FFmpeg Takes a Dig at Rust's rav1d Decoder: A $20k Performance Bounty Sparks Debate
2025-05-18
FFmpeg, a widely used open-source multimedia framework, recently challenged the performance of rav1d, a Rust-based AV1 decoder, comparing it unfavorably to the C-based dav1d. FFmpeg's comment, "Rust is so good you can get paid $20k to make it as fast as C," sparked a debate about the trade-offs between performance, cost, and memory safety. While Rust gains traction for its memory safety and performance, even endorsed by the White House, its integration into the Linux kernel faces resistance. This controversy highlights the ongoing tension between performance and safety considerations in programming language choices.
Development
AV1 decoder