Best way to reduce video track size of a MKV file?

[jorax68528]

So of course I extract the video track, but then? ffmpeg vs handbrake?

I have files around 5GB 1080p, I want to reduce them to around 3GB, so around 40% compression, how do I do that? Easy way to process all the files in batch? I just want to reduce the bitrate of all videos by the same percentage.

[manono]

I just want to reduce the bitrate of all videos by the same percentage.

You find the current bitrate and reencode using one 40% less. Apps such as Bitrate Viewer or MediaInfo can give you the bitrate information.

However, doing what you're asking the way you want to do it isn't such a good idea. For some, the previous encoder may have already wrung out the easy savings and making the file 40% smaller might make them look like crap. For others maybe there's much more leeway and a 40% shrinkage might still look decent. What you want is for all of them to wind up with the same relative quality so that the average savings are 40%, but some might be 10% smaller, some 60% smaller. You do that by making constant quality rencodes, experimenting with the CRF until you get one that gives you what you want. Maybe try 22-25 to start. And, constant quality encodes only require a single pass while doing it for a predefined bitrate will take 2 passes for best quality. Or maybe you don't really care about quality since your downloaded files have already been reencoded from a retail release at least once.

I don't use either of the programs you mentioned, although I imagine each can do both kinds of reencodes.

[Cornucopia]

Also, your 5GB are not the original sources, they're, for example, say 5% of the original. And a 3GB would be 3%.

Do you see how it becomes much harder to squeeze even more water out of a nearly-dry sponge?

Scott

[hello_hello]

If you resize to 720p, you'll possibly be able to reduce the file size without losing too much detail or reducing the quality too much, as there's less video to encode. It depends on the source though.
Trouble is, you have to select a file size (bitrate) in advance, which gives you no idea what the output quality will be, or you have to pick a quality, which gives you no idea what the output file size will be.

Maybe downscale to 720p, pick a file size (bitrate), and see how it goes. I don't use ffmpeg for video encoding much, and almost never use Handbrake, so I couldn't tell you the best way to go about batch encoding with either.

[jorax68528]

It's Netflix-ripped videos, so don't expect the source quality of a Blu-ray anyway... Also I already downloaded 1st season in 1080p from a releaser and it looks fine with files around 2.5-3GB, while 2nd season had another releaser with files around 4.5-5GB, so I'm just trying to align them to the first one I found, that's all. I know already the quality would look fine for me.

Also I didn't specifically asked for help with a specific encoder, feel free to recommend the one you consider the best, if it's Adobe Encoder, I'll use that.

[johns0]

jorax68528-please do not ask for help on illegally obtained videos from a subscription streaming site,this is against forum rules,this thread is closed.