---
title: "Introduction"
version: "1.0"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/mfd/adaptive-video:introduction@1.0"
source: "Introduction/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-11-03T08:37:43+00:00"
---

# Introduction {#introduction}

## What does it do? {#what-does-it-do}

This extension delivers FAL videos as adaptive
[HLS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_Live_Streaming) streams. Videos
are encoded asynchronously with ffmpeg in a Symfony Messenger worker. Until a
stream is ready, and in browsers without JavaScript, the original file is
delivered.

-   Works with all output via `<f:media>` / the `RendererRegistry`, e.g. the
    *Text & Media* content element.
-   Native HLS where available (Safari, iOS), otherwise hls.js (light build,
    loaded only when needed).
-   Poster images from [b13/poster-image](https://github.com/b13/poster-image)
    are supported.

## How it works {#how-it-works}

1.  **Scan** (`adaptive-video:scan`, scheduled): finds supported FAL files
    with at least one active file reference that have no version for their
    current content (`sys_file.sha1`) and encoding profile. For each it
    creates a `pending` version in `tx_adaptivevideo_version` and queues a
    message.
1.  **Worker** (`messenger:consume adaptive_video`): analyzes the source with
    ffprobe, encodes all renditions with ffmpeg into a working directory,
    validates the result, moves it to
    `<artifactDirectory>/<fileUid>/<versionUid>/` and marks the version
    `ready`. Then the page caches showing the file are flushed.
1.  **Rendering**: the renderer delivers the newest `ready` version whose
    content fingerprint matches the current file. If the file was replaced,
    the original is delivered until the new version is ready.

Short videos (below `minimumDuration`) and videos above the configured
limits are marked `skipped` and keep using the original. Errors mark a
version `failed`; there is no automatic retry.

A file is only processed once it is referenced, not on upload. References
saved, copied or localized in the backend are queued right away by a
DataHandler hook; everything else (imports, migrations, direct database
changes) is picked up by the next scan.

## Limitations {#limitations}

-   Only output through `<f:media>` / the `RendererRegistry`. Templates with
    their own `<video>` markup are not covered.
-   One active encoding profile for all sites.
-   No automatic cleanup of old versions.

## Screenshots {#screenshots}

This extension has no backend module. It works through the frontend
renderer, the CLI commands and the Messenger worker.