Select Page

Video Compression

HandBrake

Handbrake is a free program that can help compress large video files into a manageable size. You can download Handbrake from the following website:

http://handbrake.fr/

 

Export your video

Export your video to almost any format from your video editor (iMovie, Adobe Premiere, etc). This exported video should be a high quality version of your video.

Open Video in Handbrake

You will now open Handbrake on your computer. Click on the “Source” button at the top left of your screen and select the video you exported in the last step. Next hit browse to the right of the destination file input box to select a destination location. Your compressed file will be saved in this location.

 

Setup the Video

Use the following screenshot to start playing with the video details:

Video-200

  • Format = MP4 File
  • Check “Web optimized”
  • Select the “Video” tab
  • Select “Average Bitrate (kbps)” under “Video Quality.” Start this at 200.

Setup the Audio

Use the following screenshot to start playing with the audio details:

Audio-160

  • Format = MP4 File
  • Check “Web optimized”
  • Select the “Audio” tab
  • Select “AAC (CoreAudio)” Codec.
  • Select “Stereo” Mixdown
  • Choose 160 for the Bitrate

 

Change the file name

Click on the Browse destination button (mentioned in above step) to rename your file. Name this file with the video and audio bitrates in the name. This will help determine what your settings for each video are. Here is a sample name:

Eric-Lybbert-Podcast-V200-A160.mp4

 

Final Step

Press the start button when you have all your setting correct. This will compress and export the video to your specified location. You might need to play with the Audio and Video bitrates to get a good quality compressed video under 5mb.