diff --git a/pkg/config/config.yaml b/pkg/config/config.yaml
index 59a123bfa..95dc4e4db 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.yaml
+++ b/pkg/config/config.yaml
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ encoder:
     # see: https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Encode/H.264
     h264:
       # Constant Rate Factor (CRF) 0-51 (default: 23)
-      crf: 23
+      crf: 26
       # ultrafast, superfast, veryfast, faster, fast, medium, slow, slower, veryslow, placebo
       preset: superfast
       # baseline, main, high, high10, high422, high444
diff --git a/pkg/encoder/h264/libx264.go b/pkg/encoder/h264/libx264.go
index 775f9563f..0539b437b 100644
--- a/pkg/encoder/h264/libx264.go
+++ b/pkg/encoder/h264/libx264.go
@@ -362,10 +362,10 @@ type Sei struct {
 }
 
 type Image struct {
-	ICsp    int32             /* Colorspace */
-	IPlane  int32             /* Number of image planes */
-	IStride [4]int32          /* Strides for each plane */
-	Plane   [4]unsafe.Pointer /* Pointers to each plane */
+	ICsp    int32      /* Colorspace */
+	IPlane  int32      /* Number of image planes */
+	IStride [4]int32   /* Strides for each plane */
+	Plane   [4]uintptr /* Pointers to each plane */
 }
 
 type ImageProperties struct {
@@ -455,12 +455,6 @@ type Picture struct {
 	Opaque unsafe.Pointer
 }
 
-func (p *Picture) freePlanes() {
-	for _, ptr := range p.Img.Plane {
-		C.free(ptr)
-	}
-}
-
 func (t *T) cptr() *C.x264_t { return (*C.x264_t)(unsafe.Pointer(t)) }
 
 func (n *Nal) cptr() *C.x264_nal_t { return (*C.x264_nal_t)(unsafe.Pointer(n)) }
diff --git a/pkg/encoder/h264/x264.go b/pkg/encoder/h264/x264.go
index c4b4ea00d..ee7cb0972 100644
--- a/pkg/encoder/h264/x264.go
+++ b/pkg/encoder/h264/x264.go
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package h264
 
-// #include <stdint.h>
-import "C"
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"unsafe"
@@ -18,7 +16,6 @@ type H264 struct {
 	nals       []*Nal
 
 	in, out *Picture
-	y, u, v []byte
 }
 
 type Options struct {
@@ -86,35 +83,26 @@ func NewEncoder(w, h int, opts *Options) (encoder *H264, err error) {
 
 	encoder = &H264{
 		csp:        param.ICsp,
-		lumaSize:   int32(w * h),
-		chromaSize: int32(w*h) / 4,
+		lumaSize:   param.IWidth * param.IHeight,
+		chromaSize: param.IWidth * param.IHeight / 4,
 		nals:       make([]*Nal, 1),
-		width:      int32(w),
+		width:      param.IWidth,
 		out:        new(Picture),
+		in: &Picture{
+			Img: Image{
+				ICsp:   param.ICsp,
+				IPlane: 3,
+				IStride: [4]int32{
+					0: param.IWidth,
+					1: param.IWidth >> 1,
+					2: param.IWidth >> 1,
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
-	// pool
-	var picIn Picture
-
-	picIn.Img.ICsp = encoder.csp
-	picIn.Img.IPlane = 3
-	picIn.Img.IStride[0] = encoder.width
-	picIn.Img.IStride[1] = encoder.width >> 1
-	picIn.Img.IStride[2] = encoder.width >> 1
-
-	picIn.Img.Plane[0] = C.malloc(C.size_t(encoder.lumaSize))
-	picIn.Img.Plane[1] = C.malloc(C.size_t(encoder.chromaSize))
-	picIn.Img.Plane[2] = C.malloc(C.size_t(encoder.chromaSize))
-
-	encoder.y = unsafe.Slice((*byte)(picIn.Img.Plane[0]), encoder.lumaSize)
-	encoder.u = unsafe.Slice((*byte)(picIn.Img.Plane[1]), encoder.chromaSize)
-	encoder.v = unsafe.Slice((*byte)(picIn.Img.Plane[2]), encoder.chromaSize)
-
-	encoder.in = &picIn
-
 	if encoder.ref = EncoderOpen(&param); encoder.ref == nil {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("x264: cannot open the encoder")
-		return
 	}
 	return
 }
@@ -122,15 +110,16 @@ func NewEncoder(w, h int, opts *Options) (encoder *H264, err error) {
 func LibVersion() int { return int(Build) }
 
 func (e *H264) LoadBuf(yuv []byte) {
-	copy(e.y, yuv[:e.lumaSize])
-	copy(e.u, yuv[e.lumaSize:e.lumaSize+e.chromaSize])
-	copy(e.v, yuv[e.lumaSize+e.chromaSize:])
+	e.in.Img.Plane[0] = uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&yuv[0]))
+	e.in.Img.Plane[1] = uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&yuv[e.lumaSize]))
+	e.in.Img.Plane[2] = uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&yuv[e.lumaSize+e.chromaSize]))
 }
 
 func (e *H264) Encode() []byte {
 	e.in.IPts += 1
 	if ret := EncoderEncode(e.ref, e.nals, &e.nnals, e.in, e.out); ret > 0 {
-		return C.GoBytes(e.nals[0].PPayload, C.int(ret))
+		return unsafe.Slice((*byte)(e.nals[0].PPayload), ret)
+		//return C.GoBytes(e.nals[0].PPayload, C.int(ret))
 	}
 	return []byte{}
 }
@@ -148,10 +137,6 @@ func (e *H264) SetFlip(b bool) {
 }
 
 func (e *H264) Shutdown() error {
-	e.y = nil
-	e.u = nil
-	e.v = nil
-	e.in.freePlanes()
 	EncoderClose(e.ref)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/encoder/h264/x264_test.go b/pkg/encoder/h264/x264_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e819ba187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/encoder/h264/x264_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package h264
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestH264Encode(t *testing.T) {
+	h264, err := NewEncoder(120, 120, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	data := make([]byte, 120*120*1.5)
+	h264.LoadBuf(data)
+	h264.Encode()
+	if err := h264.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func Benchmark(b *testing.B) {
+	w, h := 1920, 1080
+	h264, err := NewEncoder(w, h, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Error(err)
+	}
+	data := make([]byte, int(float64(w)*float64(h)*1.5))
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		h264.LoadBuf(data)
+		h264.Encode()
+	}
+}