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FFmpeg

How to Check Raspberry Pi Temperature and Throttling During FFmpeg Streaming

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While FFmpeg is streaming, open a second terminal and run vcgencmd measure_temp and vcgencmd get_throttled. The first reports the SoC’s internal temperature; the second reports current and since-boot conditions such as undervoltage, frequency capping, and throttling. Read the flags individually: a nonzero result alone does not show that the stream is overheating the Pi.

Check temperature and throttle state during the stream

  1. Start the FFmpeg stream you want to diagnose. Use the normal resolution, frame rate, filters, and encoding path that trigger the problem. A different workload may produce different heat and power readings.
  2. Open a second terminal on the Raspberry Pi and run:
    vcgencmd measure_temp
    vcgencmd get_throttled
  3. Repeat the readings during sustained operation. For an intermittent issue, note the time, temperature, throttle output, and what the stream was doing. Raspberry Pi’s Pi 5 guidance demonstrates logging temperature, Arm clock, and throttling state over time; a single snapshot can miss a short-lived event.

vcgencmd measure_temp communicates with the GPU and provides an instantaneous SoC temperature reading. Raspberry Pi also documents this Linux thermal-zone alternative:

cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

The thermal-zone command returns an integer in thousandths of a degree Celsius: divide by 1000 to get °C. Raspberry Pi warns that Linux-based temperature readings can be inaccurate on its SoCs, and describes vcgencmd measure_temp as the accurate instantaneous reading. See the Raspberry Pi config.txt documentation.

Decode get_throttled instead of guessing

The command returns a hexadecimal bitmask. Each set bit indicates a condition. Raspberry Pi OS documents these meanings:

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Bit Hex value Meaning
0 0x1 Undervoltage detected now
1 0x2 Arm frequency capped now
2 0x4 Currently throttled
3 0x8 Soft temperature limit active
16 0x10000 Undervoltage has occurred since boot
17 0x20000 Arm frequency capping has occurred since boot
18 0x40000 Throttling has occurred since boot
19 0x80000 Soft temperature limit has occurred since boot

Bits 0–3 describe current conditions; bits 16–19 record whether the corresponding condition has happened since boot. A historical bit can remain set after the event has passed. Compare current bits with the “has occurred” bits and with readings taken during the stream. A nonzero value may indicate undervoltage or a past event rather than current thermal throttling. The bit meanings are listed in Raspberry Pi OS documentation.

Know the documented temperature and power thresholds

Raspberry Pi’s computer documentation says Arm cores are progressively throttled between 80°C and 85°C. Above 85°C, the Arm cores and GPU are throttled. These are documented thresholds, not a guarantee that every board or workload behaves identically. The 60°C default soft temperature limit applies specifically to Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+; do not treat it as a universal setting for other models.

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Power can also cause frequency capping or throttling. Raspberry Pi says the supply should remain above 4.8 V for reliable performance; a drop below 4.63 V (±5%) causes the Arm cores and GPU to throttle. For Raspberry Pi 5, the PMIC reading command is:

vcgencmd pmic_read_adc EXT5V_V

Use power guidance appropriate to your exact board and supply. Temperature near the documented thermal region supports investigating cooling; undervoltage flags or low supply readings point toward power instead. Thresholds and board-specific details are in Raspberry Pi’s computer documentation.

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Why the FFmpeg configuration matters

Video processing can keep the SoC busy for sustained periods, leaving less opportunity for it to cool between bursts. The encoding path and settings matter: Raspberry Pi’s H.264 encoding paper compares Pi 5 software libx264 configurations with Pi 4’s h264_v4l2m2m hardware encoder. It describes a low-latency software configuration designed for real-time streaming and a higher-quality software configuration that uses more CPU and latency.

Those examples do not predict the result for your setup. Board model, FFmpeg build, filters, resolution, frame rate, and encoder choice all affect load. Diagnose with the configuration that normally causes trouble, then compare its logged readings with idle or lighter-load readings. See Raspberry Pi’s cooling paper and H.264 encoding paper.

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What to do if the readings point to heat

  1. Check the surroundings first. Consider ambient temperature, airflow, sustained workload, and whether the Pi is inside an airtight enclosure.
  2. Improve airflow if practical. Raspberry Pi notes that airflow improves heatsink cooling and that a heatsink or small fan may reduce thermal throttling. Most use cases do not need extra cooling, so base the decision on readings from your usual workload.
  3. Choose hardware for the exact board and case. Confirm accessory compatibility before fitting a heatsink or fan. Do not assume an untested accessory will improve a particular stream.
  4. Repeat the same monitoring run. Compare readings under the same workload after the change, rather than relying on an idle temperature or a different FFmpeg configuration.

Raspberry Pi’s cooling guidance discusses when extra cooling may help; its hardware documentation covers heatsinks and small fans.

Common diagnostic mistakes

  • Treating any nonzero mask as overheating: decode the individual bits; undervoltage and since-boot history are distinct from a current temperature limit.
  • Checking only after the stream stops: sample during sustained streaming and record times, because intermittent events may no longer be current afterward.
  • Assuming every Pi has the Pi 3 B+ soft limit: the documented 60°C default is specific to that model.
  • Installing cooling before checking power: undervoltage is a separate possible cause. Inspect the relevant flags and board-appropriate supply readings.
  • Comparing unlike workloads: a hardware encoder, software encoder, filter chain, or resolution change can alter CPU load; compare runs with the same settings when isolating a cause.

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