Convert MP4 with minimal compression

[Antois]

Hello. I often has to change the video frame rate or audio sample rate of MP4 videos. That is possible in Video Studio, however I always get an unwanted huge compression in the result: a factor 3! (66MB becomes 22MB). In Profile Options, Compression , Videotype there are the options: H.264 Baseline, H.264 Main, H.264 High. I used the 3 of them and all give the same compression as a result (factor 3). What is the meaning of these 3 options and how can I covert or render a MP4 video with minimal compression in the result?

Thanks for your time.

[Davidk]

Don't be concerned about compression. File compression is simply a way to save memory space without noticeable degradation in quality, and the standards defined are how to do that. Various standards are focussed on specific circumstances or results.
Starting from an avi file - which for a given playing duration gives a huge/large file, mp2 gives the same quality result in half the size; and mp4 give the same quality result in 1/4 the size. mp3 is defined for music only.
But since users want to record increasing levels of resolution in their videos - which means a lot more detail/data to be recorded, those various compressed file specs are the way to get acceptable quality in a usable file size, rather than an absolute monster file.

So review your file standards and determine whether any one of those you cited is specific for the job you want. Wikipedia is a good place to start . . .

[lata]

Antois
Welcome to the forums

If you can provide the properties of your video file, may give us a better understanding of the change you are experiencing.
From the timeline, Right click one of your video clips and choose properties, what are they?

The program also shows a message when inserting our first video to the timeline, this allows us to match the project properties to our video file. Do you see that option / message

From Share there are 2 options top left, a little greyed out so put a tick in the box, Same as Project Settings and Same as First Video Clip should use the settings of your video clip.
The properties being used to render showing in the properties window below the Profile.

We can always create our own profile using Settings – Movie Profile Manager – Mpeg4 – Add option will allow us to use our video files properties to create the profile.

[Antois]

Thanks for your reactions guys. I am a beginner in the video area and I like to keep it simple. I have a MP4 file (which already is a compressed file, 66MB for 38 seconds of video+audio). I like to change the original properties: 1920x1080 / 25 fps /48 kHz audio sample rate into : 1920x1080 / 29.97 fps / 44.1 kHz. The result is a 22MB file no matter which render compression I choose (H.264 Baseline, Main or High). So I get a double compressed video file as a result. I guess the H.264 High option is the same as H.264 lossless, but still unnecessary compressing an already compressed file. I'd like the option of uncompressed rendering (lossless video encoding uncompressed). Sometimes you want compression and sometimes you don't. The 3 compression options of Video Studio look all the same, that's not the point. It's more a principal thing. I don't like double compression and I don't like unnecessary compression,that's all.

[lata]

The size of the video file is determined by the data rate Kbps of the video.
You do not say what that is for your video.
If that is say 30,000kbps and you render using 10,000Kbps then the file size will be reduced.

Why are you converting the original video from Pal 25fps to Ntsc 29.97fps, the effect is to add 5 frames per second to your video that may show on playback especially when panning certainly reducing quality.
You are also converting the audio from 48khz, good quality to a lower quality of 41.1khz why?

You should use the Movie Profile Manager to create a profile using the ADD option, if you still wish to change the frame rate modify the profile.

There will always be some loss of quality when rendering your video, whether that is noticeable is another matter.
Your best option would be Share - Same as first video file, along with Smart Render will do a good job. However you are changing the frame rate which does not help.

[canuck]

Why do you want to change the original properties (from PAL to NTSC)? This will not improve the video quality but might make it even slightly worse since you will be introducing "new" frames.
Why are you hung up on compression - just because your file has been more compressed doesn't mean the quality is worse. All that means is that the compression algorithms are better and are able to reduce the video size but still retain the quality.
FYI, there really is no such thing as "lossles compression rendering"

[Antois]

Thanks again for your information. I understand that rendering and compressing a MP4 won't much reduce the quality of the video.

I did not mention the video data rate because it's not there at properties (right click on the video at the timeline). I am converting to 29.97/44.1 because I'm making a compilation of a number of videoclips which all are 29.97/44.1 except one which is 25/48.

When saving a compilation (Share) I use the option Adapted (not sure if that's the word in the English version, I use the Dutch version) and I tick the Settings button so that I can choose the right options. There's only one option which is greyed out and I sometimes should like to use: Frame size > By user defined. No idea why I cannot use this option in Video Studio.

[lata]

Antois
Thanks for the explanation regarding Pal to NTSC.
Here I used the library SP-V01.mp4 as a sample.
When we right click a MP4 video for properties the data rate is shown as attached image.
Also from Share the Same as First Clip option will use the videos properties retaining the same quality as original Video
Both options indicate The H.264 High Profile being used

Check your original video files properties against the new rendered properties, if the Data Rates are similar then the resultant file size should also be the same, well similar.

By the way what version of Video Studio are you using?

click image for larger view

click image for larger view

[Antois]

Thank you Trevor.

I overlooked the data rate. The original video is 14647 kbps and the converted video is 4881 kbps about 3 times smaller (the file goes from 66 to 22 MB).

I see now that I can set a video rate value too in the Compression tab using the Adapted and Options buttons under Share.

Only the Frame size > Defined by user < cannot be set (greyed out).

Now I understand how to choose the original properties which I like to keep in the converted file. I have VS version 24.1.0.299.

Thank you for the explanation!

Regards,
Antois.