Ffmpeg Video Filter

Context: $ARGUMENTS

Quick start

• Resize to 720p (keep aspect): -vf "scale=-2:720" → Step 2
• Letterbox to 1080p: -vf "scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" → Example 2
• Watermark (PNG corner): -filter_complex "[1:v]scale=200:-1[wm];[0:v][wm]overlay=W-w-10:H-h-10" → Example 1
• Deinterlace: -vf "yadif=1" → Example 5
• Stack two videos: -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]hstack=inputs=2" → Example 3

When to use

• Single-input transformation on one video stream (scale/crop/pad/fps/color) → use -vf.
• Combining two or more inputs (overlay, hstack, picture-in-picture) → use -filter_complex.
• Anything with split, multiple outputs, or named labels → -filter_complex + -map.

Step 1 — Pick -vf vs -filter_complex