---
title: "What is a Video Processing Unit (VPU)?"
url: https://ireplay.tv/video-streaming-definitions/what-is-a-vpu-video-processing-unit/
markdown_url: https://ireplay.tv/video-streaming-definitions/what-is-a-vpu-video-processing-unit.md
description: "A VPU (Video Processing Unit) is a microprocessor built for video work: encoding, decoding, transcoding, scaling, de-interlacing and colour correction, more power-efficient than a CPU. Found in SoCs and in products such as Intel Movidius."
type: glossary-definition
site: iReplay.tv
author: "Sylvain Corvaisier"
date_published: 2024-12-27T07:04:02+01:00
date_modified: 2024-12-27T07:04:02+01:00
language: en
keywords:
  - "VPU transcoder transcoding encoder"
---

# What is a Video Processing Unit (VPU)?

A Video Processing Unit (VPU) is a type of microprocessor that is designed specifically to handle video data and perform video processing tasks. Similar to how a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is designed to handle graphical data and perform graphical computations, a VPU is optimized for video data. VPUs can perform a wide variety of tasks related to video processing, including encoding, decoding, transcoding, scaling, de-interlacing, color correction, and more. They can handle a variety of video formats and standards, such as H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, and more. The main advantage of using a VPU for video processing tasks, as opposed to a general-purpose CPU, is that a VPU can perform these tasks much more efficiently. This can result in better video quality, lower latency, and less power consumption, which can be especially important for mobile and embedded devices. Some examples of VPUs include Intel's Movidius VPU, which is used for edge computing and artificial intelligence tasks, and the video processing cores found in many System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, such as those used in smartphones and tablets. As technology evolves, the capabilities of VPUs are likely to continue to expand and improve, enabling more advanced video processing tasks and better video quality on a wide range of devices.

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