> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Audio & Video Configuration

> Configure encoders, resolution, bitrate, HDR, and audio settings

Audio and video settings control the quality and performance of your stream. Sunshine supports multiple hardware encoders (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and software encoding.

## Audio Configuration

<ParamField path="audio_sink" type="string" default="Default audio device">
  The name of the audio sink used for audio loopback.

  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Windows">
      Use the included tool to find audio device names:

      ```bash theme={null}
      %ProgramFiles%\Sunshine\tools\audio-info.exe
      ```

      Example:

      ```bash theme={null}
      audio_sink = Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
      ```

      For devices with identical names, use the Device ID instead.
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Linux (PulseAudio)">
      Find audio sink names:

      ```bash theme={null}
      pacmd list-sinks | grep "name:"
      ```

      Example:

      ```bash theme={null}
      audio_sink = alsa_output.pci-0000_09_00.3.analog-stereo
      ```
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Linux (PipeWire)">
      Find audio sink names:

      ```bash theme={null}
      pactl info | grep Source
      # If Source doesn't work, try:
      pactl info | grep Sink
      ```
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="macOS">
      Sunshine can only access microphones on macOS. To stream system audio, use:

      * [Soundflower](https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundflower)
      * [BlackHole](https://github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole)

      Example:

      ```bash theme={null}
      audio_sink = BlackHole 2ch
      ```
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="virtual_sink" type="string" default="None">
  A virtual audio device that allows streaming audio while muting speakers.

  **Virtual Audio Options:**

  * Steam Streaming Speakers (all platforms) - requires Steam installation
  * [Virtual Audio Cable](https://vb-audio.com/Cable) (Windows/macOS)

  ```bash theme={null}
  virtual_sink = Steam Streaming Speakers
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="stream_audio" type="boolean" default="enabled">
  Whether to stream audio. Disable for headless displays used as second monitors.

  ```bash theme={null}
  stream_audio = disabled
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="install_steam_audio_drivers" type="boolean" default="enabled">
  Install Steam Streaming Speakers driver (if Steam is installed) for surround sound and host audio muting.

  <Note>Windows only</Note>

  ```bash theme={null}
  install_steam_audio_drivers = enabled
  ```
</ParamField>

## Display Selection

<ParamField path="adapter_name" type="string" default="Default video card">
  Select the video card to use for encoding.

  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Windows">
      Use the included tool to find adapter names:

      ```bash theme={null}
      %ProgramFiles%\Sunshine\tools\dxgi-info.exe
      ```

      Example:

      ```bash theme={null}
      adapter_name = Radeon RX 580 Series
      ```
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Linux (VA-API)">
      List VA-API capable devices:

      ```bash theme={null}
      ls /dev/dri/renderD*

      # Check device capabilities
      vainfo --display drm --device /dev/dri/renderD129 | \
        grep -E "((VAProfileH264High|VAProfileHEVCMain|VAProfileHEVCMain10).*VAEntrypointEncSlice)|Driver version"
      ```

      Example:

      ```bash theme={null}
      adapter_name = /dev/dri/renderD128
      ```

      <Note>Device must support at minimum: `VAProfileH264High : VAEntrypointEncSlice`</Note>
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="output_name" type="string" default="Default display">
  Select the display to stream.

  Check Sunshine logs during startup to see detected displays and their IDs.

  <Tabs>
    <Tab title="Windows">
      Use the `device_id` value from startup logs:

      ```bash theme={null}
      output_name = {daeac860-f4db-5208-b1f5-cf59444fb768}
      ```
    </Tab>

    <Tab title="Linux/macOS">
      Use the numeric `id` value from startup logs:

      ```bash theme={null}
      output_name = 0
      ```
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</ParamField>

## Video Encoder Selection

<ParamField path="encoder" type="string" default="Auto">
  Force a specific encoder. Sunshine uses the first available encoder by default.

  **Options:**

  * `nvenc` - NVIDIA graphics cards
  * `quicksync` - Intel graphics cards
  * `amdvce` - AMD graphics cards
  * `vaapi` - VA-API (AMD, Intel on Linux)
  * `software` - CPU encoding

  ```bash theme={null}
  encoder = nvenc
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="capture" type="string" default="Auto">
  Force a specific screen capture method.

  **Options:**

  * `nvfbc` - NVIDIA Frame Buffer Capture (Linux, fastest for NVIDIA)
  * `wlr` - Wayland/wlroots compositors (Linux)
  * `kms` - DRM/KMS kernel capture (Linux, requires `cap_sys_admin`)
  * `x11` - XCB capture (FreeBSD/Linux, slowest)
  * `ddx` - DirectX Desktop Duplication (Windows)
  * `wgc` - Windows.Graphics.Capture (Windows, beta, not compatible with service)

  ```bash theme={null}
  capture = ddx
  ```
</ParamField>

## Video Quality

<ParamField path="max_bitrate" type="number" default="0">
  Maximum bitrate in Kbps. Set to 0 to always use the bitrate requested by Moonlight.

  ```bash theme={null}
  max_bitrate = 5000
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="minimum_fps_target" type="number" default="0">
  Lowest effective framerate for bandwidth optimization.

  * `0` - Use half the stream's FPS as minimum
  * `1-1000` - Specify custom value

  ```bash theme={null}
  minimum_fps_target = 30
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="qp" type="number" default="28">
  Quantization Parameter for devices without Constant Bit Rate support.

  <Warning>
    Higher values = more compression but lower quality
  </Warning>

  ```bash theme={null}
  qp = 28
  ```
</ParamField>

## Video Codec Support

<ParamField path="hevc_mode" type="number" default="0">
  Allow HEVC (H.265) video streams.

  **Options:**

  * `0` - Auto-detect based on encoder capabilities (recommended)
  * `1` - Disable HEVC
  * `2` - Enable HEVC Main profile
  * `3` - Enable HEVC Main and Main10 (HDR)

  <Warning>
    HEVC is more CPU-intensive with software encoding
  </Warning>

  ```bash theme={null}
  hevc_mode = 2
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="av1_mode" type="number" default="0">
  Allow AV1 video streams.

  **Options:**

  * `0` - Auto-detect based on encoder capabilities (recommended)
  * `1` - Disable AV1
  * `2` - Enable AV1 Main 8-bit
  * `3` - Enable AV1 Main 8-bit and 10-bit (HDR)

  <Warning>
    AV1 is more CPU-intensive with software encoding
  </Warning>

  ```bash theme={null}
  av1_mode = 2
  ```
</ParamField>

## NVIDIA NVENC Settings

<Accordion title="NVENC Encoder Options">
  <ParamField path="nvenc_preset" type="number" default="1">
    Performance preset (1=fastest, 7=slowest). Higher presets improve compression at the cost of latency.

    ```bash theme={null}
    nvenc_preset = 1
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="nvenc_twopass" type="string" default="quarter_res">
    Enable two-pass encoding for better bitrate distribution.

    * `disabled` - One pass (fastest)
    * `quarter_res` - Two passes, first at quarter resolution
    * `full_res` - Two passes, first at full resolution

    ```bash theme={null}
    nvenc_twopass = quarter_res
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="nvenc_spatial_aq" type="boolean" default="disabled">
    Assign higher QP to flat regions. Recommended for low bitrate streaming.

    ```bash theme={null}
    nvenc_spatial_aq = enabled
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="nvenc_h264_cavlc" type="boolean" default="disabled">
    Use CAVLC entropy coding instead of CABAC. Requires 10% more bitrate but faster software decoding.

    ```bash theme={null}
    nvenc_h264_cavlc = disabled
    ```
  </ParamField>
</Accordion>

## Intel QuickSync Settings

<Accordion title="QuickSync Encoder Options">
  <ParamField path="qsv_preset" type="string" default="medium">
    Encoder preset.

    Options: `veryfast`, `faster`, `fast`, `medium`, `slow`, `slower`, `veryslow`

    ```bash theme={null}
    qsv_preset = medium
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="qsv_coder" type="string" default="auto">
    Entropy encoding for H.264.

    * `auto` - Let FFmpeg decide
    * `cabac` - Better quality
    * `cavlc` - Faster decode

    ```bash theme={null}
    qsv_coder = auto
    ```
  </ParamField>
</Accordion>

## AMD AMF Settings

<Accordion title="AMD Encoder Options">
  <ParamField path="amd_usage" type="string" default="ultralowlatency">
    Encoder usage profile.

    * `transcoding` - Slowest, highest quality
    * `webcam` - Slow
    * `lowlatency_high_quality` - Fast
    * `lowlatency` - Faster
    * `ultralowlatency` - Fastest

    ```bash theme={null}
    amd_usage = ultralowlatency
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="amd_rc" type="string" default="vbr_latency">
    Rate control mode.

    * `cqp` - Constant QP
    * `cbr` - Constant bitrate
    * `vbr_latency` - Variable bitrate, latency constrained
    * `vbr_peak` - Variable bitrate, peak constrained

    ```bash theme={null}
    amd_rc = vbr_latency
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="amd_quality" type="string" default="balanced">
    Quality profile.

    Options: `speed`, `balanced`, `quality`

    ```bash theme={null}
    amd_quality = balanced
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="amd_vbaq" type="boolean" default="enabled">
    Variance Based Adaptive Quantization for improved visual quality.

    ```bash theme={null}
    amd_vbaq = enabled
    ```
  </ParamField>
</Accordion>

## Software Encoder Settings

<Accordion title="Software Encoder Options">
  <ParamField path="sw_preset" type="string" default="superfast">
    Encoder preset. Slower presets provide better compression.

    Options: `ultrafast`, `superfast`, `veryfast`, `faster`, `fast`, `medium`, `slow`, `slower`, `veryslow`

    ```bash theme={null}
    sw_preset = superfast
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="sw_tune" type="string" default="zerolatency">
    Tuning preset.

    * `film` - High quality movie content
    * `animation` - Cartoons
    * `grain` - Old grainy film
    * `stillimage` - Slideshow content
    * `fastdecode` - Faster decoding
    * `zerolatency` - Low-latency streaming

    ```bash theme={null}
    sw_tune = zerolatency
    ```
  </ParamField>
</Accordion>

## Windows Display Configuration

<Note>The following settings apply to Windows only</Note>

<Accordion title="Windows Display Options">
  <ParamField path="dd_configuration_option" type="string" default="disabled">
    Mandatory verification and configuration for display devices.

    * `disabled` - No additional configuration
    * `verify_only` - Verify display is active
    * `ensure_active` - Activate if inactive
    * `ensure_primary` - Activate and make primary
    * `ensure_only_display` - Activate and disable others

    ```bash theme={null}
    dd_configuration_option = ensure_only_display
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="dd_resolution_option" type="string" default="auto">
    Resolution configuration.

    * `disabled` - No configuration
    * `auto` - Use client resolution
    * `manual` - Use manual resolution (requires dd\_manual\_resolution)

    <Note>Requires "Optimize game settings" enabled in Moonlight</Note>

    ```bash theme={null}
    dd_resolution_option = auto
    ```
  </ParamField>

  <ParamField path="dd_hdr_option" type="string" default="auto">
    HDR configuration.

    * `disabled` - No HDR configuration
    * `auto` - Match client HDR state

    ```bash theme={null}
    dd_hdr_option = auto
    ```
  </ParamField>
</Accordion>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Input Configuration" icon="gamepad" href="/configuration/input">
    Configure gamepad and input devices
  </Card>

  <Card title="Network Settings" icon="network-wired" href="/configuration/network">
    Set up ports and network access
  </Card>
</CardGroup>