Nvidia NVDEC

Nvidia NVDEC (formerly known as NVCUVID[1]) is a feature in its graphics cards that performs video decoding, offloading this compute-intensive task from the CPU.[2]

It is accompanied by NVENC for video encoding in Nvidia's Video Codec SDK.[2]

Technology

NVDEC can offload video decoding to full fixed-function decoding hardware (Nvidia PureVideo), or (partially) decode via CUDA software running on the GPU, if fixed-function hardware is not available.[2][3]

Depending on the GPU architecture, the following codecs are supported:[4]

• MPEG-2
• VC-1
• H.264 (AVC)
• H.265 (HEVC)
• VP8
• VP9
• AV1

Versions

NVCUVID was originally distributed as part of the Nvidia CUDA Toolkit.[3] Later, it was renamed to NVDEC and moved to the Nvidia Video Codec SDK.[1]

Operating system support

NVDEC is available for Windows and Linux operating systems.[2] As NVDEC is a proprietary API (as opposed to the open-source VDPAU API), it is only supported by the proprietary Nvidia driver on Linux.

Application and library support

• Gstreamer has supported NVDEC since 2017.[5]
• FFmpeg has supported NVDEC since 2017.[6]
• mpv has supported NVDEC since 2017.[7]

GPU support

HW accelerated encode and decode are supported on NVIDIA GeForce, Quadro, Tesla, and GRID products with Fermi or newer generation GPUs.[8]

Board	Family	Chip	Desktop/ Mobile/ Server	# Of Chips	# Of NVDEC /Chip	Total # of NVDEC	MPEG-1	MPEG-2	VC-1	VP8	VP9			H.264 (AVCHD)	H.265 (HEVC) 4:2:0			H.265 (HEVC) 4:4:4			AV1 4:2:0
											8 bit	10 bit	12 bit		8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit	8 bit	10 bit	12 bit
GeForce 710A > 810A	Kepler	GK208	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 723A / 740A	Kepler	GK208	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 720M > 740M	Kepler	GK208	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 630 / 635/ 640 / 710 / 730	Kepler	GK208	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 710A / 810M / 820M	Kepler	GK107	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 640M > 755M / GTX 660M	Kepler	GK107	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 630 - 640 GeForce GTX 650 GeForce GT 740	Kepler	GK107	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 645 -650 Ti Boost GeForce GT 740	Kepler	GK106	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 660 - 690 GeForce GTX 760 - 770	Kepler	GK104	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 760A/M > 880M	Kepler	GK104	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 680M/MX > 880M	Kepler	GK104	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 780 - 780 Ti	Kepler (2nd Gen)	GK110	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan / Titan Black	Kepler (2nd Gen)	GK110	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan Z	Kepler (2nd Gen)	GK110	D	2	1	2	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 745 - 750 Ti	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM107	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 845M / 940M / 940MX / 945M	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM107	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 850A > 960A	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM107	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 850M > 960M	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM107	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 830A > 945A	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce 830M > 945M	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 920MX - 940MX	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX110 / MX130	Maxwell (1st Gen)	GM108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 750 GeForce GTX 950 - 960	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM206	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 965M	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM206	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 910M / 920M / 920A	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM208B	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 965M > 980M / 980MX	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM204	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 960 Ti / 970 / 980	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM204	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM200	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan X	Maxwell (2nd Gen)	GM200	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX150	Pascal	GP108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce MX230 / MX250	Pascal	GP108	M	1	0	0	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GT 1030	Pascal	GP108	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1050 / 1050 Ti	Pascal	GP107	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1050 / 1050 Ti	Pascal	GP106	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1060	Pascal	GP106	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1060	Pascal	GP104	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1070M / 1080M	Pascal	GP104B	M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1070 / 1070 Ti / 1080	Pascal	GP104	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti	Pascal	GP102	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX Titan X / Titan Xp	Pascal	GP102	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Titan V	Volta	GV100	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1650	Turing	TU117	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti / 1660	Turing	TU116	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2060 / 2070	Turing	TU106	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2080	Turing	TU104	D/M	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	Turing	TU102	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Titan RTX	Turing	TU102	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
A100	Ampere	GA100	S	1	1	5	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
GeForce RTX 3080 / 3090	Ampere	GA102	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / 3070	Ampere	GA104	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti / 3060	Ampere	GA106	D	1	1	1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

See also

• AMD Video Core Next, AMD's equivalent SIP core since 2018
• AMD Unified Video Decoder, AMD's equivalent SIP core up to 2017
• Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel's equivalent SIP core

References

1. "Video Decoder". CUDA Toolkit Documentation. Nvidia. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
2. "NVIDIA VIDEO CODEC SDK". NVIDIA Developer. Nvidia. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
3. "Nvidia Video Decoder (NVCUVID) Interface" (PDF). Nvidia. November 2015. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
4. "Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix". NVIDIA Developer. Nvidia. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
5. Michael Larabel (27 June 2017). "GStreamer Adds NVDEC NVIDIA GPU Decoding Support". Phoronix.
6. Michael Larabel (11 November 2017). "FFmpeg Lands NVDEC-Accelerated H.264 Decoding". Phoronix.
7. wm4 (28 October 2017). "vd_lavc: add support for nvdec hwaccel". GitHub.
8. https://developer.nvidia.com/video-encode-decode-gpu-support-matrix

External links

• NVIDIA VIDEO CODEC SDK