# Hardware Transcoding with AMD Cards?
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434
**Category:** Plex Media Server
**Tags:** server-linux
**Created:** [March 18, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434 "2018-03-18T12:11:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mitzsch](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Mitzsch)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/1 "2018-03-18T12:11:41Z")
Is it possible to use the feature of hardware-based transcoding with AMD cards? I’m thinking about buying an AMD WX 3100 for my server and use it for transcoding. Everywhere only Intel and Nvidia are described as working, but what about AMD?
---
### Author:  [@drmagoo](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drmagoo)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/2 "2018-03-18T12:34:07Z")
> @Mitzsch said:
> Is it possible to use the feature of hardware-based transcoding with AMD cards?
No, not on Linux, only on Windows, at the moment.
[https://support.plex.tv/articles/115002178853-using-hardware-accelerated-streaming/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/115002178853-using-hardware-accelerated-streaming/)
---
### Author:  [@Mitzsch](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Mitzsch)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/3 "2018-03-18T12:35:18Z")
Thanks!
And then also AMD Cards will work?
---
### Author:  [@drmagoo](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drmagoo)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/4 "2018-03-18T14:25:15Z")
> @Mitzsch said:
> And then also AMD Cards will work?
I’m Linux only support, sorry 😃 Please take a look at the Windows section of the forum. The Windows AMD threads seem very positive.
---
### Author:  [@Mitzsch](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Mitzsch)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/5 "2018-03-18T14:28:34Z")
ok, thanks!
I will have a look at the windows thread site. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@MasterIroh](https://forums.plex.tv/u/MasterIroh)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2018, 9:16am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/6 "2018-09-26T09:16:36Z")
I guess this hasn’t changed? Hardware accelerated streaming for AMD cards still doesn’t work for Linux right?
---
### Author:  [@Bogdanm14](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Bogdanm14)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2019, 11:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/7 "2019-09-07T11:08:39Z")
Hello,
Do you have any news regarding AMD gpu transcoding on linux? When will this be available for Linux Os?
---
### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2019, 12:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/8 "2019-09-07T12:56:44Z")
Until there exists AMD support in the VA-API, there won’t be AMD support.
AMD uses MESA making this AMD GPU support very unlikely in the immediate future.
Intel QSV and nVidia are the two supported forms at this time.
---
### Author:  [@Bogdanm14](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Bogdanm14)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/9 "2019-09-08T13:56:26Z")
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
---
### Author:  [@feanor5](https://forums.plex.tv/u/feanor5)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/10 "2019-10-03T00:40:52Z")
Hi Chuck
Can you elaborate regarding the status of VA API support for AMD?
My AMD APU based system seems to have support enabled based on vainfo output.
libva info: VA-API version 1.1.0
libva info: va\_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86\_64-linux-gnu/dri/radeonsi\_drv\_video.so
libva info: Found init function \_\_vaDriverInit\_1\_1
libva info: va\_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.1 (libva 2.1.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Mesa Gallium driver 19.0.8 for AMD Radeon R5 Graphics (CARRIZO, DRM 3.27.0, 5.0.0-29-generic, LLVM 8.0.0)
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
VAProfileMPEG2Simple : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileMPEG2Main : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileVC1Simple : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileVC1Main : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileVC1Advanced : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointEncSlice
VAProfileH264Main : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileH264Main : VAEntrypointEncSlice
VAProfileH264High : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileH264High : VAEntrypointEncSlice
VAProfileHEVCMain : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileJPEGBaseline : VAEntrypointVLD
VAProfileNone : VAEntrypointVideoProc
---
### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/11 "2019-10-03T00:55:41Z")
Thanks, Good information.
Can you use the public FFMPEG binaries to perform HW transcoding with that card?
If so, I will find out why it’s not working / I’m not aware it’s working here.
If not, then we have the answer as the transcoder is a derivative of that FFMPEG upstream.
---
### Author:  [@feanor5](https://forums.plex.tv/u/feanor5)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 7:47am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/12 "2019-10-03T07:47:36Z")
It works beautifully. Here is the output:
> ~$ ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -vaapi\_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel\_output\_format vaapi -i A.Long.Way.mkv -c:v h264\_vaapi -b:v 1M -c:a copy -bf 0 out.new.mkv
> ffmpeg version 3.4.6-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
> built with gcc 7 (Ubuntu 7.3.0-16ubuntu3)
> configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=0ubuntu0.18.04.1 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86\_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86\_64-linux-gnu --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librsvg --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libopencv --enable-libx264 --enable-shared
> libavutil 55. 78.100 / 55. 78.100
> libavcodec 57.107.100 / 57.107.100
> libavformat 57. 83.100 / 57. 83.100
> libavdevice 57. 10.100 / 57. 10.100
> libavfilter 6.107.100 / 6.107.100
> libavresample 3. 7. 0 / 3. 7. 0
> libswscale 4. 8.100 / 4. 8.100
> libswresample 2. 9.100 / 2. 9.100
> libpostproc 54. 7.100 / 54. 7.100
> Input #0, matroska,webm, from ‘A.Long.Way.mkv’:
> Metadata:
> encoder : libebml v1.3.0 + libmatroska v1.4.0
> creation\_time : 2014-08-13T21:25:48.000000Z
> Duration: 01:36:46.29, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2135 kb/s
> Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(tv, bt709/bt709/unknown, progressive), 1920x1080, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 47.95 tbc (default)
> Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)
> File ‘out.new.mkv’ already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] Y
> Stream mapping:
> Stream #0:0 → #0:0 (h264 (native) → h264 (h264\_vaapi))
> Stream #0:1 → #0:1 (copy)
> Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
> [h264\_vaapi @ 0x564df3ed59c0] Warning: some packed headers are not supported (want 0xd, got 0).
> Output #0, matroska, to ‘out.new.mkv’:
> Metadata:
> encoder : Lavf57.83.100
> Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (h264\_vaapi) (High) (H264 / 0x34363248), vaapi\_vld, 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=0-31, 1000 kb/s, 23.98 fps, 1k tbn, 23.98 tbc (default)
> Metadata:
> encoder : Lavc57.107.100 h264\_vaapi
> Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) ([255][0][0][0] / 0x00FF), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)
> frame=15401 fps=135 q=-0.0 Lsize= 88313kB time=00:10:42.51 bitrate=1126.0kbits/s speed=5.61x
> video:80553kB audio:7442kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 0.361517%
I interrupted the transcoding at this point.
So, it seems that ffmpeg as well as the drivers are in place and running fine.
Any ideas on why Plex does not use VA API?
---
### Author:  [@simwoodhome](https://forums.plex.tv/u/simwoodhome)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 8:22am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/13 "2019-10-03T08:22:48Z")
I am also keen to have an update on this, would much prefer to use hw transcode with my AMD GPU where I can!
---
### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/14 "2019-10-03T19:51:01Z")
Hey guys 🙂
I inquired into this and found that support for AMD hardware transcoding on Linux is something the transcoder team is exploring, but have no commitments to add support for at this time.
---
### Author:  [@feanor5](https://forums.plex.tv/u/feanor5)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/15 "2019-10-03T19:58:01Z")
Appreciate the update and the efort!
Can you shed some light on the difficulty of the required work?
Given that both VA-API and ffmpeg basically work alredy, should it not be “easy” to just use the VA-API, same as the vanilla ffmpeg is doing? What am I missing here?
Also, I have to point out that this should be a bread and butter feature for Plex, no?
---
### Author:  [@ZyFinity](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ZyFinity)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/16 "2019-10-03T19:58:19Z")
Windows has support, im gettings about 5 hardware transcodes from HEVC 10bit to H.264
---
### Author:  [@ZyFinity](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ZyFinity)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/17 "2019-10-03T19:59:14Z")
Only problem is that plex is horrible when it comes to ASS subtitles and has issues even if you choose “only show complex image formats” so it causes uneccesarry transcoding which is a pain.
---
### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/18 "2019-10-03T20:26:38Z")
@ZyFinity
Do you have something to add relating to this topic? Hijacking a thread and discussing subtitles is very poor netiquette
WIndows transcoding operates entirely differently. Maybe the better platform to use is Windows?
---
### Author:  [@ZyFinity](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ZyFinity)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/19 "2019-10-03T20:38:30Z")
Honestly i feel like i do after spending so much time gathering evidence for my other posts and just never being noticed at all ☹
---
### Author:  [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434/20 "2019-10-04T02:13:54Z")
Did you notice the where there ASS subtitle transcoding has been addressed?
[Next page](https://forums.plex.tv/t/hardware-transcoding-with-amd-cards/229434.md?page=2)