Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 08:07 pm
One of the problems with storing video files or transferring them between devices is the fact that their file size can be very large. That makes it slow to transfer videos, and is the reason why the files can take up a significant amount of storage space.
If you’re facing issues on either of those fronts, the good news is that there is something that you can do about it. To be more specific there are ways that you can actually make the file size of your videos smaller, which in turn will make them easier to manage.
Convert to a Format with Better Compression
Did you know that the format that your videos are stored in can affect their file size? To be more specific the video codec (which is part of the format) is responsible for compressing the video.
The way that videos are compressed can be fairly complicated, but you don’t need to know much about the technical details. Instead all that you need to know is that some codecs are able to compress videos more than others – while maintaining the same overall video quality.
If you do opt to use this method, you should check that the format you use is supported by the device that you’re going to view the video on. That is particularly important as newer formats with better compression often aren’t as widely supported.
Instead of browsing through video formats, it is best to be practical and look at two options in particular:
- MP4 (H.264) is a format that is almost universally-supported by most devices and platforms. Although the H.264 codec is older than other options, it still provides good compression.
- MP4 (HEVC/H.265) is a format with better compression than H.264, however it is not as widely-supported. If you are sure the device the video will be watched on does support it – it should be the preferred choice.
That should really be all that you need in most cases, and if your video is in any older formats you can convert it MP4 (H.264), or MP4 (HEVC/H.265) – if supported. The rest should be easy, and you should have no trouble finding a MPG to MP4 converter.
Reduce the Video Bitrate Setting
Another way that you can make the file size of your videos smaller is by reducing the video bitrate setting. That can be done in most video converter tools.
The video bitrate setting is quite literally the amount of data that the video uses each second. As a result it directly affects the file size – which is the equivalent of the video bitrate multiplied by the video duration (in seconds).
Although reducing the video bitrate setting will definitely reduce the video file size, you should be careful when you use this option. As the video bitrate is lowered the video quality will deteriorate gradually and more and more compression artifacts will appear.
Suffice to say while you will be able to reduce the file size of your video if you go down this route – it will come at a price in terms of the video quality. With that in mind it is best to reduce the video bitrate in increments and check on the quality as you do.
Final Words
It is worth noting that in addition to the methods described above there is one other way to make video files smaller: Trim their length. That solution is only possible for particular videos where you are actually only interested in a short clip within them however.
In the majority of cases it is best to rely on either converting the video format to one that has better compression, or reducing the video bitrate. Now that you’re aware exactly how both can be done and the affect they can have on your video – it is up to you to decide which is more suitable.
Author Bio:-
Mahendra Bajiya is a digital marketer and content creator. As the owner of MI Guest Post he provides guest post services and has been published on a wide range of technical and niche websites. If you want to get in touch you can find him on LinkedIn – Facebook – Twitter.
