How to List QSV Filters in FFmpeg

This article provides a direct guide on how to identify and list Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV) hardware-accelerated filters compiled into your FFmpeg installation. By using FFmpeg's built-in query commands combined with standard command-line text filters, you can quickly verify which QSV-specific video filters are available on Linux, macOS, and Windows systems.

Querying QSV Filters

FFmpeg includes a global -filters argument that prints all supported filters alongside their capabilities. Because this outputs hundreds of software and hardware filters, you must filter the results for the qsv keyword.

On Linux and macOS

Run the following command in your terminal:

ffmpeg -filters | grep qsv

On Windows (Command Prompt)

Run the following command in cmd.exe:

ffmpeg -filters | findstr qsv

On Windows (PowerShell)

Run the following command in PowerShell:

ffmpeg -filters | Select-String "qsv"

Understanding the Output

The output will display the available QSV filters along with their input/output types and capabilities. A standard output typically looks like this:

 ... deinterlace_qsv   V->V       Quick Sync Video deinterlacing
 ... overlay_qsv       VV->V      Quick Sync Video overlaying
 ... scale_qsv         V->V       Quick Sync Video scaling and format conversion
 ... vpp_qsv           V->V       Quick Sync Video VPP (Deinterlace, Rotate, Scale, etc.)

The letters to the left of the filter name describe its characteristics:

  • T: Filter supports timeline editing.
  • S: Filter supports slice threading.
  • C: Filter supports command injection.
  • V->V: Video input to video output.
  • VV->V: Multiple video inputs to video output (such as overlay_qsv).

Common QSV Filters

  • vpp_qsv: The multi-purpose Video Processing Pipeline filter. It handles scaling, cropping, deinterlacing, color adjustment, and frame rate conversion entirely in hardware.
  • scale_qsv: Dedicated hardware scaler used to resize video frames or convert pixel formats.
  • overlay_qsv: Hardware overlay filter used for watermarks, picture-in-picture, and blending streams without copying frames back to CPU memory.
  • deinterlace_qsv: Standalone deinterlacer powered by Intel hardware.

Troubleshooting Missing Filters

If the command returns no results, your FFmpeg binary was compiled without Intel Quick Sync support. To use QSV filters, FFmpeg must be built with the Intel Media SDK or Intel oneVPL enabled using the --enable-libmfx or --enable-libvpl compilation flags along with the relevant hardware drivers for your operating system.