Syntax: x264 [options] -o outfile infile [widthxheight]
Infile can be raw YUV 4:2:0 (in which case resolution is required),
or YUV4MPEG 4:2:0 (*.y4m),
or Avisynth if compiled with support (native).
Outfile type is selected by filename:
.264 -> Raw bytestream
.mkv -> Matroska
.flv -> Flash Video
.mp4 -> MP4 if compiled with GPAC support (no)
Options:
-h, --help List basic options
--longhelp List more options
--fullhelp List all options
Example usage:
Constant quality mode:
x264 --crf 24 -o <output> <input>
Two-pass with a bitrate of 1000kbps:
x264 --pass 1 --bitrate 1000 -o <output> <input>
x264 --pass 2 --bitrate 1000 -o <output> <input>
Lossless:
x264 --crf 0 -o <output> <input>
Maximum PSNR at the cost of speed and visual quality:
x264 --preset placebo --tune psnr -o <output> <input>
Constant bitrate at 1000kbps with a 2 second-buffer:
x264 --vbv-bufsize 2000 --bitrate 1000 -o <output> <input>
Presets:
--profile Force H.264 profile [high]
Overrides all settings
- baseline:
--no-8x8dct --bframes 0 --no-cabac
--cqm flat --weightp 0 No interlaced
No lossless
- main:
--no-8x8dct --cqm flat No lossless
- high:
No lossless
--preset Use a preset to select encoding settings [medium]
Overridden by user settings
- ultrafast:
--no-8x8dct --aq-mode 0 --b-adapt 0
--bframes 0 --no-cabac --no-deblock
--no-mbtree --me dia --no-mixed-refs
--partitions none --ref 1 --scenecut 0
--subme 0 --trellis 0 --no-weightb
--weightp 0
- veryfast:
--no-mbtree --me dia --no-mixed-refs
--partitions i8x8,i4x4 --ref 1
--subme 1 --trellis 0 --weightp 0
- faster:
--no-mbtree --no-mixed-refs --refs 2
--subme 4 --weightp 1
- fast
--rc-lookahead 30 --ref 2 --subme 6
- medium
Default settings apply.
- slow
--b-adapt 2 --direct auto --me umh
--rc-lookahead 50 --ref 5 --subme 8
- slower
--b-adapt 2 --direct auto --me umh
--partitions all --rc-lookahead 60
--ref 8 --subme 9 --trellis 2
- veryslow
--b-adapt 2 --bframes 8 --direct auto
--me umh --me-range 24 --partitions all
--ref 16 --subme 10 --trellis 2
--rc-lookahead 60
- placebo
--bframes 16 --b-adapt 2 --direct auto
--slow-firstpass --no-fast-pskip
--me tesa --me-range 24 --partitions all
--rc-lookahead 60 --ref 16 --subme 10
--trellis 2
--tune Tune the settings for a particular type of source
Overridden by user settings
- film:
--deblock -1:-1 --psy-rd <unset>:0.15
- animation:
--bframes {+2} --deblock 1:1
--psy-rd 0.4:<unset> --aq-strength 0.6
--ref {Double if >1 else 1}
- grain:
--aq-strength 0.5 --no-dct-decimate
--deadzone-inter 6 --deadzone-intra 6
--deblock -2:-2 --ipratio 1.1
--pbratio 1.1 --psy-rd <unset>:0.25
--qcomp 0.8
- psnr:
--aq-mode 0 --no-psy
- ssim:
--aq-mode 2 --no-psy
- fastdecode:
--no-cabac --no-deblock --no-weightb
--weightp 0
- zerolatency:
--bframes 0 --rc-lookahead 0
--sync-lookahead 0 --sliced-threads
- touhou:
--aq-strength 1.3 --deblock -1:-1
--partitions {p4x4 if p8x8 set}
--psy-rd <unset>:0.2
--ref {Double if >1 else 1}
--slow-firstpass Don't use faster settings with --pass 1
Frame-type options:
-I, --keyint <integer> Maximum GOP size [250]
-i, --min-keyint <integer> Minimum GOP size [25]
--no-scenecut Disable adaptive I-frame decision
--scenecut <integer> How aggressively to insert extra I-frames [40]
-b, --bframes <integer> Number of B-frames between I and P [3]
--b-adapt Adaptive B-frame decision method [1]
Higher values may lower threading efficiency.
- 0: Disabled
- 1: Fast
- 2: Optimal (slow with high --bframes)
--b-bias <integer> Influences how often B-frames are used [0]
--b-pyramid <string> Keep some B-frames as references [none]
- none: Disabled
- strict: Strictly hierarchical pyramid
- normal: Non-strict (not Blu-ray compatible)
--no-cabac Disable CABAC
-r, --ref <integer> Number of reference frames [3]
--no-deblock Disable loop filter
-f, --deblock <alpha:beta> Loop filter parameters [0:0]
--slices <integer> Number of slices per frame; forces rectangular
slices and is overridden by other slicing options
--slice-max-size <integer> Limit the size of each slice in bytes
--slice-max-mbs <integer> Limit the size of each slice in macroblocks
--interlaced Enable pure-interlaced mode
--constrained-intra Enable constrained intra prediction.
Ratecontrol:
-q, --qp <integer> Force constant QP (0-51, 0=lossless)
-B, --bitrate <integer> Set bitrate (kbit/s)
--crf <float> Quality-based VBR (0-51, 0=lossless) [23.0]
--rc-lookahead <integer> Number of frames for frametype lookahead [40]
--vbv-maxrate <integer> Max local bitrate (kbit/s) [0]
--vbv-bufsize <integer> Set size of the VBV buffer (kbit) [0]
--vbv-init <float> Initial VBV buffer occupancy [0.9]
--qpmin <integer> Set min QP [10]
--qpmax <integer> Set max QP [51]
--qpstep <integer> Set max QP step [4]
--ratetol <float> Tolerance of ABR ratecontrol and VBV [1.0]
--ipratio <float> QP factor between I and P [1.40]
--pbratio <float> QP factor between P and B [1.30]
--chroma-qp-offset <integer> QP difference between chroma and luma [0]
--aq-mode <integer> AQ method [1]
- 0: Disabled
- 1: Variance AQ (complexity mask)
- 2: Auto-variance AQ (experimental)
--aq-strength <float> Reduces blocking and blurring in flat and
textured areas. [1.0]
-p, --pass <1|2|3> Enable multipass ratecontrol
- 1: First pass, creates stats file
- 2: Last pass, does not overwrite stats file
- 3: Nth pass, overwrites stats file
--stats <string> Filename for 2 pass stats ["x264_2pass.log"]
--no-mbtree Disable mb-tree ratecontrol.
--qcomp <float> QP curve compression [0.60]
--cplxblur <float> Reduce fluctuations in QP (before curve compression) [20.0]
--qblur <float> Reduce fluctuations in QP (after curve compression) [0.5]
--zones <zone0>/<zone1>/... Tweak the bitrate of regions of the video
Each zone is of the form
<start frame>,<end frame>,<option>
where <option> is either
q=<integer> (force QP)
or b=<float> (bitrate multiplier)
--qpfile <string> Force frametypes and QPs for some or all frames
Format of each line: framenumber frametype QP
QP of -1 lets x264 choose. Frametypes: I,i,P,B,b.
QPs are restricted by qpmin/qpmax.
Analysis:
-A, --partitions <string> Partitions to consider ["p8x8,b8x8,i8x8,i4x4"]
- p8x8, p4x4, b8x8, i8x8, i4x4
- none, all
(p4x4 requires p8x8. i8x8 requires --8x8dct.)
--direct <string> Direct MV prediction mode ["spatial"]
- none, spatial, temporal, auto
--no-weightb Disable weighted prediction for B-frames
--weightp Weighted prediction for P-frames [2]
- 0: Disabled
- 1: Blind offset
- 2: Smart analysis
--me <string> Integer pixel motion estimation method ["hex"]
- dia: diamond search, radius 1 (fast)
- hex: hexagonal search, radius 2
- umh: uneven multi-hexagon search
- esa: exhaustive search
- tesa: hadamard exhaustive search (slow)
--merange <integer> Maximum motion vector search range [16]
--mvrange <integer> Maximum motion vector length [-1 (auto)]
--mvrange-thread <int> Minimum buffer between threads [-1 (auto)]
-m, --subme <integer> Subpixel motion estimation and mode decision [7]
- 0: fullpel only (not recommended)
- 1: SAD mode decision, one qpel iteration
- 2: SATD mode decision
- 3-5: Progressively more qpel
- 6: RD mode decision for I/P-frames
- 7: RD mode decision for all frames
- 8: RD refinement for I/P-frames
- 9: RD refinement for all frames
- 10: QP-RD - requires trellis=2, aq-mode>0
--psy-rd Strength of psychovisual optimization ["1.0:0.0"]
#1: RD (requires subme>=6)
#2: Trellis (requires trellis, experimental)
--no-psy Disable all visual optimizations that worsen
both PSNR and SSIM.
--no-mixed-refs Don't decide references on a per partition basis
--no-chroma-me Ignore chroma in motion estimation
--no-8x8dct Disable adaptive spatial transform size
-t, --trellis <integer> Trellis RD quantization. Requires CABAC. [1]
- 0: disabled
- 1: enabled only on the final encode of a MB
- 2: enabled on all mode decisions
--no-fast-pskip Disables early SKIP detection on P-frames
--no-dct-decimate Disables coefficient thresholding on P-frames
--nr <integer> Noise reduction [0]
--deadzone-inter <int> Set the size of the inter luma quantization deadzone [21]
--deadzone-intra <int> Set the size of the intra luma quantization deadzone [11]
Deadzones should be in the range 0 - 32.
--cqm <string> Preset quant matrices ["flat"]
- jvt, flat
--cqmfile <string> Read custom quant matrices from a JM-compatible file
Overrides any other --cqm* options.
--cqm4 <list> Set all 4x4 quant matrices
Takes a comma-separated list of 16 integers.
--cqm8 <list> Set all 8x8 quant matrices
Takes a comma-separated list of 64 integers.
--cqm4i, --cqm4p, --cqm8i, --cqm8p
Set both luma and chroma quant matrices
--cqm4iy, --cqm4ic, --cqm4py, --cqm4pc
Set individual quant matrices
Video Usability Info (Annex E):
The VUI settings are not used by the encoder but are merely suggestions to
the playback equipment. See doc/vui.txt for details. Use at your own risk.
--overscan <string> Specify crop overscan setting ["undef"]
- undef, show, crop
--videoformat <string> Specify video format ["undef"]
- component, pal, ntsc, secam, mac, undef
--fullrange <string> Specify full range samples setting ["off"]
- off, on
--colorprim <string> Specify color primaries ["undef"]
- undef, bt709, bt470m, bt470bg
smpte170m, smpte240m, film
--transfer <string> Specify transfer characteristics ["undef"]
- undef, bt709, bt470m, bt470bg, linear,
log100, log316, smpte170m, smpte240m
--colormatrix <string> Specify color matrix setting ["undef"]
- undef, bt709, fcc, bt470bg
smpte170m, smpte240m, GBR, YCgCo
--chromaloc <integer> Specify chroma sample location (0 to 5) [0]
Input/Output:
-o, --output Specify output file
--stdout Specify stdout format ["raw"]
- raw, mkv, flv
--stdin Specify stdin format ["yuv"]
- yuv, y4m
--sar width:height Specify Sample Aspect Ratio
--fps <float|rational> Specify framerate
--seek <integer> First frame to encode
--frames <integer> Maximum number of frames to encode
--level <string> Specify level (as defined by Annex A)
-v, --verbose Print stats for each frame
--no-progress Don't show the progress indicator while encoding
--quiet Quiet Mode
--psnr Enable PSNR computation
--ssim Enable SSIM computation
--threads <integer> Force a specific number of threads
--sliced-threads Low-latency but lower-efficiency threading
--thread-input Run Avisynth in its own thread
--sync-lookahead <integer> Number of buffer frames for threaded lookahead
--non-deterministic Slightly improve quality of SMP, at the cost of repeatability
--asm <integer> Override CPU detection
--no-asm Disable all CPU optimizations
--visualize Show MB types overlayed on the encoded video
--dump-yuv <string> Save reconstructed frames
--sps-id <integer> Set SPS and PPS id numbers [0]
--aud Use access unit delimiters