How do I compress video?
There are several great programs that can help you prepare your video for upload to the internet. Usually, the editing software you use can be of help: Final Cut or Windows Movie Maker both offer exporting in various formats.
Another possibility is to use a free 3rd-party program like MPEG Streamclip which is available for both Windows and Mac. The step-by-step guide here uses MPEG Streamclip:
- Go to squared5.com and download the program for PC or Mac. (If you are using a Mac, remember to download the DC30 Xact Driver as well.)
- Open the program and open the video you would like to compress.
- Click File and choose Export to MPEG-4
- Click on Limit Data Rate and write 3000 kbps. (You can write more or less depending on how big you want the file to be, but we recommend not going below 2000.)
- Leave frame size and click make Mp4 in the lower right corner. Choose a name and location for the file.
When the compression is finished your file is now much easier to upload.
Quality check
| Before compression: 5 minute video; 1.02 GB AVI file with a total bitrate of 30.3 mbps: | After compression: 5 minute video; 109 MB MPEG-4 file with a total bitrate of 3.1 mbps: |
