diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9934bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*$py.class
+*.so
+.Python
+env/
+venv/
+ENV/
+*.egg-info/
+dist/
+build/
+
+# Test videos
+*.mp4
+*.mkv
+*.avi
+*.mov
+
+# OS
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db
+
+# IDE
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e69de29..f79cfdc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+# Video Transcoding Benchmark
+
+A simple CLI tool to benchmark video transcoding performance on your system. Measures how many simultaneous 1080p video streams can be transcoded in real-time or better.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Hardware Acceleration Support**: Automatically detects and uses available hardware acceleration:
+  - NVIDIA NVENC (CUDA)
+  - Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV)
+  - AMD AMF/VCE
+  - Apple VideoToolbox (macOS/iOS ARM)
+  - VA-API (Linux Intel/AMD)
+  - Falls back to software encoding (libx264) if no hardware acceleration available
+
+- **Cross-Platform**: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows
+- **Cross-Architecture**: Supports both Intel/AMD x86_64 and ARM architectures
+- **Simple Output**: Produces a single number representing transcoding capacity
+
+## Requirements
+
+- Python 3.6+
+- FFmpeg (with hardware acceleration support compiled in if desired)
+
+## Installation
+
+### 1. Install FFmpeg
+
+#### Ubuntu/Debian
+```bash
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install ffmpeg
+```
+
+For hardware acceleration support:
+```bash
+# Intel QSV
+sudo apt install intel-media-va-driver-non-free
+
+# NVIDIA NVENC (requires NVIDIA drivers)
+# Already supported if NVIDIA drivers are installed
+
+# AMD VA-API
+sudo apt install mesa-va-drivers
+```
+
+#### macOS
+```bash
+brew install ffmpeg
+```
+
+#### Windows
+Download from [ffmpeg.org](https://ffmpeg.org/download.html) or use:
+```bash
+choco install ffmpeg
+```
+
+### 2. Make the script executable (Linux/macOS)
+```bash
+chmod +x transcode_bench.py
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+### Basic Usage
+```bash
+python3 transcode_bench.py
+```
+
+This will:
+1. Detect available hardware acceleration
+2. Generate a 30-second 1080p test video
+3. Run benchmarks to find the maximum number of simultaneous streams
+4. Output the result
+
+### Command-Line Options
+
+```bash
+python3 transcode_bench.py [OPTIONS]
+
+Options:
+  --duration SECONDS    Test video duration (default: 30)
+  --input FILE          Use existing video file instead of generating one
+  --min-fps FPS         Minimum FPS to consider real-time (default: 30.0)
+  --help                Show help message
+```
+
+### Examples
+
+**Use a shorter test video (faster benchmark):**
+```bash
+python3 transcode_bench.py --duration 10
+```
+
+**Use your own video file:**
+```bash
+python3 transcode_bench.py --input /path/to/your/video.mp4
+```
+
+**Set a different real-time threshold (e.g., 60fps):**
+```bash
+python3 transcode_bench.py --min-fps 60
+```
+
+## Output
+
+The benchmark will display progress as it searches for the maximum number of streams, then output a final score:
+
+```
+==============================================================
+Video Transcoding Benchmark
+==============================================================
+Detected acceleration: NVIDIA NVENC
+Encoder: h264_nvenc
+Generating 30s 1080p test video...
+
+Benchmarking with NVIDIA NVENC...
+Finding maximum simultaneous 1080p streams at real-time or better...
+
+Testing 32 simultaneous streams...  (avg 87.3 fps)
+Testing 48 simultaneous streams...  (avg 58.2 fps)
+Testing 56 simultaneous streams...  (avg 24.1 fps - below real-time)
+Testing 52 simultaneous streams...  (avg 45.7 fps)
+Testing 54 simultaneous streams...  (avg 32.8 fps)
+Testing 55 simultaneous streams...  (avg 28.9 fps - below real-time)
+
+==============================================================
+BENCHMARK RESULTS
+==============================================================
+Hardware Acceleration: NVIDIA NVENC
+Maximum Simultaneous 1080p Streams: 54
+(at 30.0 FPS or better)
+==============================================================
+
+Benchmark Score: 54
+```
+
+## How It Works
+
+1. **Detection**: Scans for available hardware encoders in your FFmpeg build
+2. **Test Video**: Generates a synthetic 1080p video with test patterns
+3. **Binary Search**: Uses binary search to efficiently find the maximum number of streams that can be transcoded simultaneously while maintaining real-time performance (e30 FPS)
+4. **Parallel Execution**: Runs multiple FFmpeg processes in parallel to simulate concurrent transcoding workloads
+
+## Interpreting Results
+
+The "Benchmark Score" represents how many 1080p video streams your system can transcode simultaneously while maintaining real-time or better performance. This is useful for:
+
+- Comparing hardware performance
+- Capacity planning for video processing workloads
+- Evaluating hardware acceleration effectiveness
+
+**Typical scores:**
+- Software (CPU only): 1-4 streams
+- Entry-level GPU: 5-15 streams
+- Mid-range GPU: 15-40 streams
+- High-end GPU: 40-100+ streams
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+**FFmpeg not found:**
+- Ensure FFmpeg is installed and in your system PATH
+- Try running `ffmpeg -version` to verify
+
+**Hardware acceleration not detected:**
+- Verify your FFmpeg build includes hardware encoder support: `ffmpeg -encoders | grep <encoder>`
+- Ensure proper drivers are installed (NVIDIA, Intel, AMD)
+- On Linux, check that you have access to `/dev/dri/renderD128` for VA-API
+
+**Benchmark fails or hangs:**
+- Try a shorter duration: `--duration 10`
+- Check system resources (CPU, memory, GPU)
+- Verify FFmpeg works manually: `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v h264_nvenc output.mp4`
+
+## License
+
+MIT License
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48ea8e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# No Python package dependencies required
+# This tool only requires:
+# - Python 3.6+
+# - FFmpeg (system package)
diff --git a/transcode_bench.py b/transcode_bench.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..654200b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/transcode_bench.py
@@ -0,0 +1,318 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Video Transcoding Benchmark Tool
+Measures how many simultaneous 1080p streams can be transcoded in real-time or better.
+"""
+
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import time
+import tempfile
+import os
+import threading
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional, Tuple, List
+
+
+class HardwareAcceleration:
+    """Detect and configure hardware acceleration."""
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def detect() -> Tuple[str, str, str]:
+        """
+        Detect available hardware acceleration.
+        Returns: (name, encoder, hwaccel_args)
+        """
+        # Check NVIDIA NVENC
+        if HardwareAcceleration._check_encoder('h264_nvenc'):
+            return ('NVIDIA NVENC', 'h264_nvenc', '-hwaccel cuda -hwaccel_output_format cuda')
+
+        # Check Intel QSV
+        if HardwareAcceleration._check_encoder('h264_qsv'):
+            return ('Intel Quick Sync', 'h264_qsv', '-hwaccel qsv -hwaccel_output_format qsv')
+
+        # Check AMD AMF (Windows/Linux)
+        if HardwareAcceleration._check_encoder('h264_amf'):
+            return ('AMD AMF', 'h264_amf', '')
+
+        # Check VideoToolbox (macOS/iOS - ARM)
+        if HardwareAcceleration._check_encoder('h264_videotoolbox'):
+            return ('VideoToolbox', 'h264_videotoolbox', '-hwaccel videotoolbox')
+
+        # Check VA-API (Linux Intel/AMD)
+        if HardwareAcceleration._check_encoder('h264_vaapi'):
+            return ('VA-API', 'h264_vaapi', '-hwaccel vaapi -hwaccel_output_format vaapi -hwaccel_device /dev/dri/renderD128')
+
+        # Fallback to software
+        return ('Software (libx264)', 'libx264', '')
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _check_encoder(encoder: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if FFmpeg supports a specific encoder."""
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                ['ffmpeg', '-hide_banner', '-encoders'],
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                timeout=5
+            )
+            return encoder in result.stdout
+        except (subprocess.TimeoutExpired, FileNotFoundError):
+            return False
+
+
+class TestVideo:
+    """Generate or manage test video file."""
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def generate(path: str, duration: int = 30) -> bool:
+        """Generate a 1080p test video."""
+        try:
+            print(f"Generating {duration}s 1080p test video...")
+            cmd = [
+                'ffmpeg', '-y',
+                '-f', 'lavfi',
+                '-i', 'testsrc2=size=1920x1080:rate=30:duration={}'.format(duration),
+                '-f', 'lavfi',
+                '-i', 'sine=frequency=1000:duration={}'.format(duration),
+                '-c:v', 'libx264',
+                '-preset', 'medium',
+                '-c:a', 'aac',
+                '-b:a', '128k',
+                path
+            ]
+            result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, timeout=120)
+            return result.returncode == 0
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Error generating test video: {e}")
+            return False
+
+
+class TranscodeJob:
+    """Represents a single transcode job."""
+
+    def __init__(self, input_file: str, output_file: str, encoder: str, hwaccel_args: str):
+        self.input_file = input_file
+        self.output_file = output_file
+        self.encoder = encoder
+        self.hwaccel_args = hwaccel_args
+        self.process = None
+        self.start_time = None
+        self.end_time = None
+        self.success = False
+        self.fps = 0.0
+
+    def run(self):
+        """Execute the transcode job."""
+        try:
+            # Build FFmpeg command
+            cmd = ['ffmpeg', '-y']
+
+            # Add hardware acceleration args
+            if self.hwaccel_args:
+                cmd.extend(self.hwaccel_args.split())
+
+            cmd.extend([
+                '-i', self.input_file,
+                '-c:v', self.encoder,
+                '-b:v', '4M',
+                '-c:a', 'aac',
+                '-b:a', '128k',
+                '-f', 'null' if os.name != 'nt' else 'null',
+                self.output_file if os.name != 'nt' else '-'
+            ])
+
+            self.start_time = time.time()
+            self.process = subprocess.Popen(
+                cmd,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                text=True
+            )
+
+            # Wait for completion
+            _, stderr = self.process.communicate()
+            self.end_time = time.time()
+
+            # Parse FPS from FFmpeg output
+            self.fps = self._parse_fps(stderr)
+            self.success = self.process.returncode == 0
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.success = False
+            self.end_time = time.time()
+
+    def _parse_fps(self, ffmpeg_output: str) -> float:
+        """Parse average FPS from FFmpeg output."""
+        try:
+            # Look for the final fps value in output
+            for line in ffmpeg_output.split('\n'):
+                if 'fps=' in line:
+                    fps_str = line.split('fps=')[1].split()[0]
+                    return float(fps_str)
+        except:
+            pass
+        return 0.0
+
+
+class Benchmark:
+    """Main benchmark orchestrator."""
+
+    def __init__(self, test_video: str, encoder: str, hwaccel_args: str, accel_name: str):
+        self.test_video = test_video
+        self.encoder = encoder
+        self.hwaccel_args = hwaccel_args
+        self.accel_name = accel_name
+
+    def run_parallel_transcodes(self, num_streams: int, timeout: int = 60) -> Tuple[bool, float]:
+        """
+        Run multiple parallel transcode jobs.
+        Returns: (success, average_fps)
+        """
+        jobs = []
+        threads = []
+
+        # Create jobs
+        for i in range(num_streams):
+            output_file = f'/dev/null' if os.name != 'nt' else 'NUL'
+            job = TranscodeJob(self.test_video, output_file, self.encoder, self.hwaccel_args)
+            jobs.append(job)
+
+        # Start all jobs in parallel
+        for job in jobs:
+            thread = threading.Thread(target=job.run)
+            thread.start()
+            threads.append(thread)
+
+        # Wait for all to complete (with timeout)
+        start = time.time()
+        for thread in threads:
+            remaining = timeout - (time.time() - start)
+            if remaining > 0:
+                thread.join(timeout=remaining)
+            else:
+                return False, 0.0
+
+        # Check if all succeeded and calculate average FPS
+        all_success = all(job.success for job in jobs)
+        if all_success:
+            avg_fps = sum(job.fps for job in jobs) / len(jobs) if jobs else 0.0
+            return True, avg_fps
+
+        return False, 0.0
+
+    def find_max_streams(self, min_fps: float = 30.0) -> int:
+        """
+        Use binary search to find maximum number of simultaneous streams.
+        A stream is considered "real-time" if it achieves >= min_fps.
+        """
+        print(f"\nBenchmarking with {self.accel_name}...")
+        print("Finding maximum simultaneous 1080p streams at real-time or better...\n")
+
+        # Binary search bounds
+        low, high = 1, 64
+        max_streams = 0
+
+        while low <= high:
+            mid = (low + high) // 2
+            print(f"Testing {mid} simultaneous streams...", end=' ', flush=True)
+
+            success, avg_fps = self.run_parallel_transcodes(mid)
+
+            if success and avg_fps >= min_fps:
+                print(f"✓ (avg {avg_fps:.1f} fps)")
+                max_streams = mid
+                low = mid + 1
+            else:
+                if success:
+                    print(f"✗ (avg {avg_fps:.1f} fps - below real-time)")
+                else:
+                    print(f"✗ (failed)")
+                high = mid - 1
+
+        return max_streams
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description='Benchmark video transcoding performance',
+        formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--duration',
+        type=int,
+        default=30,
+        help='Test video duration in seconds (default: 30)'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--input',
+        type=str,
+        help='Use existing video file instead of generating test video'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--min-fps',
+        type=float,
+        default=30.0,
+        help='Minimum FPS to consider real-time (default: 30.0)'
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    # Check for FFmpeg
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(['ffmpeg', '-version'], capture_output=True, check=True)
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
+        print("Error: FFmpeg not found. Please install FFmpeg and ensure it's in your PATH.")
+        return 1
+
+    print("=" * 60)
+    print("Video Transcoding Benchmark")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+    # Detect hardware acceleration
+    accel_name, encoder, hwaccel_args = HardwareAcceleration.detect()
+    print(f"Detected acceleration: {accel_name}")
+    print(f"Encoder: {encoder}")
+
+    # Prepare test video
+    if args.input:
+        test_video = args.input
+        if not os.path.exists(test_video):
+            print(f"Error: Input file '{test_video}' not found.")
+            return 1
+    else:
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix='.mp4', delete=False) as f:
+            test_video = f.name
+
+        if not TestVideo.generate(test_video, args.duration):
+            print("Error: Failed to generate test video.")
+            return 1
+
+    try:
+        # Run benchmark
+        benchmark = Benchmark(test_video, encoder, hwaccel_args, accel_name)
+        max_streams = benchmark.find_max_streams(args.min_fps)
+
+        # Display results
+        print("\n" + "=" * 60)
+        print("BENCHMARK RESULTS")
+        print("=" * 60)
+        print(f"Hardware Acceleration: {accel_name}")
+        print(f"Maximum Simultaneous 1080p Streams: {max_streams}")
+        print(f"(at {args.min_fps} FPS or better)")
+        print("=" * 60)
+
+        # Also output just the number for easy parsing
+        print(f"\nBenchmark Score: {max_streams}")
+
+    finally:
+        # Cleanup
+        if not args.input and os.path.exists(test_video):
+            os.unlink(test_video)
+
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())