Ffmpeg Graceful Degradation

import subprocess
import os

def safe_video_encode(input_path, output_path, clips=None):
    """
    Encode video with graceful degradation fallbacks.
    
    Args:
        input_path: Single input file path, or
        clips: List of clip paths for concatenation
    
    Returns:
        True if successful, False otherwise
    """
    
    # Step 1: Check encoder availability
    result = subprocess.run(
        ["ffmpeg", "-encoders"],
        capture_output=True, text=True
    )
    has_libx264 = "libx264" in result.stdout
    has_mpeg4 = "mpeg4" in result.stdout
    
    # Step 2: If concatenating, prepare clips with moviepy
    if clips:
        try:
            from moviepy.editor import VideoFileClip, concatenate_videoclips
            loaded_clips = [VideoFileClip(c) for c in clips]
            final = concatenate_videoclips(loaded_clips)
            final.write_videofile(output_path, codec="libx264", logger=None)
            return True
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"MoviePy failed: {e}")
    
    # Step 3: Try ffmpeg with progressive fallbacks
    encoders_to_try = []
    if has_libx264:
        encoders_to_try.append("libx264")
    encoders_to_try.append("mpeg4")  # Always available
    
    for codec in encoders_to_try:
        cmd = [
            "ffmpeg", "-y",
            "-i", input_path,
            "-c:v", codec,
            "-c:a", "copy",
            output_path
        ]
        result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
        if result.returncode == 0:
            return True
    
    # Step 4: Last resort - copy mode
    cmd = ["ffmpeg", "-y", "-i", input_path, "-c", "copy", output_path]
    result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
    return result.returncode == 0

Start
  │
  ▼
Check encoders (ffmpeg -encoders)
  │
  ├─ libx264 available? ──Yes──► Try libx264
  │         │                       │
  │         No                      └─► Success? ──Yes──► Done
  │         │                                      │
  │         ▼                                      No
  │    Test short clip                             │
  │         │                                      ▼
  │         ▼                               Try -c:v copy
  │    Encode fails? ──Yes──► Check libopenh264    │
  │         │                       │              │
  │         No                      Broken         ▼
  │         │                       │         Try mpeg4
  │         ▼                       ▼              │
  │      Done                  Install moviepy     │
  │                              │                 │
  │                              ▼                 │
  │                         Use VideoFileClip ◄────┘
  │                         concatenate_videoclips
  │                              │
  │                              ▼
  │                            Done
  │
  ▼
End