ffmpeg 8 breaks VA-API / AMD Hardware decode

[FrostKiwi]

Describe the bug

Memories uses hwupload when doing hardware code of videos with VA-API / AMD Hardware Decoding.

I saw go-vod erroring out with this error:

2025/12/21 15:25:47 dxftlbuafug0-max: /run/current-system/sw/bin/ffmpeg -loglevel warning -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -noautorotate -i /tank1/nextcloud/data/Vlad/files/InstantUpload/Camera/PXL_20251221_033358795.mp4 -copyts -fflags +genpts -vf "format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload,scale_vaapi=force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease:format=nv12,hwdownload,format=nv12,transpose=1,format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload" -map "0:v:0" "-c:v" h264_vaapi -global_quality 24 -map "0:a:0?" "-c:a" aac -start_number 0 -avoid_negative_ts disabled -f hls -hls_flags split_by_time -hls_time 3 -hls_segment_type mpegts -hls_segment_filename /tmp/go-vod/dxftlbuafug0-740623306/max-%06d.ts -force_key_frames "expr:gte(t,n_forced*3)" -
2025/12/21 15:25:47 ffmpeg-error: [hwupload @ 0x560218e84e00] A hardware device reference is required to upload frames to.
2025/12/21 15:25:47 ffmpeg-error: [AVFilterGraph @ 0x560218ef8380] Error initializing filters
2025/12/21 15:25:47 ffmpeg-error: Error opening output file -.
2025/12/21 15:25:47 ffmpeg-error: Error opening output files: Invalid argument
2025/12/21 15:25:47 dxftlbuafug0-max: ffmpeg exited with status: 234

I traced A hardware device reference is required to upload frames to. to a ffmpeg 7 vs ffmpeg 8 change, specifically https://patchwork.ffmpeg.org/project/ffmpeg/patch/20240209145349.104511-3-ffmpeg@haasn.xyz/ I think.

Making Memories use FFMPEG 7 worked for me, but updating to FFMPEG 8 causes this error.

Reading FFMPEG docs https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Hardware/VAAPI#Encoding it seems that the device for heupload has to be specified as well and somehow worked implicitly up until now or something. So I think there is some work to be done on memories' side to follow https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Hardware/VAAPI#DeviceSelection and the -init_hw_device thingy.

In https://memories.gallery/hw-transcoding/#bare-metal memories describes a test sudo -u www-data ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i 'sample.mp4' -vcodec h264_vaapi output-www-data.mp4, but that test does not reflect how memories actually uses ffmpeg. It's more akin to:
sudo -u nextcloud ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i 'sample.mp4' -vf "format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload,scale_vaapi=w=854:h=854:format=nv12" -vcodec h264_vaapi EncodeTest/output-www-data2.mp4 which works with ffmpeg 7, but does not work with ffmpeg 8.

By changing the test to sudo -u nextcloud ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -i 'sample.mp4' -init_hw_device vaapi=foo:/dev/dri/renderD128 -filter_hw_device foo -vf "format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload,scale_vaapi=w=854:h=854:format=nv12" -vcodec h264_vaapi EncodeTest/output-www-data2.mp4 it works again with ffmpeg 8.

Steps To Reproduce

Run memories, open a video with AMD Hardware decode with FFMPEG 8.

Platform

- OS: NixOS 25.11 (Linux 6.6.119 x86_64)
- Browser: Any
- Memories Version: 7.7.0
- Nextcloud Version: 32.0.3.2
- PHP Version: 8.4.15

Screenshots

No response

Additional context

• Any errors in the JS console?
• Any errors in the Nextcloud server logs?