). permalink

ffmpeg version n6.1.6-2-g83ddbb4a67 Copyright (c) 2000-2026 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 16 (Wolfi 16.2.0-r2)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --libdir=/usr/lib --enable-shared --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libaom --enable-libtheora --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-cuvid --enable-nvenc --enable-nvdec --disable-cuda-nvcc --enable-cuda-llvm --nvcc=/usr/lib/llvm-23/bin/clang --nvccflags='--no-default-config --cuda-gpu-arch=sm_70 --cuda-feature=+ptx65 -O2' --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-openssl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-ffplay --enable-libdav1d --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libopus --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libxml2 --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-libzmq
  libavutil      58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
  libavcodec     60. 31.102 / 60. 31.102
  libavformat    60. 16.101 / 60. 16.101
  libavdevice    60.  3.100 / 60.  3.100
  libavfilter     9. 12.100 /  9. 12.100
  libswscale      7.  5.100 /  7.  5.100
  libswresample   4. 12.100 /  4. 12.100
  libpostproc    57.  3.100 / 57.  3.100
Hyper fast Audio and Video encoder
usage: ffmpeg [options] [[infile options] -i infile]... {[outfile options] outfile}...

Getting help:
    -h      -- print basic options
    -h long -- print more options
    -h full -- print all options (including all format and codec specific options, very long)
    -h type=name -- print all options for the named decoder/encoder/demuxer/muxer/filter/bsf/protocol
    See man ffmpeg for detailed description of the options.

Print help / information / capabilities:
-L                  show license
-h topic            show help
-? topic            show help
-help topic         show help
--help topic        show help
-version            show version
-buildconf          show build configuration
-formats            show available formats
-muxers             show available muxers
-demuxers           show available demuxers
-devices            show available devices
-codecs             show available codecs
-decoders           show available decoders
-encoders           show available encoders
-bsfs               show available bit stream filters
-protocols          show available protocols
-filters            show available filters
-pix_fmts           show available pixel formats
-layouts            show standard channel layouts
-sample_fmts        show available audio sample formats
-dispositions       show available stream dispositions
-colors             show available color names
-sources device     list sources of the input device
-sinks device       list sinks of the output device
-hwaccels           show available HW acceleration methods

Global options (affect whole program instead of just one file):
-loglevel loglevel  set logging level
-v loglevel         set logging level
-report             generate a report
-max_alloc bytes    set maximum size of a single allocated block
-y                  overwrite output files
-n                  never overwrite output files
-ignore_unknown     Ignore unknown stream types
-filter_threads     number of non-complex filter threads
-filter_complex_threads  number of threads for -filter_complex
-stats              print progress report during encoding
-max_error_rate maximum error rate  ratio of decoding errors (0.0: no errors, 1.0: 100% errors) above which ffmpeg returns an error instead of success.

Per-file main options:
-f fmt              force format
-c codec            codec name
-codec codec        codec name
-pre preset         preset name
-map_metadata outfile[,metadata]:infile[,metadata]  set metadata information of outfile from infile
-t duration         record or transcode "duration" seconds of audio/video
-to time_stop       record or transcode stop time
-fs limit_size      set the limit file size in bytes
-ss time_off        set the start time offset
-sseof time_off     set the start time offset relative to EOF
-seek_timestamp     enable/disable seeking by timestamp with -ss
-timestamp time     set the recording timestamp ('now' to set the current time)
-metadata string=string  add metadata
-program title=string:st=number...  add program with specified streams
-target type        specify target file type ("vcd", "svcd", "dvd", "dv" or "dv50" with optional prefixes "pal-", "ntsc-" or "film-")
-apad               audio pad
-frames number      set the number of frames to output
-filter filter_graph  set stream filtergraph
-filter_script filename  read stream filtergraph description from a file
-reinit_filter      reinit filtergraph on input parameter changes
-discard            discard
-disposition        disposition

Video options:
-vframes number     set the number of video frames to output
-r rate             set frame rate (Hz value, fraction or abbreviation)
-fpsmax rate        set max frame rate (Hz value, fraction or abbreviation)
-s size             set frame size (WxH or abbreviation)
-aspect aspect      set aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9 or 1.3333, 1.7777)
-display_rotation angle  set pure counter-clockwise rotation in degrees for stream(s)
-display_hflip      set display horizontal flip for stream(s) (overrides any display rotation if it is not set)
-display_vflip      set display vertical flip for stream(s) (overrides any display rotation if it is not set)
-vn                 disable video
-vcodec codec       force video codec ('copy' to copy stream)
-timecode hh:mm:ss[:;.]ff  set initial TimeCode value.
-pass n             select the pass number (1 to 3)
-vf filter_graph    set video filters
-b bitrate          video bitrate (please use -b:v)
-dn                 disable data

Audio options:
-aframes number     set the number of audio frames to output
-aq quality         set audio quality (codec-specific)
-ar rate            set audio sampling rate (in Hz)
-ac channels        set number of audio channels
-an                 disable audio
-acodec codec       force audio codec ('copy' to copy stream)
-ab bitrate         audio bitrate (please use -b:a)
-af filter_graph    set audio filters

Subtitle options:
-s size             set frame size (WxH or abbreviation)
-sn                 disable subtitle
-scodec codec       force subtitle codec ('copy' to copy stream)
-stag fourcc/tag    force subtitle tag/fourcc
-fix_sub_duration   fix subtitles duration
-canvas_size size   set canvas size (WxH or abbreviation)
-spre preset        set the subtitle options to the indicated preset
Options (87)
OptionDescriptionSource
-h-- print basic optionshelp
-Lshow licensehelp
-? topicshow helphelp
-help topicshow helphelp
--help topicshow helphelp
-versionshow versionhelp
-buildconfshow build configurationhelp
-formatsshow available formatshelp
-muxersshow available muxershelp
-demuxersshow available demuxershelp
-devicesshow available deviceshelp
-codecsshow available codecshelp
-decodersshow available decodershelp
-encodersshow available encodershelp
-bsfsshow available bit stream filtershelp
-protocolsshow available protocolshelp
-filtersshow available filtershelp
-pix_fmtsshow available pixel formatshelp
-layoutsshow standard channel layoutshelp
-sample_fmtsshow available audio sample formatshelp
-dispositionsshow available stream dispositionshelp
-colorsshow available color nameshelp
-sources devicelist sources of the input devicehelp
-sinks devicelist sinks of the output devicehelp
-hwaccelsshow available HW acceleration methodshelp
-loglevel loglevelset logging levelhelp
-v loglevelset logging levelhelp
-reportgenerate a reporthelp
-max_alloc bytesset maximum size of a single allocated blockhelp
-yoverwrite output fileshelp
-nnever overwrite output fileshelp
-ignore_unknownIgnore unknown stream typeshelp
-filter_threadsnumber of non-complex filter threadshelp
-filter_complex_threadsnumber of threads for -filter_complexhelp
-statsprint progress report during encodinghelp
-max_error_rate maximumratio of decoding errors (0.0: no errors, 1.0: 100% errors) above which ffmpeg returns an error instead of success.help
-f fmtforce formathelp
-c codeccodec namehelp
-codec codeccodec namehelp
-pre presetpreset namehelp
-map_metadata outfileset metadata information of outfile from infilehelp
-t durationrecord or transcode "duration" seconds of audio/videohelp
-to time_stoprecord or transcode stop timehelp
-fs limit_sizeset the limit file size in byteshelp
-ss time_offset the start time offsethelp
-sseof time_offset the start time offset relative to EOFhelp
-seek_timestampenable/disable seeking by timestamp with -sshelp
-timestamp timeset the recording timestamp ('now' to set the current time)help
-metadata string=stringadd metadatahelp
-program title=string:st=number...add program with specified streamshelp
-target typespecify target file type ("vcd", "svcd", "dvd", "dv" or "dv50" with optional prefixes "pal-", "ntsc-" or "film-")help
-apadaudio padhelp
-frames numberset the number of frames to outputhelp
-filter filter_graphset stream filtergraphhelp
-filter_script filenameread stream filtergraph description from a filehelp
-reinit_filterreinit filtergraph on input parameter changeshelp
-discarddiscardhelp
-dispositiondispositionhelp
-vframes numberset the number of video frames to outputhelp
-r rateset frame rate (Hz value, fraction or abbreviation)help
-fpsmax rateset max frame rate (Hz value, fraction or abbreviation)help
-s sizeset frame size (WxH or abbreviation)help
-aspect aspectset aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9 or 1.3333, 1.7777)help
-display_rotation angleset pure counter-clockwise rotation in degrees for stream(s)help
-display_hflipset display horizontal flip for stream(s) (overrides any display rotation if it is not set)help
-display_vflipset display vertical flip for stream(s) (overrides any display rotation if it is not set)help
-vndisable videohelp
-vcodec codecforce video codec ('copy' to copy stream)help
-timecode hh:mm:ss[:;.]ffset initial TimeCode value.help
-pass nselect the pass number (1 to 3)help
-vf filter_graphset video filtershelp
-b bitratevideo bitrate (please use -b:v)help
-dndisable datahelp
-aframes numberset the number of audio frames to outputhelp
-aq qualityset audio quality (codec-specific)help
-ar rateset audio sampling rate (in Hz)help
-ac channelsset number of audio channelshelp
-andisable audiohelp
-acodec codecforce audio codec ('copy' to copy stream)help
-ab bitrateaudio bitrate (please use -b:a)help
-af filter_graphset audio filtershelp
-sndisable subtitlehelp
-scodec codecforce subtitle codec ('copy' to copy stream)help
-stag fourcc/tagforce subtitle tag/fourcchelp
-fix_sub_durationfix subtitles durationhelp
-canvas_size sizeset canvas size (WxH or abbreviation)help
-spre presetset the subtitle options to the indicated presethelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.