Resulting MP4 too Large

[newsgroup guy]

I was using Sony Vegas to cut some bits and pieces out of a 900-MB, 1280x720 MP4 file.
(Its runtime is about 97 minutes.)

After cutting whatever I wanted to cut, I was hoping I would be able to render what was left as the exact same kind of MP4.
Much to my surprise, though, the file came out about 4 Gigs.
(Its runtime is about 83 minutes.)

How could that be?

I had Vegas set up such that it would output the same format, with exactly the same settings. Why such a large file size?

And how could I make that MP4 smaller? (Anything over 1.5 GB is too big...)

Any help, please?

[davexnet]

Filesize = bitrate x running time

Perhaps you better check the settings...

[yoda313]

For trimming a video file try something like avidemux or virtualdub (use directshowsource to open something like a h264 mp4 file). You would use copy video, copy audio in avidemux or direct stream copy in virtualdub to keep everything the same.

However frame accurate cutting depends on the source video. I don't know enough to tell you what types of h264 can be cut on any frame but it all has to do with GOP and that kind of stuff (obviously by using the word "stuff" I'm not that well versed in frame accurate cutting and what GOP is completely - I have a general idea but not enough to give specifics).

And how could I make that MP4 smaller? (Anything over 1.5 GB is too big...)

That is a little different. That involves reencoding. Assuming you mean smaller than simply removing the unwanted parts of the video you are trying to edit.

Converting would be done with something like handbrake or formatfactory. But since you want to trim stuff out of the video you would trim it first then convert the trimmed file naturally.

And as davexnet mentions you have to calculate the file size accordingly.

[newsgroup guy]

Thank you.

But is it possible to use the same program (Sony Vegas) to render the file in a smaller file size?

I don't really want to use avidemux, virtualdub, or any other such programs, because I don't know how complex and professional they are with transitions, text overlapping, credits, and so on. I need a big program, with lots of functions, like Vegas.

I'm going to try to see what happens if I lower the bitrate. (Thanks, davexnet.) But how much can I lower the bitrate, though, without seriously affecting the image quality?

In the meantime, thank you, yoda313, for suggesting those reencoding programs. I'll see if they do the trick.

[newsgroup guy]

I installed HandBrake, but I don't know what settings I have to tweak to make the reencoded file approximately 1 GB (from an initial file size of 4.3 GB, for 83 min.) and not lose a lot of image quality.

Could you help with this, please?


EDIT: Hey, HandBrake is actually pretty good. With the default settings, it did keep that 1280x720 83-minutes movie file to 1.44 GB. And the quality of the resulting file is good enough. Thank you very much!

[yoda313]

glad to help.

[newsgroup guy]

Happy Holidays!

[macsnapper]

Using Serif MoviePlus you can use this formula to determine the final output size...

Calculate the average bit rate
900(target Mb) * 1024 * 1024 * 8 = 7549 Mb
Divide that by duration in seconds, that's your target bit rate (Mbps).
You can then create a custom export template using that bitrate to get the 900Mb target filesize.
You could visit the Serif MoviePlus forums as a guest and search on 'filesize' for the discussion
(...and yes, MoviePlus is a fully featured NLE)