Video Codec Converter (VCC)

<p align="center"> <img src="icon.png" alt="VCC Logo" width="720" height="300"> </p>

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