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FFmpeg: The Incredible Technology Behind Video on the Internet | Lex Fridman Podcast #496

May 21, 2026 · 4:18:22

Jean-Baptiste Kempf (VLC lead) and Kieran Kunhya (FFmpeg contributor) trace the evolution of video codecs from H.264 to AV1, revealing how handwritten assembly in projects like Dav1d achieves 62x speedups over C. They recount reverse-engineering GoToMeeting's codec, the 2011 FFmpeg-Libav split, and the burnout crisis in open-source, arguing that security researchers must contribute patches, not just CVEs. The pair also explain VLC's zero-trust parsing, the importance of archival codecs, and why assembly remains essential for real-time video at scale.

Rick Beato: Greatest Guitarists of All Time, History & Future of Music | Lex Fridman Podcast #492

Mar 21, 2026 · 2:33:48

Lex Fridman and Rick Beato explore Beato's musical journey, from learning guitar solos like Hey Joe to his son Dylan's perfect pitch and his legendary interviews with David Gilmour and other icons. Beato argues that bebop and Bach underpin great music, shares his top guitar solos, and critiques AI-generated music as fundamentally boring, while championing authenticity and the struggle of learning. The episode also delves into the business of music, copyright battles, and the evolution of music production.