One more datapoint, vlc seems to be using VAAPI on the same machine & distro without issues:
```
$ vlc big_buck_bunny_720p_surround.mp4
VLC media player 3.0.16 Vetinari (revision 3.0.13-8-g41878ff4f2)
[000055cebcc6f580] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
[00007f9b1c003e50] gl gl: Initialized libplacebo v4.192.1 (API v192)
libva info: VA-API version 1.14.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_14
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
[00007f9b39141220] avcodec decoder: Using Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 22.3.1 () for hardware decoding
```
One more datapoint, vlc seems to be using VAAPI on the same machine & distro without issues:
``` bunny_720p_ surround. mp4 8-g41878ff4f2) x86_64- linux-gnu/ dri/iHD_ drv_video. so
$ vlc big_buck_
VLC media player 3.0.16 Vetinari (revision 3.0.13-
[000055cebcc6f580] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
[00007f9b1c003e50] gl gl: Initialized libplacebo v4.192.1 (API v192)
libva info: VA-API version 1.14.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_14
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
[00007f9b39141220] avcodec decoder: Using Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 22.3.1 () for hardware decoding
```