Repository for v4l2request hardware video decoding (rockchip, allwinner)

[BoringName]

I initially tried the instructions in the original post and it didn't work for me. On an allwinner h618 box with a mali-G31. I then spent pretty much all day today trying to find a fix. I came across a post on here stating the version of mpv that works with v4l2 needs to be compiled with the same package versions as ffmpeg or something along those lines. When I first tried the instructions I already had mpv installed and I remember it stating that it didn't update it.

 

So for a hail mary I ran apt remove ffmpeg and apt remove mpv. Then I ran the instructions again and noticed first one didn't actually run successfully which could have been why they didn't work this morning.... When I copy pasted into the terminal it left the $ signs in there and caused errors. So I manually typed it out and got everything to run successfully.

 

Now everything works. mpv is buttery smooth.

 

Previously mpv stated drm was unsupported now it says "using hardware decoding (drm)".

I had checked ffmpeg and it did list v4l2 as supported so maybe that didn't need to be reinstalled.

 

Anyway, if it hasn't worked for you maybe try uninstalling ffmpeg and mpv and running the commands again.

 

[robertoj]

On 1/31/2026 at 3:45 AM, jock said:

the problem is not ffmpeg, which already is works totally fine on debian Trixie (and backwards), the problem is within mpv that changed in v0.4.0 carried by debian Trixie,  and at the moment I don't have enough motivation to carry on a custom mpv package for Debian Trixie.

 

Thank you for the comment Jock

Yes, I know that Trixie's mpv made some changes that made it incompatible with your ffmpeg+v4lrequest package.

 

I tried to compile mpv, and I wasn't sure of how to do it.

I asked for help in the mpv github, and someone told me to wait for ffmpeg to merge this function.

https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/pull/14690#issuecomment-3369553163

 

Recently, I got more suggestions to build ffmpeg for Trixie  https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/pull/14690#issuecomment-3828170966

 

Boringname... can you specify which Debian version, Linux kernel and graphical desktop (kde, xfce, gnome, plasma, labwc, sway)?

Edited Monday at 06:22 PM by robertoj

[BoringName]

2 hours ago, robertoj said:

Boringname... can you specify which Debian version, Linux kernel and graphical desktop (kde, xfce, gnome, plasma, labwc, sway)?

It's this image from @Nick A github.

Armbian-unofficial_25.05.0-trunk_X98h_bookworm_edge_6.12.11_xfce_desktop.img

 

I had to copy over a few firmware files to get wifi/bluetooth working but otherwise it's unchanged.

[JFL]

Just a feedback.  

Device: Orange Pi 5 Plus

OS Image: Armbian_26.2.0-trunk.370_Orangepi5-plus_noble_current_6.18.8_gnome_desktop.img.xz

media-player: mpv-.37.0-1ubuntu4

 

Following the gudide on the first page and added "profile=fast" (in order to have smooth 4K/60 playback) in /etc/mpv/mpv.conf.

mpv-.37.0-1ubuntu4 playback 8bit 4K/60 h264 and h265 (hevc) video with vpu hardware accceleration.  10bit h265 or any vp9 and av1 video NO vpu hardware acceleration as far as I can tell.

 

10bit 4k/60 hevc video -- No vpu hw acceleration

Quote

$ mpv '/media/jfl/writable/home/jfl/Videos/jellyfish-120-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv' 
 (+) Video --vid=1 (*) (hevc 3840x2160 29.970fps)
[ffmpeg/video] hevc: Failed setup for format drm_prime: hwaccel initialisation returned error.
VO: [gpu] 3840x2160 yuv420p10
Exiting... (Quit)

 

4K/60 hevc -- with vpu hw acceleration. Error messages.

Quote

$ mpv https://lafibre.info/videos/test/201411_blender_big_buck_bunny_60fps_2160p_hevc.mp4
 (+) Video --vid=1 (*) (hevc 3840x2160 60.000fps)
 (+) Audio --aid=1 (*) (aac 2ch 48000Hz)
File tags:
 Artist: CC-BY Fondation Blender
 Album: https://LaFibre.info Vivien GUEANT
 Date: 2022
 Genre: Court métrage d'animation néerlandais
 Title: Big Buck Bunny, 10min00sec version
[ffmpeg/video] hevc: ff_v4l2_request_query_control: query control failed, Invalid argument (22)
[ffmpeg/video] hevc: ff_v4l2_request_query_control: query control failed, Invalid argument (22)
Using hardware decoding (drm).
AO: [pulse] 48000Hz stereo 2ch float
VO: [gpu] 3840x2160 drm_prime[nv12]
Exiting... (Quit)

 

Full HD av1 -- No vpu hw acceleration

Quote

$ mpv https://lafibre.info/videos/test/201411_blender_big_buck_bunny_60fps_1080p_av1.mp4
 (+) Video --vid=1 (*) (av1 1920x1080 60.000fps)
 (+) Audio --aid=1 (*) (opus 2ch 48000Hz)
File tags:
 Artist: CC-BY Fondation Blender
 Album: https://LaFibre.info Vivien GUEANT
 Date: 2022
 Genre: Court métrage d'animation néerlandais
 Title: Big Buck Bunny, 10min00sec version
AO: [pulse] 48000Hz stereo 2ch float
VO: [gpu] 1920x1080 yuv420p
Exiting... (Quit)

 

Full HD vp9 -- No vpu hw acceleration

Quote

$ mpv '/media/jfl/writable/home/jfl/Videos/Big_Buck_Bunny_1080_10s_30MB.webm' 
 (+) Video --vid=1 (*) (vp9 1920x1080 30.000fps)
File tags:
 Artist: Blender Foundation 2008, Janus Bager Kristensen 2013
 Comment: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 - http://bbb3d.renderfarming.net
 Composer: Sacha Goedegebure
 Genre: Animation
 Title: Big Buck Bunny, Sunflower version
[ffmpeg/video] vp9: Failed setup for format drm_prime: hwaccel initialisation returned error.
VO: [gpu] 1920x1080 yuv420p
Exiting... (End of file)

 

Edit:  Chromium_v144 can play 8bit 4K/60 h264, h265 and av1 videos with vpu hw acceleration.  No vpu hw acceleration with vp9 videos.  If not mistaken the current kernel-6.18.8-current-rockchip64 or 6.19-rc8-edge-rockchip64 do not support vpu hw acceleration with vp9 codec.

Edited yesterday at 02:14 PM by JFL

[robertoj]

JFL, can you check the Ubuntu gnome is running under wayland? ($ echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE)

Can you check the labwc availability in Ubuntu Noble? ($ apt list labwc)

 

I never tested H265... I am glad it is working