By Arina Smith
Do you want to convert the format of your video files, but aren’t quite sure how you can do it effectively – or what format you should use? If you are not that familiar with video formats, it can be a bit daunting to be confronted by numerous options and not know which one to pick.
To start converting your video files more effectively and into the right format, there are a few simple tips that could go a long way:
If in doubt, use MP4 with H.264:
For now, MP4 with H.264 is the most widely supported format, which also makes it the safest. It is supported by most devices and platforms and is often the format that is recommended by online platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and more.
Simply put there is no format that is as compatible with as many devices as MP4 with H.264 – and if you are not sure which format to use when converting a video, it is your best bet.
Check if HEVC (H.265) is supported:
If the device you are going to be viewing the video on supports HEVC (H.265) – you could convert your video to it. Typically HEVC is a codec paired with MP4 or MKV, and it is up to you which you prefer.
As a newer format, H.265 will be able to compress your video more effectively than H.264. In other words, a H.265 video file size will be smaller, while maintaining the same video quality.
Don’t alter the other video settings unless necessary:
Generally, it is best to leave the other video settings alone when you convert your video, unless absolutely necessary. Altering the resolution or frame rate will affect the video quality – more than you may expect.
The only video setting that you may want to adjust in some cases is the video bitrate. Reducing the video bitrate below its recommended value will reduce the file size of the video – but its quality will get lower. That being said it is a safer way to compress a video than attempting to reduce the resolution or frame rate.
Figure out if you need to convert the video for a special case:
Although MP4 with H.264 is a safe option – there are special cases where you may need other formats. For example, if you’re burning a video DVD then you’ll need the video to be encoded in MPEG-2.
Similarly some other much older devices may require older formats, such as AVI with MPEG-4, or even DivX.
As you can see these tips should help you to convert video formats more effectively. All that you need is a decent video converter, and for example you could use Movavi Video Converter and follow the steps at www.movavi.com/support/how-to/how-to-convert-mp4-to-avi.html.
Keep in mind that at some point other formats may supplant MP4 with H.264, or even H.265 – and so you will need to keep yourself up to date. For now however, you should have no difficulty finding the right format to use.
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