#1134138 vlc: should not use iHD_drv_video.so (intel-media-va-driver)

Package:
vlc
Source:
vlc
Description:
multimedia player and streamer
Submitter:
Vincent Lefevre
Date:
2026-04-17 17:11:01 UTC
Severity:
normal
Tags:
#1134138#5
Date:
2026-04-16 22:53:15 UTC
From:
To:
I have the H264 video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSBNhm-bC7I
downloaded with yt-dlp (codec info cannot be copy-pasted!!!), and
I get

VLC media player 3.0.23 Vetinari (revision 3.0.23-2-0-g79128878dd)
[000055815bd03c90] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
[00007f1da0c0a820] avcodec decoder: Using Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 26.1.2 () for hardware decoding
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0d25e80] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0d25e80] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0ca1e80] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0ca1e80] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c87ec0] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c87ec0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0d273c0] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0d273c0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c8f400] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c8f400] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c5aa40] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7f1da0c5aa40] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[...]

qaa:~> vainfo
Trying display: wayland
Trying display: x11
libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.23 (libva 2.22.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 26.1.2 ()
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileNone                   : VAEntrypointVideoProc
      VAProfileNone                   : VAEntrypointStats
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           : VAEntrypointEncPicture
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP8Version0_3          : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile1            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile1            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileVP9Profile3            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile3            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain12             : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_10         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain422_12         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain444            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain444            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_10         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_10         : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCMain444_12         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain            : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain10          : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain10          : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444         : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444_10      : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCSccMain444_10      : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?package=intel-media-va-driver
shows that there are limitations, and no-one seems to be interested to
work on that. Thus this driver should not be used, except for codecs
it is known to support.

This package was installed by the Debian installer (Debian 12.1 at
that time).

Same errors with the non-free version intel-media-va-driver-non-free.

If I remove either, I get:

VLC media player 3.0.23 Vetinari (revision 3.0.23-2-0-g79128878dd)
[0000557f981c8c90] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: va_openDriver() returns -1
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: va_openDriver() returns -1
[00007f7a38001f10] glconv_vaapi_x11 gl error: vaInitialize: unknown libva error
libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/nouveau_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
[00007f7a38001f10] glconv_vaapi_drm gl error: vaDeriveImage: operation failed

There are no issues with ffplay (from ffmpeg) and Firefox.
#1134138#10
Date:
2026-04-17 00:15:21 UTC
From:
To:
[...]

I forgot that I had created a very short video (h264 / avc1)
as a testcase in the past. Attached.

Similarly, with this video, I get:

VLC media player 3.0.23 Vetinari (revision 3.0.23-2-0-g79128878dd)
[0000563cf444ec90] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
libva info: VA-API version 1.23.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_23
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
[00007fe4a4c025b0] avcodec decoder: Using Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 26.1.2 () for hardware decoding
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c47500] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c47500] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c93340] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c93340] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cb3180] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cb3180] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cd2fc0] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cd2fc0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cf2e00] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cf2e00] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4d12c40] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4d12c40] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c47500] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c47500] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c93340] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4c93340] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cb3180] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cb3180] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cd2fc0] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cd2fc0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[00007fe4a4c025b0] main decoder error: buffer deadlock prevented
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cf2e00] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4cf2e00] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4d12c40] Failed to end picture decode issue: 23 (internal decoding error).
[h264 @ 0x7fe4a4d12c40] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
#1134138#15
Date:
2026-04-17 06:44:20 UTC
From:
To:
Control: tags -1 moreinfo
Control: severity -1 normal

So what is your hardware? I can play the file with intel-media-va-driver
just fine.

Cheers
#1134138#24
Date:
2026-04-17 08:08:14 UTC
From:
To:
The processor is 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-12600H.
The machine is a Dell Precision 5570.
#1134138#29
Date:
2026-04-17 08:21:08 UTC
From:
To:
Control: reassign -1 intel-media-va-driver 25.4.2+dfsg1-1
Control: forwarded -1 https://github.com/intel/media-driver/issues/1972

Right, so you already filed
https://github.com/intel/media-driver/issues/1972. Reassinging
accordingly.

Cheers
#1134138#42
Date:
2026-04-17 09:08:31 UTC
From:
To:
As you can see, no-one is working on it.

My bug report was against VLC, which should use something else
(like ffmpeg and Firefox) if this driver does not work.
#1134138#47
Date:
2026-04-17 17:01:46 UTC
From:
To:
Control: found -1 26.1.2+dfsg1-1
Control: affects -1 vlc

Actually it is not clear that the bug is in intel-media-va-driver
because it works correctly with
"Input / Codecs" → "Hardware-accelerated decoding" set to
"VA-API video decoder via DRM" in VLC.