ffmpeg not working using h264_vaapi

Question

I'm trying to transcode a video using ffmpeg with hardware acceleration using the following command:

sudo ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_output_format vaapi \
    -vaapi_device /dev/dri/renderD128 -i in.mp4 -codec:v h264_vaapi out.mp4

it fails instantly with the error:

ffmpeg: i965_encoder.c:1692: intel_enc_hw_context_init: Assertion `encoder_context->mfc_context' failed.

Additional information:

Full ffmpeg output:

ffmpeg version 4.1.3-1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
  built with gcc 8 (Debian 8.3.0-7)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=1 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --arch=amd64 --enable-gpl --disable-stripping --enable-avresample --disable-filter=resample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libaom --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libcodec2 --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libjack --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librsvg --enable-librubberband --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi --enable-lv2 --enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 --enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libx264 --enable-shared
  libavutil      56. 22.100 / 56. 22.100
  libavcodec     58. 35.100 / 58. 35.100
  libavformat    58. 20.100 / 58. 20.100
  libavdevice    58.  5.100 / 58.  5.100
  libavfilter     7. 40.101 /  7. 40.101
  libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
  libswscale      5.  3.100 /  5.  3.100
  libswresample   3.  3.100 /  3.  3.100
  libpostproc    55.  3.100 / 55.  3.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'in.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf58.20.100
  Duration: 00:38:59.14, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 9133 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 8999 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler
File 'out.mp4' already exists. Overwrite ? [y/N] y
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 (native) -> h264 (h264_vaapi))
  Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (aac (native) -> aac (native))
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
ffmpeg: i965_encoder.c:1692: intel_enc_hw_context_init: Assertion `encoder_context->mfc_context' failed.
zsh: abort      sudo ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -vaapi_device  -i

vainfo output:

error: XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not set in the environment.
error: can't connect to X server!
libva info: VA-API version 1.5.0
libva info: va_getDriverName() returns 0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_4
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
vainfo: VA-API version: 1.5 (libva 2.4.0)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel i965 driver for Intel(R) Coffee Lake - 2.3.0
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Simple            : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileMPEG2Main              : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264ConstrainedBaseline: VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264Main               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264High               : VAEntrypointEncSliceLP
      VAProfileH264MultiviewHigh      : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264StereoHigh         : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Simple              : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Main                : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVC1Advanced            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileNone                   : VAEntrypointVideoProc
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileJPEGBaseline           : VAEntrypointEncPicture
      VAProfileVP8Version0_3          : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain               : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileHEVCMain10             : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile0            : VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileVP9Profile2            : VAEntrypointVLD

System information:

OS: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Gold G5400
Driver: intel-media-va-driver-non-free/testing,unstable,now 19.2.0+ds1-1
        (tried testing,stable and free/non-free)

Answer 1

Installing the non-free drivers resolved the problem for me:

apt install intel-media-va-driver-non-free i965-va-driver-shaders

Debian Bug report logs - #910486 ffmpeg: vaapi encoding does not work

Answer 2

What I do is use

ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -i "infile" -vf scale=-2:size outfile.mp4 -vf scale=-2:1024,fps=fps=1/6 screenshots/%.jpg 

and I get errors because I am using a nvidia video card and it works great with an intel one. I guess it is because screenshots cannot be generated from the driver. so I run two passes or just run it through software because how much encoding/decoding boost do I really get???

I want to try it out on that intel arc video system