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Key Points
- Compressing a video just is a way of reducing the file’s large size.
- There are many different ways to compress videos.
- The Constant Bit Rate (CBR) method compresses files by removing bits from each frame until there’s no room for more bits.
You have created an intriguing video. Viola! You’re excited and just can’t wait to share with your clients and business prospects.
Just when you’re about to attach it to your email, you receive a strange pop-up reading, “large file size,” which can be frustrating. But, there’s a way forward by learning how to compress a video! Video compression is a fundamental part of video production.
Learn how to compress a video with the easy steps below.
Why Compress Your Videos?
It is simply a way of reducing the file’s large size, thereby making it easier to store, upload, and distribute or send. This helps you to reduce the storage amount and the resources needed to store the videos, thereby saving costs.
It also provides a better viewer experience when bandwidth usage is reduced. The goal is to reduce the amount of data you need to keep on your server or hard drive, reducing the burden on your server.
The more videos you compress, the faster they load on your website and the less space they’ll take up on your hard drive.
This article will help you put an end to large file problems. It will serve as a comprehensive guide to compressing a video and cover what you need to know. We will also answer some questions you may have about video compression in the frequently asked questions section of this guide.
Types of Video Compression Methods
There are many different ways to compress videos. It depends on the type of video you’re trying to squeeze, your needs, and how much you want to spend. A video compressor is what allows you to reduce the size of your video files. You can do this by changing their format, sizes, and resolutions.
Available video compression software broadly falls into the following compression methods below.
1. Lossy Compression
The LOWER option is the standard method for compressing videos. It reduces file size by using lossy compression, which doesn’t preserve the quality of your original video. The benefit is that it’s fast and easy to use, but you can’t tell exactly how much space it will save you until you download it.
2. Lossless Compression
The UPPER option uses lossless compression to save space in your video files without sacrificing quality. This means that once your video is uploaded to the cloud or sent over email, it will still look as good as when you originally shot it — just smaller in file size!
However, even though this option preserves all detail, it may take longer for videos this size to upload than those using lower compression levels (such as LOWER).
Some Lossless Compression Methods
This is great for images because it doesn’t lose data when compressing an image. Lossless compression is also commonly used for video because it preserves the quality and doesn’t reduce the total size of your file as much as other methods.
Run-Length Encoding
This is great for compressing images because it allows you to encode only the image changes instead of encoding every pixel in a snap.
Huffman Coding
This lossless technique is good when you have a lot of similar data in your file (for example, if all your videos have the same keyword tag).
3. The MEDIUM Option
The MEDIUM option uses a middle ground between LOWER and UPPER in terms of quality preservation while saving more space than either LOWER or UPPER alone would require — again, depending on the length of your clip.
Different Ways to Compress a Video:
The different ways to compress videos have their benefits and drawbacks. Here’s a list of some of the most popular video compression techniques below.
Constant Bit Rate (CBR)
This method compresses files by removing bits from each frame until there’s no room for more bits. The advantage is that it’s very effective at reducing file size and maintaining image quality but takes longer to process than other methods. The disadvantage is that it requires uncompressed frames and often requires more processing power to process than other methods.
High Frame Rate (HFR)
This method uses multiple frames per second to achieve better compression than CBR without sacrificing image quality by using progressive encoding instead of interlaced encoding or frame rate conversion — which can result in choppy playback when transcoding HFR video back into an interlaced format later on.
Compress a Video by Zipping
Creating archives files such as zip files will help you to compress videos and to also combine your files. This is a better way to reduce the video size, especially on Windows 10. Multiple videos can be put together in a single folder.
Steps to Compress a Video by Zipping
Step 1: Select the video you want to compress and right-click.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Send to” option and click on “Compressed (zipped) folder” to send it to the compressed folder.
Your window will create a new archive different from the previous one and it will be saved in the same folder as your video.
But, the size of this archive containing the compressed video will be smaller than the size of your original videos.
Note that this mostly works on most standard file types, like if you want to compress MP4 files on Windows 10.
Compress a Video Using Quick Time Player
A video can be saved in a lower resolution if you know how to lower its quality. Quick Time Player allows you to create a smaller copy of videos from the original video files, using the below steps.
Steps to Compress a Video Using Quick Time Player
Step 1: With Quick Time Player open, open your video.
Step 2: Click on “File” at the top of your screen then click on “Export As,” and choose a resolution for your video.
Step 3: Save your video by selecting a folder, and your new video is saved and ready.
Compress a Video Using HandBrake
HandBrake is another amazing video compressor that you can use. This tool helps you to convert and encode videos using various Codecs (hardware or software used to encode and decode videos). It’s a free and open-source app.
One amazing feature of Hand Brake is that it has loads of customizable options which can help you to compress your files just the way you like them.
Steps to Compress a Video Using HandBrake
Step 1: Download Handbrake.
Step 2: Follow the prompts to complete the setup.
Step 3: Load the video you want to compress by clicking on “open-source.”
Step 4: After clicking “Open,” select the file you wish to compress. You may choose where to save it by selecting “Browse” after the file loads.
Step 5: Name the video so you can easily recognize it. Type in any name you choose, then click “Save.”
Step 6: Use the preset menu for a variety of options if you want to adjust some features.
Step 7: Select the video you want to compress and hit the “start” button to begin compressing your video.
Step 8: Save your video after compression.
Compress a Video with VLC
Another way to compress a video is by using a VLC. VLC serves as a free media player and also a video compressor, which you can use on Mac and Windows to compress your files.
Steps to Compress a Video using VLC
Step 1: Install the software. Click on “stream” or “convert.”
Step 2: Select a video to compress by clicking on “Your media.”
Step 3: Choose a preset after adding a chosen file.
Step 4: Click on “customize” and adjust your video to your preferences.
Step 5: Save your video by clicking on Save as a file, and choose a file name and the file destination for the compressed video.
Congratulations, You Can Now Compress Your Videos with Ease!
Having taken you through four different ways to compress a video and the simple steps for each method, you may have some questions, so check out the FAQ section below in case it’s answered down there.
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