Buzz
Video files often occupy significant storage space, complicating sharing and consuming considerable computer memory. This Mytour provides comprehensive guidance on reducing video file sizes, covering adjustments in resolution and final file sizes across various platforms, including Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphones and tablets.
Procedures
Utilizing Handbrake (for Windows and Mac)
Download and Install Handbrake. Handbrake, a free and open-source video transcoder, facilitates video size reduction and format conversion. Follow these steps to download and install Handbrake:
-
For Windows:
- Access https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php in your web browser.
- Under 'Windows,' click Download (64 bit).
- Open the downloaded installer file from your Downloads folder or web browser.
- Confirm with Yes when prompted by Windows.
- Proceed with Next.
- Click Next once more.
- Choose Install.
- Complete the installation by selecting Finish.
-
For Mac:
- Visit https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php in your web browser.
- Under 'macOS,' click Download (Intel 64 bit).
- Authorize the download by clicking Allow.
- Open the installer file from your Downloads folder or web browser.
- Drag the Handbrake.app file to your Applications folder in Finder.
Launch Handbrake. Handbrake's icon features a cocktail glass and pineapple. Find and click the icon in your Windows Start menu, desktop, or Mac's Applications folder to initiate Handbrake.
Access the video file you wish to shrink. You can either drag and drop the video onto the right-hand box or select File from the left-hand menu. From there, choose the desired file and click Open.
- If this window doesn't appear, click Open source at the top of Handbrake.
Specify a name for the resulting video. It's advisable to assign a unique name to each exported video. Enter your preferred file name next to 'Save as' located at the bottom of Handbrake.
- To pick a new destination for saving the video, click Browse and navigate to your desired location.
Select the destination for saving the output file. Input a name for the video file adjacent to 'Filename' and designate the folder for saving. Finally, click Open.
Confirm that 'MP4' is chosen under 'Format'. The drop-down menu adjacent to 'Format' on the Summary page enables format selection. MP4 stands as the most prevalent video format, offering maximum compression and smaller file sizes without quality loss. If you don't see this choice, click the Summary tab in the middle of Handbrake.
- If the original video is in a different format such as .MOV or .WMV, converting it to MP4 may significantly reduce file size without compromising quality.
Access the Dimensions tab. This tab provides options for adjusting image size.
Enter smaller values in the 'Height' and 'Width' fields. This action reduces video resolution, effectively decreasing file size. For instance, altering width from 1920 to 1280 and height from 1080 to 720 shifts video from 1080p to 720p, resulting in a smaller file with reduced picture quality. Maintain proportion to prevent cropping or stretching. Common video sizes include:
- 2160p: 3840w x 2160h (4K ultra HD).
- 1440p: 2560w x 1440h.
- 1080p: 1920w x 1080h (standard HD).
- 720p: 1280w x 720h (medium).
- 480p: 854w x 480h (small).
- 360p: 640w x 360h (smaller).
- 240p: 426w x 240h (smallest).
Navigate to the Video tab. This section allows adjustments for video quality, codec, and frame rate.
Adjust the Constant Quality slider to the left. Increasing this value lowers quality, resulting in smaller files.
- 20 represents DVD quality. For small screens, aim for 30; for larger screens, 22-25 is ideal constant quality.
Utilize the dropdown menu next to 'Framerate' to choose the frame rate. Frame rate indicates frames-per-second in a video. Lower rates reduce file size but may lead to choppy motion. Aim for above 20 frames-per-second (FPS) for satisfactory viewing.
Click the Preview button. Located at the top of the Handbrake window, this button displays a still image from your video, allowing you to assess image quality.
Check the Live Preview box. Found at the bottom of the Preview window, this feature plays a short segment of your video at the selected quality. If satisfactory, proceed; if not, adjust resolution, framerate, or Constant Quality slightly.
Click the Start Encoding or Start button. Found at the top of Handbrake, this green play button initiates the encoding process with your specified settings. Encoding time varies based on video size, encoding settings, and computer processing power.
Using iMovie on Mac
Open iMovie. iMovie, a free video editing tool, comes preinstalled on macOS. Recognizable by its icon featuring a purple star, you can locate it in your Applications folder and open it with a click.
- If your Mac hasn't been updated for a while or if you've purchased a used Mac, ensure compatibility with iMovie, which requires macOS 11.5.1 or later.
Click the Projects button. Positioned at the upper-left corner of iMovie.
Enter a name for your new project and click Ok. Choose any name you desire for your movie project. Enter the name in the field next to 'Name' and click Ok when done.
Click the + button. Located on the left side, this is the large square icon that triggers a pop-up menu.
Click Movie. This blue button appears in the pop-up menu upon clicking the large plus (+) icon.
Incorporate the video file you wish to reduce into your project. You can drag and drop the file into the 'Import Media' panel on the left, or click Import Media and navigate to the file. Select the video file and click Open. This action adds the video to your project.
Drop the video file onto the timeline. Once added to your project, drag the video from the project panel to the timeline located at the bottom of iMovie.
Access the File menu. Found at the top of the screen.
Click Share, then File. This action opens a window for adjusting video settings and formats.
Access the Resolution menu and opt for a smaller resolution. Decreasing the resolution reduces the video frame size and overall file size, with less noticeable impact on smaller screens.
Access the Quality menu and choose a lower quality. This option diminishes video visual quality to produce a smaller file size.
Access the Compress menu and choose Faster. This option reduces the file size more significantly through increased compression.
Tap Next. Located at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Enter a name for the file. This will serve as the filename once the file is exported. Input the desired name next to 'Save as'.
Tap Save. This action saves the video with your selected settings. Larger videos may take longer to convert.
Utilizing Video Compress on Android
Get Video Compress from the Google Play Store. Video Compress is a free application available for download on the Google Play Store. It's designed to reduce the file sizes of your videos. Follow these steps to acquire and install Video Compress:
- Launch the Google Play Store on your Android device.
- Access the search bar.
- Enter 'video compress' into the search field.
- Select Video Compress.
- Tap Install.
Launch Video Compress. Once Video Compress has finished downloading, locate its icon on your Home Screen or in your Apps Menu, then tap to open. Its icon features a blue clamp. Alternatively, you can open it directly from the Google Play Store after installation by tapping Open.
Grant Permissions. The first time you launch Video Compress, you'll need to allow certain permissions. Simply tap Allow in the pop-up prompt to grant Video Compress access to your video files.
Select the folder containing your videos. Typically, this folder is labeled 'Camera.' Browse and tap on the folder containing the video you wish to compress.
Choose the video to resize. Tap on the video you want to reduce in size. This action will open the selected video in Video Compress.
Select Compress Video. It's located at the top of the options list on the left side.
Choose your desired resolution. The menu presents various resolution options. Upon selection, the compression process will commence immediately. Please allow a few minutes for it to complete.
- This action will generate a compressed version of the video stored in a newly created folder named 'SuperVideoCompressor', accessible in your Gallery.
Utilizing Video Compressor on iPhone and iPad
Download and install Video Compressor. Video Compressor, developed by Niu Lixuan, is a free application accessible via the App Store. Follow these steps to acquire and install Video Compressor:
- Launch the App Store.
- Access the Search tab.
- Enter compress video into the search field and tap Search.
- Tap GET next to Video Compressor.
Open Video Compressor. Identified by a blue icon featuring a film strip, open the app either by tapping OPEN in the App Store post-installation or by selecting the Video Compressor app from your Home screen.
Tap OK. When opening Video Compressor for the first time, grant the necessary permissions by tapping OK in the pop-up alert.
Choose the video you wish to compress. You can sort your videos by category by tapping any category listed on the left side. Categories include 'Recents,' 'Favorites,' 'Places,' 'Selfies,' 'Slo-mo,' and 'Time-lapse.' Tap Videos to view all your videos, then select a video from the list on the right to open it.
Tap Import. This option is represented by the pink button located at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the Preset button. Located beside the slider bar at the bottom of the screen, this button opens a menu allowing you to select a video resolution.
Choose your desired resolution. Simply tap your preferred resolution from the five available options. Smaller resolutions will result in reduced video file sizes but lower image quality. The largest resolution is 'Full HD (1920x1080)' followed by 'HD (1280x720),' 'D1 (720x576),' '480p (640x480),' and 'CIF (352x288).'
- To select a custom resolution, tap Advance at the bottom. Adjust the sliders for 'Width' and 'Height' to decrease the video resolution, and the 'Frame rate' slider to decrease the frame rate. A frame rate above 20 FPS should suffice. Additionally, adjust the 'Bitrate' slider to decrease the video's bit rate, thereby reducing image quality. Tap Ok when finished.
Adjust the bitrate by sliding the bar at the bottom. Located within the green bar, move it leftwards to decrease the bitrate. This action reduces the video's file size but compromises its image quality. The default target size is approximately 50%. Shifting the slider to the left diminishes video quality and shrinks the file size.
Press Compress. This action is executed by tapping the pink button located at the screen's bottom. It creates a distinct video copy based on your chosen settings, requiring several minutes for processing.
- To automatically remove the original video post-processing, tap the red button labeled Delete original video upon completion.
