FAQ

Why use Jellyfin‑FFmpeg instead of upstream FFmpeg?

• It reduces real‑world playback issues in Jellyfin, especially with HDR/Dolby Vision content, HLS/fMP4/MPEG‑TS streaming, and hardware acceleration.
• It includes targeted fixes and features (many hardware‑specific) that upstream may not prioritize or review quickly.

Will this affect playback quality?

• Yes, typically positively: improved tone mapping, better HDR metadata handling, and fewer container/muxing edge cases help clients playback.

Is it faster?

• Often. We include SIMD‑optimized software filters and tuned hardware paths (reduced copies/interop, smarter defaults) that improve throughput and latency.

What platforms benefit most?

• NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, Apple Silicon Macs, and Rockchip RK3588 SBCs see the most improvements due to interop, driver workarounds, and added filters.

Do you upstream your changes?

• Bug fixes: yes, when feasible. Feature patches are harder to upstream due to different priorities and review bandwidth; see Upstreaming.

Are there downsides?

• Update frequency: due to limited human power, we usually lag upstream FFmpeg by a few months. If you need bleeding‑edge upstream features immediately, they might not be available here yet.
• If your workloads are simple and upstream FFmpeg already works, you may not notice a difference.
• Our focus is Jellyfin server use cases over legacy build environments; extremely old compilers/OS/CPUs may not be a priority.