Camera-specific hwaccel settings for timelapse exports (correct base) (#21386)

* added hwaccel_args to camera.record.export config struct

* populate camera.record.export.hwaccel_args with a cascade up to camera then global if 'auto'

* use new hwaccel args in export

* added documentation for camera-specific hwaccel export

* fix c/p error

* missed an import

* fleshed out the docs and comments a bit

* ruff lint

* separated out the tips in the doc

* fix documentation

* fix and simplify reference config doc

frigate/config/camera/record.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from enum import Enum
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Optional, Union
 
 from pydantic import Field
 
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ class RecordExportConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
     timelapse_args: str = Field(
         default=DEFAULT_TIME_LAPSE_FFMPEG_ARGS, title="Timelapse Args"
     )
+    hwaccel_args: Union[str, list[str]] = Field(
+        default="auto", title="Export-specific FFmpeg hardware acceleration arguments."
+    )
 
 
 class RecordConfig(FrigateBaseModel):

frigate/config/config.py

@@ -525,6 +525,14 @@ class FrigateConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
             if camera_config.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args == "auto":
                 camera_config.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args = self.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args
 
+            # Resolve export hwaccel_args: camera export -> camera ffmpeg -> global ffmpeg
+            # This allows per-camera override for exports (e.g., when camera resolution
+            # exceeds hardware encoder limits)
+            if camera_config.record.export.hwaccel_args == "auto":
+                camera_config.record.export.hwaccel_args = (
+                    camera_config.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args
+                )
+
             for input in camera_config.ffmpeg.inputs:
                 need_detect_dimensions = "detect" in input.roles and (
                     camera_config.detect.height is None

frigate/record/export.py

@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ class RecordingExporter(threading.Thread):
             ffmpeg_cmd = (
                 parse_preset_hardware_acceleration_encode(
                     self.config.ffmpeg.ffmpeg_path,
-                    self.config.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args,
+                    self.config.cameras[self.camera].record.export.hwaccel_args,
                     f"-an {ffmpeg_input}",
                     f"{self.config.cameras[self.camera].record.export.timelapse_args} -movflags +faststart",
                     EncodeTypeEnum.timelapse,
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ class RecordingExporter(threading.Thread):
             ffmpeg_cmd = (
                 parse_preset_hardware_acceleration_encode(
                     self.config.ffmpeg.ffmpeg_path,
-                    self.config.ffmpeg.hwaccel_args,
+                    self.config.cameras[self.camera].record.export.hwaccel_args,
                     f"{TIMELAPSE_DATA_INPUT_ARGS} {ffmpeg_input}",
                     f"{self.config.cameras[self.camera].record.export.timelapse_args} -movflags +faststart {video_path}",
                     EncodeTypeEnum.timelapse,