FFmpeg Encoder Availability Check

Purpose

Before writing any FFmpeg encoding script, always probe the system for available encoders. This prevents failures from missing or incompatible codec libraries (especially libopenh264 which frequently has version mismatches).

Core Pattern

Step 1: Probe Available Encoders

Always run this command before deciding on encoding parameters:

ffmpeg -encoders | grep h264

This shows which H.264 encoders are available on the system.

Step 2: Choose Encoder Based on Availability