By
Delia
/ Last update
December 10, 2024
Recently, Microsoft released the DirectX 12-based Video Encode application programming interface (API), which is designed to enable third-party programs to use the GPU to accelerate video encoding.
DirectX 12 has a variety of applications in multimedia environments, particularly gaming and video. When it comes to the latter, it already provides APIs for GPU-accelerated video decoding and processing as well as motion estimation. Microsoft has now also introduced a new API for video encoding for DirectX 12, and it is natively supported in Windows 11.
What is the video encoding API for?
Those who have used Adobe Premiere to edit videos know that when the various editing operations are done in the software, the last and most critical step is needed - exporting.
And this export process is often very slow. The higher the image quality set, the higher the CPU and GPU resources used in the export process, and accordingly, the longer it will take. Meanwhile, the key to determine the speed of video export is the hardware configuration of the machine, the CPU should be strong enough, the GPU can also assist in computing to help export the video, as far as video export is concerned, the importance of the graphics card has even surpassed the CPU.
The video export process, the essence of the video editing software will contain a variety of materials, including video clips, pictures, music, text in accordance with certain standards and requirements for the "encoding" process, is very resource-intensive. The playback is equivalent to a decoding process of rendering and displaying the content.
Microsoft DirectX is an intermediate layer between hardware (graphics card) and software (PR). Microsoft DirectX is an intermediate layer between the hardware (graphics card) and the software (PR). The software issues "encoding" instructions, which are translated into underlying code by DirectX and given to the hardware to perform the operations. H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) codecs are supported.
Essentially, the video encoding API allows video engines to utilize the GPU in order to encode video according to the standards specified by DirectX 12. This means that third-party developers can also leverage this capability in their applications. More simply put, the Microsoft DirectX 12 video encoding API allows for faster and more efficient video decoding, which is good news for PR video production enthusiasts in general.
Requirements for this video encoding API
Of course, Microsoft has certain requirements for the hardware and software platforms that use the API. The minimum processor requirement is above the Rex 2000 series, the Rex 5000 series is recommended, and Intel Core 10 generation or above, and it is worth mentioning that AMD is in front of Intel in the order of recommended processors. As for the graphics card, Microsoft's minimum requirement is GeForce GTX 1000 series or higher. The video encoding API is included in Windows 11 by default and can also be utilized through the DirectX 12 Agility SDK (version 1.700.10-preview or later).
To find out the minimum hardware platform and driver version for each vendor, refer to the chart below.
