Hardware accelerator failed to decode picture - Videotoolbox HEVC

[David Franco]

Summary of the bug:
This bug can be reproduced in both the 5.4 and the latest ffmpeg version.

While trying to decode the video decode_gpu.mov, the videotoolbox decoder fails to decode certain frames.

While this video is clearly corrupted, VLC was able to perform gpu decoding without issues for this video so there might be something we can do.

A similar issue was reported for H264 videos in the past (already fixed) and it might be related:
​https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/9713

The video specs are:

• HEVC
• 1920x1080
• yuv420p

My system specs are:

• Mac Book Pro 2022
• Apple M2
• 16GB
• Sonoma 14.1

Download video:
​https://drive.google.com/file/d/17JgTQPkXQ2y1zG1HDBhIK0k9Udw9fFjI/view?usp=sharing

How to reproduce:

./ffmpeg -hwaccel videotoolbox -i decode_gpu.mov -f null -
ffmpeg version 7.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2024 the FFmpeg developers
  built with Apple clang version 13.1.6 (clang-1316.0.21.2.5)
  configuration: --prefix=/Volumes/tempdisk/sw --extra-cflags=-fno-stack-check --arch=arm64 --cc=/usr/bin/clang --enable-gpl --enable-libvmaf --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-fontconfig --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libsnappy --enable-libaom --enable-libvidstab --enable-libzimg --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libkvazaar --pkg-config-flags=--static --enable-ffplay --enable-postproc --enable-neon --enable-runtime-cpudetect --disable-indev=qtkit --disable-indev=x11grab_xcb
  libavutil      59. 39.100 / 59. 39.100
  libavcodec     61. 19.100 / 61. 19.100
  libavformat    61.  7.100 / 61.  7.100
  libavdevice    61.  3.100 / 61.  3.100
  libavfilter    10.  4.100 / 10.  4.100
  libswscale      8.  3.100 /  8.  3.100
  libswresample   5.  3.100 /  5.  3.100
  libpostproc    58.  3.100 / 58.  3.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'decode_gpu.mov':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt  
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: qt  
    creation_time   : 2025-02-27T21:38:08.000000Z
    Angles.custom.TS.metadata: {
                    :   "created_by" : "Angles"
                    : }
  Duration: 00:00:47.51, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 8163 kb/s
  Stream #0:0[0x1](und): Video: hevc (Main) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1920x1080, 7807 kb/s, 24.45 fps, 25 tbr, 2500 tbn (default)
      Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2025-02-27T21:38:08.000000Z
        handler_name    : Core Media Video
        vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]
        encoder         : HEVC
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (hevc (native) -> wrapped_avframe (native))
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
Output #0, null, to 'pipe:':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt  
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: qt  
    Angles.custom.TS.metadata: {
                    :   "created_by" : "Angles"
                    : }
    encoder         : Lavf61.7.100
  Stream #0:0(und): Video: wrapped_avframe, nv12(tv, bt709, progressive), 1920x1080, q=2-31, 200 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbn (default)
      Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2025-02-27T21:38:08.000000Z
        handler_name    : Core Media Video
        vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]
        encoder         : Lavc61.19.100 wrapped_avframe
[hevc @ 0x141f3af10] Duplicate POC in a sequence: 944.itrate=N/A speed=8.91x    
[hevc @ 0x141f3af10] Skipping invalid undecodable NALU: 21
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -12909
[hevc @ 0x141f42390] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f0f410] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f16890] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f1dd10] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[null @ 0x141f04b30] Application provided invalid, non monotonically increasing dts to muxer in stream 0: 244 >= 243
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f25190] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f2c610] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f33a90] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f3af10] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f42390] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f0f410] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f16890] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f1dd10] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f25190] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f2c610] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f33a90] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Decoding error: Unknown error occurred
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f3af10] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
[hevc @ 0x141f07020] No frame decoded?
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Generic error in an external library
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error submitting packet to decoder: Unknown error occurred
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] A decoder returned an unexpected error code. This is a bug, please report it.
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Error processing packet in decoder: Internal bug, should not have happened
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Task finished with error code: -558323010 (Internal bug, should not have happened)
[vist#0:0/hevc @ 0x141f04fe0] [dec:hevc @ 0x141f06a40] Terminating thread with return code -558323010 (Internal bug, should not have happened)
[out#0/null @ 0x600002c30000] video:104KiB audio:0KiB subtitle:0KiB other streams:0KiB global headers:0KiB muxing overhead: unknown
frame=  243 fps=186 q=-0.0 Lsize=N/A time=00:00:09.88 bitrate=N/A speed=7.56x    
[hevc @ 0x141f077c0] vt decoder cb: output image buffer is null: -17694
[hevc @ 0x141f42390] hardware accelerator failed to decode picture
Conversion failed!

[quinkblack]

The issue is complex than I thought. It can be workarounded by -advanced_editlist 0

ffmpeg -hwaccel videotoolbox -advanced_editlist 0 -i foo.mp4 -f null -

My patchset

https://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/2025-March/341305.html