The README documents CPU-only video decoding. The ARM64 guest has accelerated VirGL graphics, but applications cannot use the Mac's media decoder through the current virtual devices.
Proposed implementation within the existing Apple Silicon / QEMU / HVF architecture:
- A guest VA-API driver and a broker restricted to the
video group send compressed HEVC, AV1 and VP9 to a supervised host helper.
- VideoToolbox must confirm a hardware decoder before the driver exposes the session.
- A private Mach capability carries IOSurfaces to QEMU for GPU copies into the guest's existing VirGL textures. CPU readback uses bounded per-client buffers through a dedicated PCI aperture.
- Application-scoped, pinned FFmpeg libraries support mpv and Firefox without replacing Arch's FFmpeg libraries. Firefox keeps its RDD sandbox; Vivaldi provides the verified VP9 YouTube path.
A local M5 Pro installation completed the requested 2160p60 YouTube clip without playback stalls or dropped frames during a 7,529-frame measurement interval. HEVC Main10 also works in mpv and sandboxed Firefox. Initial FFmpeg validation matched all 120 decoded 4K Main10 frames and timestamps against software decoding; the accompanying PR will include reproducible checks and separate decode-only timings from CPU readback costs.
Opening this issue before the implementation PR as requested by CONTRIBUTING.md, so the new guest/host transport and application integration can be reviewed explicitly.
The README documents CPU-only video decoding. The ARM64 guest has accelerated VirGL graphics, but applications cannot use the Mac's media decoder through the current virtual devices.
Proposed implementation within the existing Apple Silicon / QEMU / HVF architecture:
videogroup send compressed HEVC, AV1 and VP9 to a supervised host helper.A local M5 Pro installation completed the requested 2160p60 YouTube clip without playback stalls or dropped frames during a 7,529-frame measurement interval. HEVC Main10 also works in mpv and sandboxed Firefox. Initial FFmpeg validation matched all 120 decoded 4K Main10 frames and timestamps against software decoding; the accompanying PR will include reproducible checks and separate decode-only timings from CPU readback costs.
Opening this issue before the implementation PR as requested by
CONTRIBUTING.md, so the new guest/host transport and application integration can be reviewed explicitly.