ffmpeg-devices

List available devices

$ ffmpeg -devices

$ ffmpeg -f v4l2 -i [/dev/video0] [output.mp4]

$ ffmpeg -f x11grab -i [:0.0] [screen.mp4]

$ ffmpeg -f alsa -i [hw:0] [audio.wav]

$ ffmpeg -f v4l2 -list_formats all -i [/dev/video0]

ffmpeg -f device [options] -i source output

ffmpeg devices enable capturing from hardware sources like webcams, microphones, and screens. Device-specific input formats provide access to system multimedia hardware.
Different platforms have different device types: v4l2 and x11grab on Linux, avfoundation on macOS, and dshow on Windows. Each device type has specific options for resolution, framerate, and format.
Device capture enables recording, streaming, and real-time processing of live input sources.

-f DEVICE

Device type: v4l2, x11grab, alsa, pulse, dshow.

Device path or identifier.

Video4Linux2 webcam capture.

X11 screen capture.

ALSA audio capture.

PulseAudio capture.

DirectShow (Windows) capture.

List available devices.

Device names are platform-specific. Permissions may be required. Screen capture performance depends on system. Audio sync can be challenging.

ffmpeg device support evolved with multimedia hardware APIs. V4L2 support came with Linux video devices, while screen grabbing capabilities were added for recording and streaming use cases.

ffmpeg(1), ffprobe(1), v4l2-ctl(1)