Set up transcoding and chapter previews

Silo is in active development before 1.0. These guides are updated frequently.

Transcoding converts media when a client cannot play the original file or needs a lower quality stream. Test direct playback first. You only need GPU setup when your server converts video often enough for the CPU load to matter.

Give the container access to your GPU

These steps are for the default Linux Docker installation. Install the host driver first. For NVIDIA, also install the NVIDIA Container Toolkit.

For Intel or AMD devices exposed through /dev/dri, download the VA-API overlay beside your Compose file. The checks stop the download if a file with that name already exists, so a customized overlay is kept:

test ! -e docker-compose.vaapi.yml && test ! -L docker-compose.vaapi.yml &&
  curl -fSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Silo-Server/silo-server/main/docker-compose.vaapi.yml -o docker-compose.vaapi.yml

Then add it in .env:

COMPOSE_FILE=docker-compose.yml:docker-compose.vaapi.yml

For NVIDIA, use the same checks and download URL with docker-compose.nvidia.yml instead, and list that file. Use only the overlay that matches the host.

If you already set COMPOSE_FILE, add the GPU overlay to that list instead of replacing it. Include any docker-compose.override.yml you use: with an explicit file list, Compose no longer loads that override on its own.

During a quiet period, check and apply the configuration. Recreating Silo interrupts active playback.

docker compose config --quiet
docker compose up -d

Choose and test acceleration

1. Open Admin > Settings > Playback.
2. Leave Transcoding on and set Hardware acceleration to Auto. Save and follow any restart notice.
3. Check the line under Hardware acceleration. It names the detected hardware, such as Detected VA-API on /dev/dri/renderD128, or shows No supported graphics hardware found.
4. Start a video on a client, then choose a lower quality that makes Silo convert the video.
5. Open Admin > Activity. The session shows the encoder in use, such as HW VAAPI, HW QSV, or SW for software.
6. Check picture, audio, seeking, and subtitles on the client.

If Silo finds no hardware or the session shows SW, check the host driver, the device mount, and the Silo logs. Test HDR files separately from ordinary video.

With separate transcode nodes, the detected hardware comes from a node and the line ends with (transcode node). Check each node’s Acceleration block in Admin > Nodes.

After a driver or device change

A single server checks its hardware again when it restarts: run docker compose restart silo.

For a node in Admin > Nodes, use its Re-probe button instead. Re-probing runs real test encodes, so Silo refuses it while that node is transcoding; disable the node or wait for its sessions to end first. Then play something that needs conversion to test the whole path.

Generate chapter thumbnails

Chapter menus work without thumbnails. Silo stores chapter preview images in artwork storage, on local disk or in S3.

1. Edit the library under Admin > Libraries.
2. In its advanced settings, turn on Generate chapter thumbnails and save.
3. Let background generation run. Silo also queues a title’s previews when someone opens or plays it, and checks for missing previews every six hours.
4. Open a title with chapters in the web player and check its chapter previews.

For conversion on another machine, see Transcode nodes.

If previews don’t appear

Check that the file has chapter markers and that Generate chapter thumbnails is on for its library. HDR files are skipped when HDR handling is set to Skip HDR and Dolby Vision. If artwork can’t be saved, check free space and permissions for local artwork storage, or the bucket credentials and endpoint for S3.

Silo retries failed previews on its own, so a file that failed once can fill in later. To see why a file was skipped, filter Admin > Logs by the chapterthumbs component.