Use Hardware Codecs

Play videos using only the hardware decoders supported by your device. (Intercepts: canPlayType, isTypeSupported, addSourceBuffer, decodingInfo, VideoDecoder/AudioDecoder.isConfigSupported. Runs in every frame.)

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Author: ktt21
Daily installs: 1
Total installs: 13
Ratings: 0 0 0
Version: 2.1.4.3
Created: 2026-04-02
Updated: 2026-04-04
Size: 35.3 KB
Compatibility
License: MIT
Applies to: All sites

Use Hardware Codecs

Play videos using only the hardware codecs supported by your device. To do this, it runs in all frames and uses 5 capture methods:

canPlayType;
isTypeSupported;
addSourceBuffer;
decodingInfo;
VideoDecoder/AudioDecoder.isConfigSupported.

Purpose of the script:

Force the use of hardware (HW) codecs only for video playback on all websites. The script prevents the use of software (SW) codecs, which put a strain on the CPU and drain the battery, especially on mobile devices. When the AllowSW=true flag is set, if a video cannot be played using a hardware (HW) codec, allow playback using a software (SW) codec after several requests for SW codecs from the player.

Key Features:

Intercept all codec selection paths
- HTMLVideoElement.canPlayType
- MediaSource.isTypeSupported
- MediaSource.prototype.addSourceBuffer
- navigator.mediaCapabilities.decodingInfo
- VideoDecoder.isConfigSupported (WebCodecs API – low-level)
Permanent hardware capabilities cache
- The results of the codec tests are stored in LocalStorage.
- A shared cache for all tabs via BroadcastChannel.
- It does not test the same codecs every time it runs.
A safe fallback to H.264 until the cache is full
- H.264 is guaranteed to be supported by hardware on almost all devices.
Blocking of SW codecs with an adaptive threshold
- If the player persistently requests SW (for example, because it is unaware of the HW), the script temporarily enables SW via SW_BLOCK_THRESHOLD (default 6) to prevent a black screen.
Works in all frames
- Setting @all-frames true along with @inject-into page allows embedding into a cross-origin iframe (where technically possible).
- Exception: Web Workers—scripts cannot access them, but such sites (like Rutube) typically choose to use Web Workers themselves.
Minimal impact on performance
- All tests run asynchronously and do not block rendering.
- Once the cache is full, no retests are performed—only a check against the map.
Mobile device support
- Detects the platform and uses a simplified safe fallback to conserve data and battery life.

Advanced settings:

const DEBUG = false; // true = detailed logs to the console

const ClearCache = false; // true = clear the cache on the next load

const AllowSW = false; // true = Enable software if hardware is unavailable

const SW_BLOCK_THRESHOLD = 6; // Threshold for SW requests before fallback

Code to insert into the CODECS_TO_TEST array(If a new hardware codec is found that is not in the array, a message will be displayed in the console regarding this event):

vp09.00.51.08.01.01.01.01.00', // Added the detected hardware codec to speed up startup next time

Limitations (known):

Web Workers – the script cannot intercept the API in a separate thread (Rutube, some modern players). However, such sites usually select HW codecs themselves.
Cross-origin iframes with strict security policies—sometimes the browser blocks embedding even with @all-frames.
localStorage is origin-isolated—the cache is not shared across different domains. For same-origin iframes, window[MAP_KEY] is used.