[FR]: V4L2 codec support for ARM devices

[Halhadus]

Description

Enabling V4L2 codecs for modern ARM devices

Who's implementing?

• I'm willing to implement this feature myself

The problem

Most (perhaps all) ARM devices do not support the default hardware-accelerated video decoding options

Possible solutions

Enabling the V4L2 codec option, now a standard for ARM devices, would resolve this issue.
For reference, the Debian Chromium team already enables the V4L2 codec options in their build rules to support this standard:
https://salsa.debian.org/chromium-team/chromium/-/blob/master/debian/rules?ref_type=heads#L91-L96
I am currently using this method on my Orange Pi 5 Plus without any issues. Specifically for my device, I can seamlessly use AV1, H264, and HEVC options thanks to the "Rockchip upstream enablement efforts" Linux kernel developed by Collabora.

Additional context

I can't take screenshots due to a problem with Mesa, but I can share data as text:
{ "properties": { "render_id": 159, "player_id": 0, "created": "2026-03-07 21:22:29.290286 UTC", "origin_url": "", "kFrameUrl": "", "kFrameTitle": "BİLEMEDİM Kİ - YouTube", "url": "", "info": "Selected V4L2VideoDecoder for video decoding, config: codec: h264, profile: h264 high, level: 42, alpha_mode: is_opaque, coded size: [1920,1080], visible rect: [0,0,1920,1080], natural size: [1920,1080], has extra data: false, encryption scheme: Unencrypted, rotation: 0°, flipped: 0, color space: {primaries:BT709, transfer:BT709, matrix:BT709, range:LIMITED}", "kRendererName": "RendererImpl", "pipeline_state": "kPlaying", "kVideoTracks": [ { "alpha mode": "is_opaque", "codec": "h264", "coded size": "1920x1080", "color space": { "matrix": "BT709", "primaries": "BT709", "range": "LIMITED", "transfer": "BT709" }, "encryption scheme": "Unencrypted", "has extra data": false, "hdr metadata": {}, "natural size": "1920x1080", "orientation": "0°", "profile": "h264 high", "visible rect": "0,0 1920x1080" } ], "kAudioTracks": [ { "bytes per channel": 4, "bytes per frame": 8, "channel layout": "STEREO", "channels": 2, "codec": "opus", "codec delay": 312, "discard decoder delay": true, "encryption scheme": "Unencrypted", "has extra data": true, "profile": "unknown", "sample format": "Float 32-bit", "samples per second": 48000, "seek preroll": "80000us" } ], "kIsAudioDecryptingDemuxerStream": false, "kAudioDecoderName": "FFmpegAudioDecoder", "kIsPlatformAudioDecoder": false, "kIsVideoDecryptingDemuxerStream": false, "kVideoDecoderName": "V4L2VideoDecoder", "kIsPlatformVideoDecoder": true, "duration": 646.261, "audio_buffering_state": { "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" }, "event": "kPlay", "dimensions": "1920x1080", "kResolution": "1920x1080", "video_buffering_state": { "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" }, "pipeline_buffering_state": { "for_suspended_start": false, "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" } }, "events": [ { "time": 0, "key": "created", "value": "2026-03-07 21:22:29.290286 UTC" }, { "time": 6.388000000268221, "key": "origin_url", "value": "" }, { "time": 6.400000000372529, "key": "kFrameUrl", "value": "" }, { "time": 6.411000000312924, "key": "kFrameTitle", "value": "BİLEMEDİM Kİ - YouTube" }, { "time": 6.603000000119209, "key": "url", "value": "" }, { "time": 6.6650000009685755, "key": "info", "value": "ChunkDemuxer" }, { "time": 6.687000000849366, "key": "kRendererName", "value": "RendererImpl" }, { "time": 6.728000000119209, "key": "pipeline_state", "value": "kStarting" }, { "time": 928.5950000006706, "key": "kVideoTracks", "value": [ { "alpha mode": "is_opaque", "codec": "h264", "coded size": "1920x1080", "color space": { "matrix": "BT709", "primaries": "BT709", "range": "LIMITED", "transfer": "BT709" }, "encryption scheme": "Unencrypted", "has extra data": false, "hdr metadata": {}, "natural size": "1920x1080", "orientation": "0°", "profile": "h264 high", "visible rect": "0,0 1920x1080" } ] }, { "time": 928.7039999999106, "key": "kAudioTracks", "value": [ { "bytes per channel": 4, "bytes per frame": 8, "channel layout": "STEREO", "channels": 2, "codec": "opus", "codec delay": 312, "discard decoder delay": true, "encryption scheme": "Unencrypted", "has extra data": true, "profile": "unknown", "sample format": "Float 32-bit", "samples per second": 48000, "seek preroll": "80000us" } ] }, { "time": 934.0409999992698, "key": "kIsAudioDecryptingDemuxerStream", "value": false }, { "time": 934.0520000010729, "key": "kAudioDecoderName", "value": "FFmpegAudioDecoder" }, { "time": 934.0570000000298, "key": "kIsPlatformAudioDecoder", "value": false }, { "time": 934.1349999997765, "key": "info", "value": "Selected FFmpegAudioDecoder for audio decoding, config: codec: opus, profile: unknown, bytes_per_channel: 4, channel_layout: STEREO, channels: 2, samples_per_second: 48000, sample_format: Float 32-bit, bytes_per_frame: 8, seek_preroll: 80000us, codec_delay: 312, has extra data: true, encryption scheme: Unencrypted, discard decoder delay: true, target_output_channel_layout: STEREO, target_output_sample_format: Unknown sample format" }, { "time": 934.410000000149, "key": "info", "value": "Cannot select DecryptingVideoDecoder for video decoding" }, { "time": 964.0030000004917, "key": "info", "value": "Effective playback rate changed from 0 to 1" }, { "time": 990.2740000002086, "key": "info", "value": "VideoDecoderPipeline |decoder_| Initialize() successful" }, { "time": 990.695000000298, "key": "kIsVideoDecryptingDemuxerStream", "value": false }, { "time": 990.6990000009537, "key": "kVideoDecoderName", "value": "V4L2VideoDecoder" }, { "time": 990.7009999994189, "key": "kIsPlatformVideoDecoder", "value": true }, { "time": 990.7369999997318, "key": "info", "value": "Selected V4L2VideoDecoder for video decoding, config: codec: h264, profile: h264 high, level: 42, alpha_mode: is_opaque, coded size: [1920,1080], visible rect: [0,0,1920,1080], natural size: [1920,1080], has extra data: false, encryption scheme: Unencrypted, rotation: 0°, flipped: 0, color space: {primaries:BT709, transfer:BT709, matrix:BT709, range:LIMITED}" }, { "time": 990.7709999997169, "key": "pipeline_state", "value": "kPlaying" }, { "time": 79.44900000095367, "key": "duration", "value": 646.261 }, { "time": 1180.1459999997169, "key": "audio_buffering_state", "value": { "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" } }, { "time": 964.2039999999106, "key": "event", "value": "kPlay" }, { "time": 1234.7939999997616, "key": "dimensions", "value": "1920x1080" }, { "time": 1234.801000000909, "key": "kResolution", "value": "1920x1080" }, { "time": 1217.1349999997765, "key": "video_buffering_state", "value": { "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" } }, { "time": 1234.8570000007749, "key": "pipeline_buffering_state", "value": { "for_suspended_start": false, "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" } }, { "time": 3519.1349999997765, "key": "video_buffering_state", "value": { "state": "BUFFERING_HAVE_ENOUGH" } } ] }

[Halhadus]

According to new information I've learned, V4L2 is being used (or will be used) for hardware-accelerated video decoding in the Linux support provided for M series MacBook devices.