#11658(undetermined:new): libx265 lacks a -level option

6 Jul 2025

      #11658: libx265 lacks a -level option
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
             Reporter:  Boopboop     |                     Type:
                                     |  enhancement
               Status:  new          |                 Priority:  normal
            Component:               |                  Version:  git-
  undetermined                       |  master
             Keywords:  libx265      |               Blocked By:
             Blocking:               |  Reproduced by developer:  0
Analyzed by developer:  0            |
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 Summary of the bug: {{{-level:v}}} has been a widely available argument to
 video encoders, yet libx265 ''silently'' ignores it. It does not complain
 about an extraneous -level:v which it doesn't recognize. It only became
 obvious once I tried to specify Main 4.1 but got High 4.0 no matter what.

 x265 has this level-idc option to specify a level, and passing
 {{{-x265-params level-idc=4.1}}} works as intended.

 How to reproduce:
 {{{
 % ffmpeg -report -loglevel 99 -to 1 -i DSC_0021.MOV -an -c:v libx265
 -profile:v main10 -level:v 4.1 -bufsize 20M -maxrate 20M -preset:v
 veryslow  -x265-params pools=6:frame-threads=1:vbv-init=0.9 DSC_0021.mp4
 ffmpeg version N-120196-g6b028859d9 Copyright (c) 2000-2025 the FFmpeg
 developers
   built with Apple clang version 17.0.0 (clang-1700.0.13.5)
   configuration: --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/ffmpeg/HEAD-6b02885_3
 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --cc=clang --host-
 cflags= --host-ldflags='-Wl,-ld_classic' --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls
 --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libbluray
 --enable-libdav1d --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libjxl --enable-libmp3lame
 --enable-libopus --enable-librav1e --enable-librist --enable-librubberband
 --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1
 --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-
 libvmaf --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-
 libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma
 --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-
 libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-
 libopenjpeg --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-libzmq --enable-
 libzimg --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack --enable-videotoolbox
 --enable-audiotoolbox --enable-neon
   libavutil      60.  4.101 / 60.  4.101
   libavcodec     62.  5.100 / 62.  5.100
   libavformat    62.  1.101 / 62.  1.101
   libavdevice    62.  0.100 / 62.  0.100
   libavfilter    11.  1.100 / 11.  1.100
   libswscale      9.  0.100 /  9.  0.100
   libswresample   6.  0.100 /  6.  0.100

 (Input file is 1080p25. Sample size within Main10 4.0)
 (20Mb/s is beyond Main10 4.0, but within specs for both Main10 4.1 and
 High10 4.0)
 (snip)
 x265 [info]: HEVC encoder version 4.1+1-1d117be
 x265 [info]: build info [Mac OS X][clang 17.0.0][64 bit] 10bit
 x265 [info]: using cpu capabilities: NEON Neon_DotProd Neon_I8MM
 x265 [info]: Main 10 profile, Level-4 (High tier)                     <=
 Here
 x265 [info]: Thread pool created using 6 threads
 x265 [info]: Slices                              : 1
 x265 [info]: frame threads / pool features       : 1 / wpp(17 rows)
 x265 [info]: Coding QT: max CU size, min CU size : 64 / 8
 x265 [info]: Residual QT: max TU size, max depth : 32 / 3 inter / 3 intra
 x265 [info]: ME / range / subpel / merge         : star / 57 / 4 / 5
 x265 [info]: Keyframe min / max / scenecut / bias  : 25 / 250 / 40 / 5.00
 x265 [info]: Lookahead / bframes / badapt        : 40 / 8 / 2
 x265 [info]: b-pyramid / weightp / weightb       : 1 / 1 / 1
 x265 [info]: References / ref-limit  cu / depth  : 5 / off / off
 x265 [info]: AQ: mode / str / qg-size / cu-tree  : 2 / 1.0 / 32 / 1
 x265 [info]: Rate Control / qCompress            : CRF-28.0 / 0.60
 x265 [info]: VBV/HRD buffer / max-rate / init    : 20000 / 20000 / 0.750
 x265 [info]: tools: rect amp rd=6 psy-rd=2.00 rdoq=2 psy-rdoq=1.00 rskip
 mode=1
 x265 [info]: tools: signhide tmvp b-intra strong-intra-smoothing deblock
 sao
 x265 [info]: tools: dhdr10-info
 }}}

 Compare with:

 {{{
 % ffmpeg -report -loglevel 99 -to 1 -i DSC_0021.MOV -an -c:v libx265
 -profile:v main10 -bufsize 20M -maxrate 20M -preset:v veryslow
 -x265-params pools=6:frame-threads=1:vbv-init=0.9:level-idc=4.1
 DSC_0021.mp4
 (snip)
 x265 [info]: HEVC encoder version 4.1+1-1d117be
 x265 [info]: build info [Mac OS X][clang 17.0.0][64 bit] 10bit
 x265 [info]: using cpu capabilities: NEON Neon_DotProd Neon_I8MM
 x265 [info]: Main 10 profile, Level-4.1 (Main tier)                 <=
 Main 4.1 is enough, high tier not chosen
 x265 [info]: Thread pool created using 6 threads
 x265 [info]: Slices                              : 1
 x265 [info]: frame threads / pool features       : 1 / wpp(17 rows)
 x265 [info]: Coding QT: max CU size, min CU size : 64 / 8
 x265 [info]: Residual QT: max TU size, max depth : 32 / 3 inter / 3 intra
 x265 [info]: ME / range / subpel / merge         : star / 57 / 4 / 5
 x265 [info]: Keyframe min / max / scenecut / bias  : 25 / 250 / 40 / 5.00
 x265 [info]: Lookahead / bframes / badapt        : 40 / 8 / 2
 x265 [info]: b-pyramid / weightp / weightb       : 1 / 1 / 1
 x265 [info]: References / ref-limit  cu / depth  : 5 / off / off
 x265 [info]: AQ: mode / str / qg-size / cu-tree  : 2 / 1.0 / 32 / 1
 x265 [info]: Rate Control / qCompress            : CRF-28.0 / 0.60
 x265 [info]: VBV/HRD buffer / max-rate / init    : 20000 / 20000 / 0.750
 x265 [info]: tools: rect amp rd=6 psy-rd=2.00 rdoq=2 psy-rdoq=1.00 rskip
 mode=1
 x265 [info]: tools: signhide tmvp b-intra strong-intra-smoothing deblock
 sao
 x265 [info]: tools: dhdr10-info
 }}}
-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/11658>
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