chore(dependencies): bump minimum torch from 2.2.1 to 2.7 (#3156)

* feat(ffmpeg): updating ffmpeg verion to 8.X

* Revert "feat(ffmpeg): updating ffmpeg verion to 8.X"

This reverts commit bb0f03185c.

* chore(pyproject): updating pyproject to fit the minimally required version of torchcodec

* chore(docs): updating doc with specific instructions for ffmpeg/torchcodec installation

* fix(typo): reverting ceiling bound on pytorch to 2.11.0

* chore(format): removing empty line

* chore(typo): fixing typo

* chore(docs): adding warning in case of torchcodec/ffmpeg version mismatch

* chore(docs): applying comments

* chore(docs): adding uv commands for evdev on WSL

* fix(typo): fixing typo

* fix(typo): fixing typos again

* chore(ruff): format

* fix(evdev install): splitting evdev install instructions between conda and uv

* chore(ruff): format

---------

Co-authored-by: Steven Palma <imstevenpmwork@ieee.org>

docs/source/installation.mdx

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Installation
 
-This guide uses `conda` (via miniforge) to manage environments (recommended). If you prefer another environment manager (e.g. `uv`, `venv`), ensure you have Python >=3.12 and `ffmpeg` installed with the `libsvtav1` encoder, then skip ahead to [Environment Setup](#step-2-environment-setup).
+This guide uses `conda` (via miniforge) to manage environments (recommended). If you prefer another environment manager (e.g. `uv`, `venv`), ensure you have Python >=3.12 and support PyTorch >= 2.10, then skip ahead to [Environment Setup](#step-2-environment-setup).
 
 ## Step 1 (`conda` only): Install [`miniforge`](https://conda-forge.org/download/)
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Create a virtual environment with Python 3.12:
 conda create -y -n lerobot python=3.12
 ```
 </hfoption>
-<hfoption id="uv">
+<hfoption id="uv (PyTorch >= 2.10 only)">
 ```bash
 uv python install 3.12
 uv venv --python 3.12
@@ -32,48 +32,87 @@ uv venv --python 3.12
 Then activate your virtual environment, you have to do this each time you open a shell to use lerobot:
 
 <!-- prettier-ignore-start -->
+
 <hfoptions id="activate_venv">
-<hfoption id="conda">```bash
+<hfoption id="conda">
+```bash
 conda activate lerobot
-```</hfoption>
-<hfoption id="uv">
-```bash
-# Linux/macOSsource
-source .venv/bin/activate
-# Windows PowerShell
-source .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
 ```
-</hfoption>
-</hfoptions>
-<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->
-
-When using `conda`, install `ffmpeg` in your environment:
-
-```bash
-conda install ffmpeg -c conda-forge
-ffmpeg -version  # ffmpeg 8.X is not yet supported !
-```
-
-> [!TIP]
-> This usually installs `ffmpeg 7.X` for your platform compiled with the `libsvtav1` encoder. If `libsvtav1` is not supported (check supported encoders with `ffmpeg -encoders`), you can:
->
-> - _[On any platform]_ Explicitly install `ffmpeg 7.X` using:
->
-> ```bash
-> conda install ffmpeg=7.1.1 -c conda-forge
-> ```
->
-> - _[On Linux only]_ If you want to bring your own ffmpeg: Install [ffmpeg build dependencies](https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/CompilationGuide/Ubuntu#GettheDependencies) and [compile ffmpeg from source with libsvtav1](https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/CompilationGuide/Ubuntu#libsvtav1), and make sure you use the corresponding ffmpeg binary to your install with `which ffmpeg`.
 
 > [!NOTE]
-> When installing LeRobot inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), make sure to install `evdev` with the following command:
+> When installing LeRobot inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), make sure to also install `evdev`:
 >
 > ```bash
 > conda install evdev -c conda-forge
 > ```
 
+</hfoption>
+<hfoption id="uv (PyTorch >= 2.10 only)">
+```bash
+# Linux/macOS
+source .venv/bin/activate
+# Windows PowerShell
+.venv\Scripts\activate
+```
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> When installing LeRobot inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), make sure to also install `evdev`:
+>
+> ```bash
+> sudo apt install libevdev-dev
+> uv pip install evdev
+> ```
+
+</hfoption>
+</hfoptions>
+<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->
+
+### Install `ffmpeg` (for video decoding)
+
+LeRobot uses [TorchCodec](https://github.com/meta-pytorch/torchcodec) for video decoding by default, which requires `ffmpeg`.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> **Platform support:** TorchCodec is **not available** on macOS Intel (x86_64), Linux ARM (aarch64, arm64, armv7l), or Windows with PyTorch < 2.8. On these platforms, LeRobot automatically falls back to `pyav` — so you do not need to install `ffmpeg` and can skip to Step 3.
+
+If your platform supports TorchCodec, install `ffmpeg` using one of the methods below:
+
+<!-- prettier-ignore-start -->
+
+<hfoptions id="install_ffmpeg">
+<hfoption id="conda (any PyTorch version)">
+
+Install `ffmpeg` in your conda environment. This works with **all PyTorch versions** and is **required for PyTorch < 2.10**:
+
+```bash
+conda install ffmpeg -c conda-forge
+```
+
+> [!TIP]
+> This usually installs `ffmpeg 8.X` with the `libsvtav1` encoder. If you run into issues (e.g. `libsvtav1` missing — check with `ffmpeg -encoders` — or a version mismatch with `torchcodec`), you can explicitly install `ffmpeg 7.1.1` using:
+>
+> ```bash
+> conda install ffmpeg=7.1.1 -c conda-forge
+> ```
+
+</hfoption>
+<hfoption id="uv (PyTorch >= 2.10 only)">
+
+Starting with **PyTorch >= 2.10** (TorchCodec ≥ 0.10), TorchCodec can dynamically link to a system-wide `ffmpeg` installation. This is useful when using `uv` or other non-`conda` environment managers:
+
+```bash
+# Ubuntu/Debian
+sudo apt install ffmpeg
+
+# macOS (Apple Silicon)
+brew install ffmpeg
+```
+
 > [!IMPORTANT]
-> If you are using `uv` you will have to install `ffmpeg` system-wide (outside of the virtual environment). You rely on `uv` and `torchcodec` ability to dynamically link to the system `ffmpeg`.
+> System-wide `ffmpeg` is **only supported with PyTorch >= 2.10** (TorchCodec ≥ 0.10). For older PyTorch versions, you **must** use `conda install ffmpeg -c conda-forge` instead.
+
+</hfoption>
+</hfoptions>
+<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->
 
 ## Step 3: Install LeRobot 🤗