Instant Handbrake: Video size result?

[Jeikobu]

I used to use the program Instant Handbrake to convert movies for iPod, and then I had to redo the system on my computer, and had since forgotten about the program. Today however, when wanting to convert more movies, I tracked down the program and downloaded it. I converted a movie, and stuck it on iTunes, and went I saw the file size I was very surprised. I 1 hour, 58 min movie is shown as 3.27 GB on my iTunes. Interestingly enough, a movie I converted back from when I first had the program is only 776 MB, and it's a half hour longer. Both films are widescreen, etc. I'd think there should be no reason for such a dramatic difference. What's wrong?

[guns1inger]

Bitrate. Pure and simple. Size = running time x bitrate. Higher bitrate, bigger file.

[Jeikobu]

Ok, this is just strange. The first movie I did was Bourne Identity for the Extended Edition DVD. It was 3.27 GB. Then I did Bourne Supremacy. Only 525 MB, and it's about the same length. Then finally I did Bourne Ultimatum. Over 4 GB. How could these two movies be so huge and the other, from the same trilogy, distributor, etc. be so much smaller and still look as good when played? (I do test these after I do them) Identity and Ultimatum are the only two movies I've ever converted for iPod that have come out over even 1 GB, and these are well over 3 each. How could the bit rate be that different?

Even if it just the way things are, isn't there any way I can change its file size to be more reasonable for iPod? Can I change or compress it at all (while obviously still maintaining good quality)?

[guns1inger]

I am surprised they play at that bitrate. I don't have handbrake installed on my system because I have never been able to get anything of quality from it (this is the windows version I am talking about), however if you set the bitrate to either 1000 or 1500 kbps you will get back to around the 800 - 1300 MB mark.

[Jeikobu]

Funny, I took the 4+ GB Bourne Ultimatum movie and ran it through the iPod conversion on MPEG Streamclip, and it brought it down to between 700 and 800 MB, while still maintaining maybe the same video and audio quality, as well as the same aspect ratio and length on the video. I've been wondering, maybe the size of the video has to do with which of the two methods I select when converting? I can choose between H.264 and MP4, and I'd been using the default, which is H.264. Wondering what the difference was, I did a little web searching, and the best I've found says this: "H.264 generally results in higher-quality video which takes up less space than MP4. But at this writing, MP4 conversion will take a lot less time. Leave it at H.264 unless you're in an unpleasant hurry."

So I take it MP4 is faster but lesser in quality than H.264? How much difference is there? It would be nice to be able to convert video faster, but I'd rather not lose too much quality. I guess this would also mean that MP4 is smaller in file size?

[guns1inger]

MP4 is a container. How the video is compressed inside this is a codec issue. Mpeg-4 is a codec, and comes in several different varieties. Xvid, Divx, WMV and H.264 are all members of different branches of the Mpeg-4 family. You can store H.264 video in an MP4 container.