Microsoft Adds Video Encode API to DirectX 12 for Windows 11

Microsoft has announced a new API that allows video encoding in DirectX 12 on the Windows 11 platform. With the Video Encode API, the GPU on a machine will help video engines to encode through DirectX.

“We are happy to announce that D3D12 has added a new Video Encode feature to the existing video API families, with a new set of interfaces that allow developers to perform video encoding using GPU accelerated video engines.”

The big benefit of the update is third-party developers can now use the API in their apps. Microsoft says the Video Encode API supports HVEC and H264 at the moment. The company says it is better to query support for the codec because there are specific driver requirements for each.

It is worth noting there is no manual update necessary. Microsoft is baking the Video Encode API directly into Windows 11 as a default tool. Users can also access the API through DirectX 12 Agility SDK, but only on version 1.700.10-preview and newer.

Microsoft also details the minimum hardware requirements to run the API:

DirectX 12 Ultimate

Microsoft's DirectX 12 Ultimate API arrived in 2020 to give gamers access to a host of new graphics features, such as Variable Rate Shading (VS), Sampler Feedback, Mesh Shaders, and DirectX Raytracing (DXR).

Earlier this year, Microsoft brought the API to all developers through an SDK.

Tip of the day: The Windows Clipboard history feature provides the functionality across device, space, and time, letting you copy on one computer and paste the text days later on a different PC. All of it is possible via the Windows 10 clipboard manager, which lets you view, delete, pin, and clear clipboard history at will.

In our tutorial we show you how to enable the feature, clear clipboard history, and enable/disable clipboard sync to meet your preferences. You can also create a clear clipboard shortcut for quick removal of stored content.

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 10:17 pm CET by Markus Kasanmascheff