VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR(3)

# VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR(3) Manual Page

## Name

VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR - Structure describing H.265 encode capabilities

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## C Specification

When calling vkGetPhysicalDeviceVideoCapabilitiesKHR to query the capabilities for an H.265 encode profile, the VkVideoCapabilitiesKHR::`pNext` chain must include a `VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR` structure that will be filled with the profile-specific capabilities.

The `VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR` structure is defined as:

    // Provided by VK_KHR_video_encode_h265
    typedef struct VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR {
        VkStructureType                                sType;
        void*                                          pNext;
        VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilityFlagsKHR            flags;
        StdVideoH265LevelIdc                           maxLevelIdc;
        uint32_t                                       maxSliceSegmentCount;
        VkExtent2D                                     maxTiles;
        VkVideoEncodeH265CtbSizeFlagsKHR               ctbSizes;
        VkVideoEncodeH265TransformBlockSizeFlagsKHR    transformBlockSizes;
        uint32_t                                       maxPPictureL0ReferenceCount;
        uint32_t                                       maxBPictureL0ReferenceCount;
        uint32_t                                       maxL1ReferenceCount;
        uint32_t                                       maxSubLayerCount;
        VkBool32                                       expectDyadicTemporalSubLayerPattern;
        int32_t                                        minQp;
        int32_t                                        maxQp;
        VkBool32                                       prefersGopRemainingFrames;
        VkBool32                                       requiresGopRemainingFrames;
        VkVideoEncodeH265StdFlagsKHR                   stdSyntaxFlags;
    } VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR;

## Members

- `sType` is a VkStructureType value identifying this structure.

- `pNext` is `NULL` or a pointer to a structure extending this structure.

- `flags` is a bitmask of VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilityFlagBitsKHR indicating supported H.265 encoding capabilities.

- `maxLevelIdc` is a `StdVideoH265LevelIdc` value indicating the maximum H.265 level supported by the profile, where enum constant `STD_VIDEO_H265_LEVEL_IDC_<major>_<minor>` identifies H.265 level `<major>.<minor>` as defined in section A.4 of the ITU-T H.265 Specification.

- `maxSliceSegmentCount` indicates the maximum number of slice segments that can be encoded for a single picture. Further restrictions may apply to the number of slice segments that can be encoded for a single picture depending on other capabilities and codec-specific rules.

- `maxTiles` indicates the maximum number of H.265 tile columns and rows, as defined in sections 3.175 and 3.176 of the ITU-T H.265 Specification that can be encoded for a single picture. Further restrictions may apply to the number of H.265 tiles that can be encoded for a single picture depending on other capabilities and codec-specific rules.

- `ctbSizes` is a bitmask of VkVideoEncodeH265CtbSizeFlagBitsKHR describing the supported CTB sizes.

- `transformBlockSizes` is a bitmask of VkVideoEncodeH265TransformBlockSizeFlagBitsKHR describing the supported transform block sizes.

- `maxPPictureL0ReferenceCount` indicates the maximum number of reference pictures the implementation supports in the reference list L0 for P pictures.

  Note | As implementations may override the reference lists, `maxPPictureL0ReferenceCount` does not limit the number of elements that the application can specify in the L0 reference list for P pictures. However, if `maxPPictureL0ReferenceCount` is zero, then the use of P pictures is not allowed. In case of H.265 encoding, pictures can be encoded using only forward prediction even if P pictures are not supported, as the ITU-T H.265 Specification supports generalized P & B frames (also known as low delay B frames) whereas B frames can refer to past frames through both the L0 and L1 reference lists.

- `maxBPictureL0ReferenceCount` indicates the maximum number of reference pictures the implementation supports in the reference list L0 for B pictures.

- `maxL1ReferenceCount` indicates the maximum number of reference pictures the implementation supports in the reference list L1 if encoding of B pictures is supported.

  Note | As implementations may override the reference lists, `maxBPictureL0ReferenceCount` and `maxL1ReferenceCount` does not limit the number of elements that the application can specify in the L0 and L1 reference lists for B pictures. However, if `maxBPictureL0ReferenceCount` and `maxL1ReferenceCount` are both zero, then the use of B pictures is not allowed.

- `maxSubLayerCount` indicates the maximum number of H.265 sub-layers supported by the implementation.

- `expectDyadicTemporalSubLayerPattern` indicates that the implementation’s rate control algorithms expect the application to use a dyadic temporal sub-layer pattern when encoding multiple temporal sub-layers.

- `minQp` indicates the minimum QP value supported.

- `maxQp` indicates the maximum QP value supported.

- `prefersGopRemainingFrames` indicates that the implementation’s rate control algorithm prefers the application to specify the number of frames of each type remaining in the current group of pictures when beginning a video coding scope.

- `requiresGopRemainingFrames` indicates that the implementation’s rate control algorithm requires the application to specify the number of frames of each type remaining in the current group of pictures when beginning a video coding scope.

- `stdSyntaxFlags` is a bitmask of VkVideoEncodeH265StdFlagBitsKHR indicating capabilities related to H.265 syntax elements.

## Description

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilitiesKHR-sType-sType
  `sType` must be VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_VIDEO_ENCODE_H265_CAPABILITIES_KHR

Structure Chaining

Extends the structure

  - VkVideoCapabilitiesKHR

## See Also

VK_KHR_video_encode_h265, VkBool32, VkExtent2D, VkStructureType, VkVideoEncodeH265CapabilityFlagsKHR, VkVideoEncodeH265CtbSizeFlagsKHR, VkVideoEncodeH265StdFlagsKHR, VkVideoEncodeH265TransformBlockSizeFlagsKHR

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0