diff --git a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegAudioCursor.cxx b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegAudioCursor.cxx
index b45770d20a..83ae9dcf28 100644
--- a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegAudioCursor.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegAudioCursor.cxx
@@ -63,11 +63,7 @@ FfmpegAudioCursor(FfmpegAudio *src) :
   _format_ctx = _ffvfile.get_format_context();
   nassertv(_format_ctx != NULL);
 
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 6, 0)
   if (avformat_find_stream_info(_format_ctx, NULL) < 0) {
-#else
-  if (av_find_stream_info(_format_ctx) < 0) {
-#endif
     cleanup();
     return;
   }
@@ -94,31 +90,20 @@ FfmpegAudioCursor(FfmpegAudio *src) :
     return;
   }
 
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 8, 0)
   AVDictionary *opts = NULL;
   av_dict_set(&opts, "request_sample_fmt", "s16", 0);
   if (avcodec_open2(_audio_ctx, pAudioCodec, NULL) < 0) {
-#else
-  if (avcodec_open(_audio_ctx, pAudioCodec) < 0) {
-#endif
     cleanup();
     return;
   }
 
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 8, 0)
   av_dict_free(&opts);
-#endif
 
   // Set up the resample context if necessary.
   if (_audio_ctx->sample_fmt != AV_SAMPLE_FMT_S16) {
 #ifdef HAVE_SWRESAMPLE
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT < AV_VERSION_INT(53, 25, 0)
-    ffmpeg_cat.error()
-      << "Codec does not use signed 16-bit sample format.  Upgrade libavcodec to 53.25.0 or higher.\n";
-#else
     ffmpeg_cat.debug()
       << "Codec does not use signed 16-bit sample format.  Setting up swresample context.\n";
-#endif
 
     _resample_ctx = swr_alloc();
     av_opt_set_int(_resample_ctx, "in_channel_layout", _audio_ctx->channel_layout, 0);
@@ -191,10 +176,8 @@ cleanup() {
   if (_frame) {
 #if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(55, 45, 101)
     av_frame_free(&_frame);
-#elif LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(54, 59, 100)
-    avcodec_free_frame(&_frame);
 #else
-    av_free(&_frame);
+    avcodec_free_frame(&_frame);
 #endif
     _frame = NULL;
   }
@@ -284,25 +267,6 @@ reload_buffer() {
       return true;
     } else if (_packet_size > 0) {
       int bufsize = _buffer_size * 2;
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT < 3349504
-      int len = avcodec_decode_audio(_audio_ctx, _buffer, &bufsize,
-                                    _packet_data, _packet_size);
-      movies_debug("avcodec_decode_audio returned " << len);
-#elif LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT < 3414272
-      int len = avcodec_decode_audio2(_audio_ctx, _buffer, &bufsize,
-                                      _packet_data, _packet_size);
-      movies_debug("avcodec_decode_audio2 returned " << len);
-#elif LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT < AV_VERSION_INT(53, 25, 0)
-      // We should technically also consider resampling in this case, but
-      // whatever.  Just upgrade your ffmpeg version if you get garbage.
-      AVPacket pkt;
-      av_init_packet(&pkt);
-      pkt.data = _packet_data;
-      pkt.size = _packet_size;
-      int len = avcodec_decode_audio3(_audio_ctx, _buffer, &bufsize, &pkt);
-      movies_debug("avcodec_decode_audio3 returned " << len);
-      av_free_packet(&pkt);
-#else
       int got_frame;
       AVPacket pkt;
       av_init_packet(&pkt);
@@ -332,7 +296,6 @@ reload_buffer() {
       }
 #if LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT > AV_VERSION_INT(52, 19, 100)
       av_frame_unref(_frame);
-#endif
 #endif
 
       if (len < 0) {
@@ -376,11 +339,7 @@ seek(double t) {
     cleanup();
     return;
   }
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 8, 0)
   if (avcodec_open2(_audio_ctx, pAudioCodec, NULL) < 0) {
-#else
-  if (avcodec_open(_audio_ctx, pAudioCodec) < 0) {
-#endif
     cleanup();
     return;
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
index ffcccc8aab..4000343ba8 100644
--- a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVideoCursor.cxx
@@ -36,21 +36,10 @@ PStatCollector FfmpegVideoCursor::_fetch_buffer_pcollector("*:FFMPEG Video Decod
 PStatCollector FfmpegVideoCursor::_seek_pcollector("*:FFMPEG Video Decoding:Seek");
 PStatCollector FfmpegVideoCursor::_export_frame_pcollector("*:FFMPEG Convert Video to BGR");
 
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_MAJOR < 53
-  #define AVMEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO CODEC_TYPE_VIDEO
-#endif
-
 #if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_MAJOR < 54
 #define AV_CODEC_ID_VP8 CODEC_ID_VP8
 #endif
 
-#if LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT < AV_VERSION_INT(51, 74, 100)
-#define AV_PIX_FMT_NONE PIX_FMT_NONE
-#define AV_PIX_FMT_BGR24 PIX_FMT_BGR24
-#define AV_PIX_FMT_BGRA PIX_FMT_BGRA
-typedef PixelFormat AVPixelFormat;
-#endif
-
 #if LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_INT < AV_VERSION_INT(52, 32, 100)
 #define AV_PIX_FMT_FLAG_ALPHA PIX_FMT_ALPHA
 #endif
@@ -120,7 +109,6 @@ init_from(FfmpegVideo *source) {
   _eof_known = false;
   _eof_frame = 0;
 
-#if LIBAVUTIL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 52
   // Check if we got an alpha format.  Please note that some video codecs
   // (eg. libvpx) change the pix_fmt after decoding the first frame, which is
   // why we didn't do this earlier.
@@ -128,9 +116,7 @@ init_from(FfmpegVideo *source) {
   if (desc && (desc->flags & AV_PIX_FMT_FLAG_ALPHA) != 0) {
     _num_components = 4;
     _pixel_format = (int)AV_PIX_FMT_BGRA;
-  } else
-#endif
-  {
+  } else {
     _num_components = 3;
     _pixel_format = (int)AV_PIX_FMT_BGR24;
   }
@@ -493,11 +479,7 @@ open_stream() {
   _format_ctx = _ffvfile.get_format_context();
   nassertr(_format_ctx != NULL, false);
 
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 6, 0)
   if (avformat_find_stream_info(_format_ctx, NULL) < 0) {
-#else
-  if (av_find_stream_info(_format_ctx) < 0) {
-#endif
     ffmpeg_cat.info()
       << "Couldn't find stream info\n";
     close_stream();
@@ -539,11 +521,7 @@ open_stream() {
     close_stream();
     return false;
   }
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 8, 0)
   if (avcodec_open2(_video_ctx, pVideoCodec, NULL) < 0) {
-#else
-  if (avcodec_open(_video_ctx, pVideoCodec) < 0) {
-#endif
     ffmpeg_cat.info()
       << "Couldn't open codec\n";
     close_stream();
@@ -883,12 +861,7 @@ decode_frame(int &finished) {
  */
 void FfmpegVideoCursor::
 do_decode_frame(int &finished) {
-#if LIBAVCODEC_VERSION_INT < 3414272
-  avcodec_decode_video(_video_ctx, _frame,
-                       &finished, _packet->data, _packet->size);
-#else
   avcodec_decode_video2(_video_ctx, _frame, &finished, _packet);
-#endif
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVirtualFile.cxx b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVirtualFile.cxx
index df8f077406..8819db74bc 100644
--- a/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVirtualFile.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ffmpeg/ffmpegVirtualFile.cxx
@@ -107,11 +107,7 @@ open_vfs(const Filename &filename) {
 
   // Now we can open the stream.
   int result =
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 4, 0)
     avformat_open_input(&_format_context, "", NULL, NULL);
-#else
-    av_open_input_file(&_format_context, "", NULL, 0, NULL);
-#endif
   if (result < 0) {
     close();
     return false;
@@ -159,11 +155,7 @@ open_subfile(const SubfileInfo &info) {
 
   // Now we can open the stream.
   int result =
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 4, 0)
     avformat_open_input(&_format_context, fname.c_str(), NULL, NULL);
-#else
-    av_open_input_file(&_format_context, fname.c_str(), NULL, 0, NULL);
-#endif
   if (result < 0) {
     close();
     return false;
@@ -179,12 +171,7 @@ open_subfile(const SubfileInfo &info) {
 void FfmpegVirtualFile::
 close() {
   if (_format_context != NULL) {
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= AV_VERSION_INT(53, 17, 0)
     avformat_close_input(&_format_context);
-#else
-    av_close_input_file(_format_context);
-    _format_context = NULL;
-#endif
   }
 
   if (_io_context != NULL) {
@@ -218,9 +205,7 @@ register_protocol() {
   av_register_all();
 
   // And this one.
-#if LIBAVFORMAT_VERSION_INT >= 0x351400
   avformat_network_init();
-#endif
 
   // Let's also register the logging to Panda's notify callback.
   av_log_set_callback(&log_callback);