AI Summary
This tutorial walks users through compressing a video file using the FFmpeg command-line tool. It covers preparing the file, opening the command prompt in the correct folder, constructing the compression command, and monitoring progress.
Chapters
right-click file, rename to 'input.mp4'
type 'cmd' in File Explorer address bar and press Enter
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -codec libx264 -crf 28 compressed.mp4
higher CRF = smaller file but lower quality
watch 'time=' value for progress
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Study Flashcards (5)
What video codec does the command `-codec libx264` specify?
easy
Click to reveal answer
What video codec does the command `-codec libx264` specify?
H.264
00:56
What does CRF stand for in the compression command?
medium
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What does CRF stand for in the compression command?
Constant Rate Factor
01:10
How does changing the CRF number affect file size and quality?
medium
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How does changing the CRF number affect file size and quality?
A higher number creates a smaller file but lower quality.
01:10
What is the purpose of typing 'cmd' into the File Explorer address bar?
hard
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What is the purpose of typing 'cmd' into the File Explorer address bar?
It opens the command prompt directly in the current folder location.
00:28
How can you track the progress of the compression process in the terminal?
hard
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How can you track the progress of the compression process in the terminal?
Look at the `time=` value near the bottom of the scrolling text.
02:08
💡 Key Takeaways
Opening CMD from File Explorer
A quick tip to avoid changing directories manually; it saves time for any command-line task.
00:28Using libx264 codec
Key part of the command that specifies widespread compatibility and compression efficiency.
00:56CRF compression trade-off
Explains the fundamental trade-off between file size and quality that affects all video compression.
01:10Tracking compression progress
A practical way to monitor progress without waiting blindly; useful for long encoding tasks.
02:08Full Transcript
[00:00] We'll guide you through how to use FFMPag to compress video. If you find this helpful, don't forget to like and subscribe. To begin this specific tutorial, make sure you already have the FFMPag tool installed
[00:12] and recognized by your computer. First, open File Explorer and locate the large video file that you want to compress. Right-click your selected video file. Choose the rename option and give it a simple name like input to MP4 to avoid typing errors later.
[00:28] Next, click on the directory path located in the address bar at the very top of your File Explorer window. Highlight the text, type CMD directly into the address bar, and firmly press Enter to immediately open the command prompt directly in that folder location.
[00:44] To begin the compression command, accurately type FFMPag- I followed by a space, and then type your original video file name, which is input.mp4. Next, add another space.
[00:56] Then type dash codec lips 264 to specify that we want to utilize the standard 8.264 video codec. Add one space, and type dash CRF28. The letters CRF stand for constant rate factor.
[01:10] The number 28 represents the compression level. A higher number basically means a much smaller file size, but yields a slightly lower visual quality. Finally, add one last space, and accurately type the desired name for your newly compressed file,
[01:26] such as compress.mp4 today. Your final prepared command string should look exactly like this. FFMPag-I input.mp4-codec lips 264- CRF28.mp4
[01:40] firmly press the Enter key directly on your computer keyboard to successfully start the active compression encoding process. You will immediately see a massive amount of text and frame data scrolling rapidly across
[01:53] your black terminal screen. Please wait patiently for this intensive process to finish, as actively compressing a video usually takes much longer than simply merging one. You can easily track the ongoing progress by closely looking at the time
[02:08] equals value conveniently located near the bottom of the rapidly scrolling text, to accurately see exactly how much of the video has been completely processed. Once the rapid scrolling completely stops and your active terminal successfully returns directly
[02:23] to the standard default typing prompt, the compression is completely finished. Finally, safely close the terminal window. Return straight back to your file explorer. Securely write, click your brand new compressed.mp4 file to check its properties,
[02:38] and you will clearly see the file size has been successfully reduced.