excellent quality, small size

[lomero]

i have one video 1280x720 with very excellent quality video and small size, only 548MB
sometimes i need to convert some video on another format to play on my TV.
for this i use ffmpeg and convert on mp4 with mpeg4 codec or libxvid codec with VBR quality set to 4 or 5.
but big bitrate (2500-3000) are cause to big file (for 120 minutes 1,6-1,8 GB)
this video (nice quality for me) have same duration (120 min) but small size (only 534MB). which codec was used and with what parameters (with ffmpeg)
to get such a small final file?
here video information:

General
Complete name                            : E:\film\REYKJAVIK - ROTTERDAM.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                                 : mp42 (isom/mp42)
File size                                : 535 MiB
Duration                                 : 1 h 22 min
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 907 kb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19
Tagged date                              : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19
gsst                                     : 0
gstd                                     : 4954186

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Main@L3.1
Format settings                          : CABAC / 3 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 3 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1 h 22 min
Bit rate                                 : 775 kb/s
Width                                    : 1 280 pixels
Height                                   : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 25.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.034
Stream size                              : 458 MiB (85%)
Title                                    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 11/27/2018.
Encoded date                             : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19
Tagged date                              : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 1 h 22 min
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 128 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 75.6 MiB (14%)
Title                                    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 11/27/2018.
Language                                 : English
Encoded date                             : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19
Tagged date                              : UTC 2018-11-27 22:31:19

[butterw]

Video codec is avc which is widely supported by hardware

It's not possible to re-encode a highly compressed file, and keep both quality AND filesize constant, especially when using the same (ex: x264) or a less efficient video codec.

[ProWo]

Ffmpeg with libx264 and crf 24-26

[lomero]

@butterw
i don't want re-encode this file. this file is great like this. i want information for some other video, ex 1,3-1,5GB to know how to get a final file similar to this, with great definition and small in size... then to have this final result it's thanks to codec x264? with mpeg4 would i get larger files (for the same bitrate)?

@ProWo
what is crf 24-26?

[butterw]

h264/x264 is a mpeg4-avc codec (as opposed to older mpeg4-asp codecs like xvid).

crf is the single pass encoding setting used by x264, lower means higher quality (ex: crf 23) and higher bitrate.

[lomero]

ok. many tanxs for your reply. regards.

[DB83]

Codec does not affect file size.


Simple formula. It's called the 1st commandment of Vhelp. File size = runlength * bitrate. So in your example you can, theoretically, duplicate the result by adopting that bitrate with whatever codec you chose.

[ProWo]

@ProWo
what is crf 24-26?

Try my clever FFmpeg-GUI, load the file you want encode, in the video convert section set x264 as encoder and crf 24 and then encode.
Try with other crf values too, until you get the desired result.

[lomero]

ok thank you both

[videobruger]

If you enncode with ffmpeg using libx264 with crf of 24 the file size will be about half size if you change the -preset from ultrafast to slow. However the encoding time will be 60 times higher.