r/ffmpeg • u/BellsBot • 11h ago
Output h265 using cuda hevc_nvenc freezes on pausing playback
Seeing a strange issue when transcoding from h.264 files to h.265 files using ffmpeg and the nvidia encoder, whilst the output looks files and plays fine, if you pause the video at any point (I'm using VLC for play back) for a few seconds and resume playback, the video freezes entirely, and even seeking to a new position does not unfreeze it (audio continues to play) - if you seek normally without having paused it then the video loads instantly. You have to stop playback of the file entirely and play it again for the video to come back. The h.264 file before transcoding does not have this issue, only the output h.265 file. The command I am using is: ffmpeg -hwaccel cuda -hwaccel_output_format cuda -i "<input>" -filter:v fps=25 -c:v hevc_nvenc -b_ref_mode each -bf 4 -b_adapt 1 -preset p7 -profile:v main -tier high -tune hq -rc:v vbr -lookahead_level:v 14 -multipass:v 2 -cq:v 36 -c:a copy "<output>", I've tried with combinations of -intra-refresh 1, -single-slice-intra-refresh 1, -no-scenecut 1, -g 120, -forced-idr 1 and -force_key_frames "250" but nothing seems to fix it.
Output from running it:
ffmpeg version 9.0.1-full_build-www.gyan.dev Copyright (c) 2000-2026 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 16.1.0 (Rev2, Built by MSYS2 project) configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-w32threads --disable-autodetect --enable-cairo --enable-fontconfig --enable-iconv --enable-gnutls --enable-lcms2 --enable-libxml2 --enable-gmp --enable-bzlib --enable-lzma --enable-libsnappy --enable-zlib --enable-librist --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libzmq --enable-avisynth --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libdvdnav --enable-libdvdread --enable-sdl2 --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libaribcaption --enable-libdav1d --enable-libdavs2 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libquirc --enable-libuavs3d --enable-libxevd --enable-libzvbi --enable-liboapv --enable-libqrencode --enable-librav1e --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libvvenc --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs2 --enable-libxeve --enable-libxvid --enable-libaom --enable-libjxl --enable-libsvtjpegxs --enable-libvpx --enable-mediafoundation --enable-libass --enable-frei0r --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-liblensfun --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libzimg --enable-amf --enable-cuda-llvm --enable-cuvid --enable-dxva2 --enable-d3d11va --enable-d3d12va --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-libvpl --enable-nvdec --enable-nvenc --enable-vaapi --enable-vulkan --enable-libplacebo --enable-opencl --enable-libcdio --enable-openal --enable-libgme --enable-libmodplug --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libshine --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libilbc --enable-libgsm --enable-liblc3 --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopus --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-ladspa --enable-libbs2b --enable-libflite --enable-libmysofa --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-chromaprint --enable-whisper libavutil 61. 1.101 / 61. 1.101 libavcodec 63. 1.101 / 63. 1.101 libavformat 63. 1.101 / 63. 1.101 libavdevice 63. 1.101 / 63. 1.101 libavfilter 12. 1.101 / 12. 1.101 libswscale 10. 1.101 / 10. 1.101 libswresample 7. 1.101 / 7. 1.101 Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'D:\file.mkv': Metadata: encoder : libebml v1.3.4 + libmatroska v1.4.5 creation_time : 2017-08-05T00:18:14.000000Z Duration: 00:28:35.96, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 3707 kb/s Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1280x720, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 1k tbn (default) Metadata: BPS : 3449048 BPS-eng : 3449048 DURATION : 00:28:35.960000000 DURATION-eng : 00:28:35.960000000 NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 42899 NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 42899 NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 739803566 NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 739803566 _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC: 2017-08-05 00:18:14 _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2017-08-05 00:18:14 _STATISTICS_TAGS: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: mp3 (mp3float), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default) Metadata: BPS : 128000 BPS-eng : 128000 DURATION : 00:28:35.928000000 DURATION-eng : 00:28:35.928000000 NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 71497 NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 71497 NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 27454848 NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 27454848 _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC: 2017-08-05 00:18:14 _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2017-08-05 00:18:14 _STATISTICS_TAGS: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES
Stream mapping:
Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 (native) -> hevc (hevc_nvenc))
Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (copy)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
Output #0, mp4, to 'D:\output.mp4':
Metadata:
encoder : Lavf63.1.101
Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main) (hev1 / 0x31766568), nv12(tv, progressive), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 25 fps, 12800 tbn (default)
Metadata:
encoder : Lavc63.1.101 hevc_nvenc
BPS : 3449048
BPS-eng : 3449048
DURATION : 00:28:35.960000000
DURATION-eng : 00:28:35.960000000
NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 42899
NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 42899
NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 739803566
NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 739803566
_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit
_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit
_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC: 2017-08-05 00:18:14
_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2017-08-05 00:18:14
_STATISTICS_TAGS: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES
_STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES
Side data:
CPB properties: bitrate max/min/avg: 0/0/0 buffer size: 0 vbv_delay: N/A
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: mp3 (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
BPS : 128000
BPS-eng : 128000
DURATION : 00:28:35.928000000
DURATION-eng : 00:28:35.928000000
NUMBER_OF_FRAMES: 71497
NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 71497
NUMBER_OF_BYTES : 27454848
NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 27454848
_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit
_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: mkvmerge v14.0.0 ('Flow') 64bit
_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC: 2017-08-05 00:18:14
_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2017-08-05 00:18:14
_STATISTICS_TAGS: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES
_STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES
Using ffmpeg 9.0.1 on windows (with VLC 3.0.24 on windows for playback). Any idea as to why this is happening and how to fix it?
