Video Codec Converter (VCC)

A desktop GUI application for batch video transcoding using FFmpeg. VCC provides a user-friendly interface to convert video files between popular codecs with full control over encoding parameters.

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Features

• 8 Video Codecs — AV1 (SVT-AV1), H.264, H.265/HEVC, H.266/VVC, VP9, AV1 (libaom), MPEG-4, AV1 (rav1e)
• GPU Encoding — Auto-detected NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, and Intel QSV hardware encoders (10–50× faster)
• 15 Pixel Formats — yuv420p, yuv420p10le, yuv444p, and more
• Audio Control — Copy, re-encode (AAC/Opus/MP3/FLAC/Vorbis), or remove audio
• Resolution Presets — Quick presets for 360p through 8K, or set custom dimensions
• Subtitle Handling — Copy subtitles or remove them
• Batch Processing — Select multiple files or entire directories
• Drag & Drop — Drop video files or folders directly onto the window
• Batch Progress Bar — Overall progress across all files in the queue
• Preset Profiles — Save and load your encoding settings (Presets menu)
• Video Trimming — Set start/end times to trim videos during conversion
• Output Format Selection — Choose from 14 container formats (MKV, MP4, WebM, AVI, MOV, TS, FLV, WMV, OGG, M4V, MPG, 3GP, MXF) which are codec-aware or auto-detect
• Concatenate / Merge — Merge multiple video files into a single output file
• Auto-Crop — Detect and remove black bars (letterbox/pillarbox) per file using FFmpeg cropdetect
• Film Grain Synthesis — SVT-AV1 film grain synthesis for efficient grain encoding (0–50)
• Sharpness Control — Loop filter sharpness for SVT-AV1 and VP9 (0–7)
• Embedded Terminal — Live FFmpeg output displayed in the app
• Built-in Help — Menu bar with Codec, Pixel Format, Audio, Resolution, FPS, Bitrate, GPU Encoding, Film Grain, and Sharpness guides
• Dark / Light Theme — Toggle between dark and light mode via Settings menu (preference saved across sessions)
• Scroll-safe Controls — Mouse wheel won't accidentally change dropdown values
• Single EXE — Standalone .exe, no Python installation required for end users

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Installation for End Users

Linux

Thanks to h21alborzi, a linux build of the application is now available here on our linux branch, together with setup guide and AppImage.

Windows

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version	Download
FFmpeg	8.x (full build recommended)	gyan.dev/ffmpeg or ffmpeg.org
Windows	10 or 11 (64-bit)	—

Important: The full build is required (not essentials) to include all codec libraries.

Step 1 — Install FFmpeg

Option A: Using winget (easiest)

winget install ffmpeg

Verify:

ffmpeg -version

If you already have the lower version of the ffmpeg use:

winget upgrade ffmpeg

Option B: Manual install

1. Download the latest full_build from gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds
2. Extract the archive (e.g. to C:\ffmpeg)
3. Add the bin folder (C:\ffmpeg\bin) to your system PATH:
   • Search "Environment Variables" in Windows Start menu
   • Edit the Path variable under System variables
   • Add C:\ffmpeg\bin
4. Verify by opening a new Command Prompt and running:

   ffmpeg -version
   

Note: VCC automatically detects FFmpeg in common locations including winget install paths.

Step 2 — Download VCC

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download VideoCodecConverter.exe from the latest release
3. Double-click to run — no installation needed

Note: Windows SmartScreen may show a warning the first time you run the EXE. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

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Supported Codecs

CPU Encoders

Codec	FFmpeg Encoder	Container	Use Case
AV1 (SVT-AV1)	libsvtav1	.mkv	Best quality/size ratio, modern
H.264	libx264	.mkv	Maximum compatibility
H.265 / HEVC	libx265	.mkv	Good compression, wide support
H.266 / VVC	libvvenc	.mkv	Next-gen, best compression (new!)
VP9	libvpx-vp9	.webm	Web video, YouTube
AV1 (libaom)	libaom-av1	.mkv	Reference AV1 encoder (slow)
MPEG-4	mpeg4	.mkv	Legacy compatibility
AV1 (rav1e)	librav1e	.mkv	Rust-based AV1 encoder

GPU Encoders (Auto-Detected)

Codec	NVIDIA (NVENC)	AMD (AMF)	Intel (QSV)
H.264	h264_nvenc	h264_amf	h264_qsv
H.265 / HEVC	hevc_nvenc	hevc_amf	hevc_qsv
AV1	av1_nvenc (RTX 40+)	av1_amf (RX 7000+)	av1_qsv (Arc+)

GPU encoders are auto-detected at startup. Only encoders supported by your hardware and FFmpeg build will appear in the codec dropdown.

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Building from Source (for Developers)

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version
Python	3.12.x
pip	Latest
FFmpeg	8.x (on PATH)

Setup

cd VCC

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv venv

# Activate (Windows)
.\venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Run from Source

python run.pyw

Build Standalone EXE

python build.py

The EXE will be created at dist/VideoCodecConverter.exe.

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Project Structure

VCC/
├── vcc/                        # Application source code
│   ├── core/
│   │   ├── codecs.py           # Codec definitions and help text
│   │   ├── pixel_formats.py    # Pixel format definitions
│   │   ├── encoder.py          # FFmpeg worker thread
│   │   └── gpu_detect.py       # GPU encoder auto-detection
│   └── ui/
│       ├── main_window.py      # Main application window
│       ├── terminal_widget.py  # Embedded terminal output
│       ├── help_dialogs.py     # Help dialog windows
│       └── themes.py           # Light and dark theme stylesheets
├── run.pyw                     # Entry point (no console window)
├── run.py                      # Entry point (with console, for debugging)
├── build.py                    # Build script
├── requirements.txt            # Python dependencies
└── README.md                   # This file

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
EXE won't start, missing DLL error	Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
"ffmpeg is not recognized"	Add FFmpeg's bin folder to your system PATH and restart the terminal
Windows SmartScreen blocks EXE	Click "More info" → "Run anyway"
Encoding fails with codec error	Ensure you have the full build of FFmpeg (not essentials) which includes all codec libraries
No GPU encoders in dropdown	Update GPU drivers. Use the full build of FFmpeg. Verify your GPU supports the encoder.
GPU encoding fails	Update GPU drivers. Check NVIDIA/AMD/Intel driver versions. Try a different GPU preset.

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License

MIT License — free for personal and commercial use.

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Version History

• v1.2.1 — Auto-crop per file (detect and remove black bars via FFmpeg cropdetect), film grain synthesis control (SVT-AV1, 0–50), sharpness control (SVT-AV1 / VP9, 0–7), Film Grain and Sharpness help guides, subtitle auto-fix for MP4 containers
• v1.2 — Drag & drop file import, preset profiles (save/load/delete encoding settings), video trimming (start/end time), output format selection with codec-aware filtering (14 containers), concatenate/merge multiple files, batch progress bar, scroll-safe combo boxes, application icon on title bar and taskbar
• v1.1.1 — Fixed audio/subtitle dropdowns being editable, fixed OS dark theme interfering with app themes
• v1.1 — GPU-accelerated encoding (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel QSV) with parallel auto-detection, smart pixel format filtering per encoder, comprehensive help text with parameter tables, faster startup via parallel GPU probing
• v1.0.3 — Added GPU-accelerated encoding (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel QSV) with auto-detection, GPU Encoding Guide in Help menu, hardware-accelerated decoding
• v1.0.2a — Fixed encoding failure in target bitrate mode (SVT-AV1 VBR), fixed app crash after encoding completes, fixed dark theme white widgets, fixed arrow visibility in themed spinboxes & comboboxes, added dark/light theme toggle in Settings menu
• v1.0.2 — Added FPS control (11 presets + custom), video bitrate selector (256K–20M), app icon, fixed window closing during batch processing
• v1.0.1 — Added H.266/VVC codec, AV1 encoder comparison guide, FFmpeg 8.x support, auto-detection of FFmpeg in winget/common paths
• v1.0.0 — Initial release with full GUI, 7 codecs, batch processing, resolution presets, and standalone EXE