ffmpeg-quality-metrics
Headless CLI for video quality metrics: VMAF, PSNR, SSIM, VIF and MSAD scoring.
ffmpeg-quality-metrics is an open-source command-line tool for measuring full-reference video quality. Given a distorted encode and its reference source, it computes VMAF (Netflix's perceptual quality model), PSNR, SSIM, VIF and MSAD, with per-frame values and a global statistical summary (mean, min, max, median, stdev) for each metric.
Key features
- VMAF, PSNR, SSIM, VIF and MSAD in a single run, output as JSON or CSV
- Bundled static FFmpeg n7.1 built with libvmaf and built-in VMAF models, so VMAF runs out of the box with no runtime model download
- Handles resolution/frame-rate scaling and offset alignment between the two inputs
- A tiny reference/distorted sample pair ships with the appliance for an instant demo
- Fully headless: drive it over SSH; there is no login and no web console
Use cases
- Encoding-ladder and codec evaluation (compare x264/x265/AV1 settings by VMAF)
- Regression-testing a transcode pipeline against a golden reference
- Ad hoc QoE spot checks on delivered vs. source video
Why run it on the NetActuate edge VMAF and the other metrics are CPU-intensive; running them on a right-sized VM in a NetActuate PoP keeps large source and distorted files close to where they are produced or stored, avoiding slow uploads to a laptop or a distant cloud region.
Deployed from the NetActuate marketplace, the appliance runs a fail-closed first-boot self-check (FFmpeg runnable, the libvmaf filter present, the tool importable) and surfaces the result on a co-located landing page and a /health endpoint. SSH in and run ffmpeg_quality_metrics distorted.mp4 reference.mp4 to get started; a bundled sample pair under /usr/local/share/ffmpeg-quality-metrics/samples lets you confirm a real VMAF run immediately.
Frequently asked questions
How do I deploy ffmpeg-quality-metrics on NetActuate?
Use the Deploy on NetActuate button to talk to our team. We provision ffmpeg-quality-metrics on a NetActuate virtual machine in the point of presence you choose, close to your audience. Each deployment runs in the single location you select.
What does it cost to run ffmpeg-quality-metrics?
ffmpeg-quality-metrics is open-source software and free to run on the marketplace - you pay only for the NetActuate compute (virtual-machine size and location) it runs on, at standard rates. There are no usage-based software fees.
Where can ffmpeg-quality-metrics run?
ffmpeg-quality-metrics can be deployed in any of NetActuate's 50+ points of presence across every continent, so you can place ingest, transcode, delivery and caching close to your contributors and viewers.
Who supports ffmpeg-quality-metrics?
NetActuate operates and supports the underlying infrastructure - the virtual machine, network and edge platform. The application itself is supported by its upstream open-source project.
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