diff --git a/internal/service/transcoder.go b/internal/service/transcoder.go
index 13b9051..675d13b 100644
--- a/internal/service/transcoder.go
+++ b/internal/service/transcoder.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -406,131 +405,6 @@ func hasFFmpegListEntry(output, name string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// buildFFmpegArgs assembles the ffmpeg command line for the configured
-// encoder. The function is package-level so the unit test can pin its
-// behaviour without spawning a real ffmpeg process.
-func buildFFmpegArgs(cfg *config.Config, source, playlist, segments string) []string {
-	enc := ""
-	if cfg.Transcoder.HardwareAccel {
-		enc = normalizedHardwareEncoder(cfg.Transcoder.Encoder)
-	}
-	bitrate := cfg.Transcoder.VideoBitrate
-	if bitrate == "" {
-		bitrate = "1500k"
-	}
-	maxrate := cfg.Transcoder.MaxRate
-	if maxrate == "" {
-		maxrate = "1800k"
-	}
-	bufsize := cfg.Transcoder.BufSize
-	if bufsize == "" {
-		bufsize = "3000k"
-	}
-	preset := cfg.Transcoder.Preset
-	if preset == "" {
-		preset = "veryfast"
-	}
-	height := cfg.Transcoder.MaxHeight
-	if height <= 0 {
-		height = 720
-	}
-	segDur := cfg.Transcoder.SegmentSeconds
-	if segDur <= 0 {
-		segDur = 4
-	}
-
-	// Hardware-accel arguments differ in three places:
-	//   - Optional input flags (-hwaccel + device init)
-	//   - Optional input pixel-format upload filter
-	//   - The actual -c:v encoder name + preset/quality flag
-	var pre, vf, vcodec, vpreset string
-	switch enc {
-	case "nvenc":
-		pre = "-hwaccel cuda -hwaccel_output_format cuda"
-		vf = fmt.Sprintf("scale_cuda=-2:min(%d\\,ih)", height)
-		vcodec = "h264_nvenc"
-		vpreset = "p4"
-	case "qsv":
-		pre = "-hwaccel qsv -hwaccel_output_format qsv"
-		vf = fmt.Sprintf("scale_qsv=-1:min(%d\\,ih)", height)
-		vcodec = "h264_qsv"
-		vpreset = preset
-	case "vaapi":
-		device := cfg.App.VAAPIDevice
-		if device == "" {
-			device = "/dev/dri/renderD128"
-		}
-		pre = fmt.Sprintf("-hwaccel vaapi -vaapi_device %s -hwaccel_output_format vaapi", device)
-		vf = fmt.Sprintf("scale_vaapi=-2:min(%d\\,ih),format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload", height)
-		vcodec = "h264_vaapi"
-		vpreset = ""
-	default:
-		// software
-		pre = ""
-		vf = fmt.Sprintf("scale=-2:min(%d\\,ih)", height)
-		vcodec = "libx264"
-		vpreset = preset
-	}
-
-	args := []string{"-y", "-hide_banner", "-nostdin", "-fflags", "+genpts"}
-	for _, p := range splitNonEmptyArgs(pre) {
-		args = append(args, p)
-	}
-	if cfg.Transcoder.Realtime {
-		args = append(args, "-re")
-	}
-	args = append(args, "-i", source, "-map", "0:v:0?", "-map", "0:a:0?", "-vf", vf, "-c:v", vcodec)
-	if cfg.Transcoder.Threads > 0 && vcodec == "libx264" {
-		args = append(args, "-threads", strconv.Itoa(cfg.Transcoder.Threads))
-	}
-	if vpreset != "" {
-		args = append(args, "-preset", vpreset)
-	}
-	args = append(args,
-		"-pix_fmt", "yuv420p",
-		"-b:v", bitrate,
-		"-maxrate", maxrate,
-		"-bufsize", bufsize,
-		"-c:a", "aac",
-		"-ar", "48000",
-		"-b:a", "128k",
-		"-ac", "2",
-		"-force_key_frames", fmt.Sprintf("expr:gte(t,n_forced*%d)", segDur),
-		"-f", "hls",
-		"-hls_time", fmt.Sprintf("%d", segDur),
-		"-hls_list_size", "0",
-		"-hls_segment_filename", segments,
-		playlist,
-	)
-	return args
-}
-
-// splitNonEmptyArgs is a tiny helper that mirrors strings.Fields for the
-// pre-input flag string without dragging the strings import into the hot
-// path of every call to buildFFmpegArgs.
-func splitNonEmptyArgs(s string) []string {
-	if s == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	out := make([]string, 0, 4)
-	field := make([]rune, 0, 16)
-	flush := func() {
-		if len(field) > 0 {
-			out = append(out, string(field))
-			field = field[:0]
-		}
-	}
-	for _, r := range s {
-		if r == ' ' || r == '\t' {
-			flush()
-			continue
-		}
-		field = append(field, r)
-	}
-	flush()
-	return out
-}
-
 // HumanFFmpegProfile is exposed for the admin UI / settings view.
 func (t *TranscoderService) HumanFFmpegProfile() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("ffmpeg=%s, encoder=%s, output=%s",
diff --git a/internal/service/transcoder_ffmpeg_args.go b/internal/service/transcoder_ffmpeg_args.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30bb026
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/service/transcoder_ffmpeg_args.go
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+
+	"github.com/ShukeBta/MediaStationGo/internal/config"
+)
+
+type ffmpegArgSettings struct {
+	encoder        string
+	bitrate        string
+	maxrate        string
+	bufsize        string
+	preset         string
+	height         int
+	segmentSeconds int
+	realtime       bool
+	threads        int
+	vaapiDevice    string
+}
+
+type ffmpegVideoPlan struct {
+	preInput string
+	filter   string
+	codec    string
+	preset   string
+}
+
+// buildFFmpegArgs assembles the ffmpeg command line for the configured
+// encoder. The function is package-level so the unit test can pin its
+// behaviour without spawning a real ffmpeg process.
+func buildFFmpegArgs(cfg *config.Config, source, playlist, segments string) []string {
+	settings := ffmpegArgSettingsFromConfig(cfg)
+	video := ffmpegVideoPlanForSettings(settings)
+
+	args := baseFFmpegArgs(video.preInput, settings.realtime)
+	args = appendInputAndVideoArgs(args, source, settings, video)
+	args = appendOutputHLSArgs(args, settings, segments, playlist)
+	return args
+}
+
+func ffmpegArgSettingsFromConfig(cfg *config.Config) ffmpegArgSettings {
+	settings := ffmpegArgSettings{
+		bitrate:        ffmpegDefaultString(cfg.Transcoder.VideoBitrate, "1500k"),
+		maxrate:        ffmpegDefaultString(cfg.Transcoder.MaxRate, "1800k"),
+		bufsize:        ffmpegDefaultString(cfg.Transcoder.BufSize, "3000k"),
+		preset:         ffmpegDefaultString(cfg.Transcoder.Preset, "veryfast"),
+		height:         cfg.Transcoder.MaxHeight,
+		segmentSeconds: cfg.Transcoder.SegmentSeconds,
+		realtime:       cfg.Transcoder.Realtime,
+		threads:        cfg.Transcoder.Threads,
+		vaapiDevice:    ffmpegDefaultString(cfg.App.VAAPIDevice, "/dev/dri/renderD128"),
+	}
+	if cfg.Transcoder.HardwareAccel {
+		settings.encoder = normalizedHardwareEncoder(cfg.Transcoder.Encoder)
+	}
+	if settings.height <= 0 {
+		settings.height = 720
+	}
+	if settings.segmentSeconds <= 0 {
+		settings.segmentSeconds = 4
+	}
+	return settings
+}
+
+func ffmpegDefaultString(value, fallback string) string {
+	if value == "" {
+		return fallback
+	}
+	return value
+}
+
+func ffmpegVideoPlanForSettings(settings ffmpegArgSettings) ffmpegVideoPlan {
+	switch settings.encoder {
+	case "nvenc":
+		return ffmpegVideoPlan{
+			preInput: "-hwaccel cuda -hwaccel_output_format cuda",
+			filter:   fmt.Sprintf("scale_cuda=-2:min(%d\\,ih)", settings.height),
+			codec:    "h264_nvenc",
+			preset:   "p4",
+		}
+	case "qsv":
+		return ffmpegVideoPlan{
+			preInput: "-hwaccel qsv -hwaccel_output_format qsv",
+			filter:   fmt.Sprintf("scale_qsv=-1:min(%d\\,ih)", settings.height),
+			codec:    "h264_qsv",
+			preset:   settings.preset,
+		}
+	case "vaapi":
+		return ffmpegVideoPlan{
+			preInput: fmt.Sprintf("-hwaccel vaapi -vaapi_device %s -hwaccel_output_format vaapi", settings.vaapiDevice),
+			filter:   fmt.Sprintf("scale_vaapi=-2:min(%d\\,ih),format=nv12|vaapi,hwupload", settings.height),
+			codec:    "h264_vaapi",
+		}
+	default:
+		return ffmpegVideoPlan{
+			filter: fmt.Sprintf("scale=-2:min(%d\\,ih)", settings.height),
+			codec:  "libx264",
+			preset: settings.preset,
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func baseFFmpegArgs(preInput string, realtime bool) []string {
+	args := []string{"-y", "-hide_banner", "-nostdin", "-fflags", "+genpts"}
+	args = append(args, splitNonEmptyArgs(preInput)...)
+	if realtime {
+		args = append(args, "-re")
+	}
+	return args
+}
+
+func appendInputAndVideoArgs(args []string, source string, settings ffmpegArgSettings, video ffmpegVideoPlan) []string {
+	args = append(args, "-i", source, "-map", "0:v:0?", "-map", "0:a:0?", "-vf", video.filter, "-c:v", video.codec)
+	if settings.threads > 0 && video.codec == "libx264" {
+		args = append(args, "-threads", strconv.Itoa(settings.threads))
+	}
+	if video.preset != "" {
+		args = append(args, "-preset", video.preset)
+	}
+	return args
+}
+
+func appendOutputHLSArgs(args []string, settings ffmpegArgSettings, segments, playlist string) []string {
+	return append(args,
+		"-pix_fmt", "yuv420p",
+		"-b:v", settings.bitrate,
+		"-maxrate", settings.maxrate,
+		"-bufsize", settings.bufsize,
+		"-c:a", "aac",
+		"-ar", "48000",
+		"-b:a", "128k",
+		"-ac", "2",
+		"-force_key_frames", fmt.Sprintf("expr:gte(t,n_forced*%d)", settings.segmentSeconds),
+		"-f", "hls",
+		"-hls_time", fmt.Sprintf("%d", settings.segmentSeconds),
+		"-hls_list_size", "0",
+		"-hls_segment_filename", segments,
+		playlist,
+	)
+}
+
+// splitNonEmptyArgs mirrors the old whitespace split for pre-input flags.
+func splitNonEmptyArgs(s string) []string {
+	if s == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	out := make([]string, 0, 4)
+	field := make([]rune, 0, 16)
+	flush := func() {
+		if len(field) > 0 {
+			out = append(out, string(field))
+			field = field[:0]
+		}
+	}
+	for _, r := range s {
+		if r == ' ' || r == '\t' {
+			flush()
+			continue
+		}
+		field = append(field, r)
+	}
+	flush()
+	return out
+}