ArgentWolf Video Processor
Queues WordPress videos and creates local adaptive HLS and progressive derivatives with a detached FFmpeg worker.
Use with caution
ArgentWolf Video Processor works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 60/100 on our health check.
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Needs PHP 8.1 or newer
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where ArgentWolf Video Processor stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| adaptive streaming | #25 |
| ffmpeg | #23 |
| hls | #58 |
| media | >100 |
| video | >100 |
About ArgentWolf Video Processor
From the official readme · v1.0.0Description
ArgentWolf Video Processor preserves each original WordPress video attachment
and creates smaller derivatives suitable for browser playback on connections
ranging from slow DSL to broadband.
The default configuration creates:
- an adaptive H.264/AAC HLS ladder at 360p, 480p, and 720p where the source resolution permits;
- a VP9/Opus WebM progressive source;
- an H.264/AAC MP4 progressive fallback with fast-start indexing.
Generated outputs strip embedded GPS, device, chapter, and other metadata by
default and normalize rotation metadata into the encoded pixels. The original
attachment is not modified. Generated derivatives are stored under the active
WordPress uploads directory in the plugin-owned
argentwolf-video-processor// subtree.
Native HLS is used where the browser supports it. Other compatible browsers use
the locally bundled, pinned hls.js player. Progressive sources remain available
as fallbacks.
The plugin stores work in a database queue and processes one video at a time.
Its recurring WordPress event only starts a detached WP-CLI worker; FFmpeg does
not run inside the WP-Cron callback or an administrator web request.
No video, metadata, or usage information is sent to an external processing
service.
Privacy
The plugin creates derivative media files and stores queue state, processing
status, output paths, and error information in the local WordPress installation.
Generated derivatives strip source metadata when that setting is enabled. The
original attachment remains unchanged and may retain its original metadata.
The plugin contains no telemetry and does not send media or usage information to
a remote processing service.
Worker diagnostic history is stored locally in the WordPress database with bounded retention. Detached-process capture files are temporary and removed after their useful output has been persisted.
External software
The plugin requires operator-installed FFmpeg, FFprobe, and WP-CLI binaries.
These are local server programs, not remote services. Administrators are
responsible for installing security-maintained versions and configuring their
paths.
The release bundles a pinned hls.js browser runtime under its Apache-2.0 license.
Developer notes
The existing settings keys, queue table, attachment metadata, hook names, cron
identifiers, Settings page slug, and wp argent-video command are retained for
upgrade compatibility.
The public plugin directory and main-file basename change in version 0.3.0.
Administrators upgrading from version 0.2.3 should use the normal WordPress
plugin-update workflow and confirm the plugin remains active.
Installation
- Install current, security-maintained FFmpeg, FFprobe, and WP-CLI binaries on the WordPress server.
- Confirm PHP permits
proc_open()and, for automatic dispatch,exec(). - Upload the release ZIP through Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
- Activate ArgentWolf Video Processor.
- Open Settings > ArgentWolf Video and review diagnostics and configured paths.
- Upload a video or use Process existing videos to queue the current Media Library backlog.
This plugin requires server-administration access and may not work on restricted
shared hosting.
Frequently asked questions
Are original videos deleted or changed?
No. The original WordPress attachment is preserved. Processing creates separate derivatives.
Does metadata stripping sanitize the original?
No. Metadata stripping applies to generated derivatives and HLS renditions. The original upload may retain its original metadata.
What does adaptive streaming do?
The plugin produces multiple HLS renditions. The player can move among available 360p, 480p, and 720p renditions as bandwidth and player size change.
Can I process videos already in the Media Library?
Yes. Settings > ArgentWolf Video provides Smart queue, Add adaptive HLS only, and Force reprocess all operations, with an optional upload-date range.
Does the plugin run FFmpeg during a web request?
No. Web and WP-Cron requests only queue or dispatch work. A detached WP-CLI worker performs the encode.
Which codecs are used?
Adaptive HLS uses H.264/AAC fragmented MP4. The default progressive fallbacks use VP9/Opus WebM followed by H.264/AAC MP4.
Does the plugin check FFmpeg security advisories?
Yes. Before starting a new transcode, the plugin checks the configured FFmpeg version and relevant compiled capabilities. Known-vulnerable or unverifiable builds are blocked. CVE-2026-8461 is checked against the MagicYUV decoder and linked from Diagnostics and Site Health: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8461
Does the plugin bundle FFmpeg?
No. It uses administrator-configured system FFmpeg and FFprobe binaries and checks their version, codecs, HLS muxer, and fragmented-MP4 support.
What happens if PHP exec() is disabled?
Automatic detached dispatch is unavailable. An operator may invoke wp argent-video worker –once from a system scheduler. Encoding still requires proc_open().
Does the plugin use an external service?
No. Video processing occurs on the WordPress server. The pinned hls.js runtime is bundled with the release and served locally.
Changelog
First stable WordPress.org release; no functional or runtime behavior changes from 0.3.3.
1.0.0
- Promoted the WordPress.org-approved 0.3.3 codebase to the first stable 1.0.0 release.
- No functional or runtime behavior changes from 0.3.3.
0.3.3
- Updated WordPress compatibility metadata for WordPress 7.1.
- No functional or runtime behavior changes from 0.3.2.
0.3.2
- Replace the persistent system-temp worker log with bounded database-backed diagnostic history in
{$wpdb->prefix}argentwolf_video_processor_logs. - Use short-lived WordPress temporary captures for detached worker bootstrap/output and recover stale captures before later launches can replace evidence.
- Add configurable retention defaults of 10 successful runs and 100 error/job-error runs, with a fixed 512 KiB diagnostic-output cap per run.
- Add recent worker history and a nonce/capability-protected clear-history action to the Settings page.
- Use WordPress temporary-file facilities with failure-safe cleanup for FFmpeg/FFprobe stdout and stderr captures.
- Retain the legacy
argent_video_jobstable for compatibility while using the canonicalargentwolf_video_processor_*identifier for newly introduced tables.
0.3.1
- Store generated MP4, WebM, HLS, and temporary output under
wp_upload_dir()['basedir']/argentwolf-video-processor/<attachment-id>/. - Centralize generated-media path confinement, URL conversion, atomic promotion, and cleanup in the Storage service.
- Reject traversal, sibling-prefix, and unsafe symlink escapes before managed filesystem mutations.
- Make attachment cleanup derive the managed attachment directory instead of trusting stored output paths.
- Keep hls.js version/checksum records as build-time integrity evidence while excluding
hls.VERSIONandhls.SHA256from the installable ZIP. - Add storage-boundary regression coverage for custom uploads, path escapes, symlinks, HLS writes, and cleanup.
0.3.0
- Resolve WordPress Plugin Check findings with identifier placeholders, WordPress file-deletion APIs, and narrowly documented worker, queue, and atomic-filesystem exceptions.
- Standardize the public name as ArgentWolf Video Processor.
- Change the directory slug, main filename, package root, and text domain to
argentwolf-video-processor. - Retain existing options, attachment metadata, queue table, hooks, cron identifiers, namespace, admin page slug, and WP-CLI command.
- Remove private operator and production material from the public repository.
- Add public architecture, agent, milestone, privacy, and WordPress.org submission documentation.
- Add Settings and GitHub project links to the plugin action row.
- Add a Support development section to the settings page.
- Change release packaging to an explicit runtime allowlist.
0.2.3
- Fix binary diagnostics and detached worker launch under per-site PHP
open_basedirrestrictions. - Probe configured executables through safely quoted shell commands instead of PHP filesystem stat calls.
- Report PHP SAPI and active
open_basedirin diagnostics.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
FAQ
ArgentWolf Video Processor: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 17, 2026
Is ArgentWolf Video Processor free?
Yes. ArgentWolf Video Processor is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is ArgentWolf Video Processor safe to use in 2026?
ArgentWolf Video Processor works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 60/100 on our health check.
How many websites use ArgentWolf Video Processor?
ArgentWolf Video Processor is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 191 times since it launched in August 2026. It was downloaded 77 times in the last 30 days.
Does ArgentWolf Video Processor work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested ArgentWolf Video Processor up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 6.4 or newer.
What PHP version does ArgentWolf Video Processor need?
ArgentWolf Video Processor requires PHP 8.1 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was ArgentWolf Video Processor last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.0, was released on August 23, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes ArgentWolf Video Processor?
ArgentWolf Video Processor is developed and maintained by Alan Johnson.
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