Do you want to convert one of your videos to a different format so that it is compatible and can be played on a certain device? Are you trying to optimize a video or to convert it to the preferred format of an online platform?
If you are going to be converting your videos for any reason, there are several tips that you should use to be more effective:
Do not convert the same file over and over again
One of the most important rules that you should follow is to not convert the same video file multiple times over between different formats. Because video files use ‘lossy’ compression, each time you convert it (or rather transcode it) to a different codec, some data will be discarded.
If you aren’t careful over time the discarded data will start to add up, and will affect the overall quality of your video. That is why it is always best to encode the video in the final format that will be required, or convert it as few times as possible and only when absolutely necessary.
Check for hardware decoding support and not just software support
For a video to be played on any device it needs to be decoded first. That can be done using software alone, but it will be a big ask for your processor and will consume a lot of power. By comparison if the device has hardware support (i.e. hardware acceleration) for that format, its GPU will normally handle the video decoding and it will require much less power.
As you can imagine it is always best to use a format that has hardware support, especially for mobile devices or anything else that runs on a battery with limited power.
Keep the original file in storage
If possible, try to make a habit of keeping your original video files in storage. Having the original files will mean that if you ever need to revert the video format, or want to convert it to a different format again – you can use the original.
As you can imagine this will help you to avoid the quality loss that takes place by transcoding the same video over and over. On top of that it will also help you to avoid any other loss of quality that may be caused when you adjust some of the other video settings such as the resolution or bitrate when you convert it.
Following these tips won’t be difficult, and you can apply them regardless of whether you use software or an online converter such as Convertio. As you can see each of the tips will affect your videos in slightly different ways, but on the whole will let you convert their format more effectively.
Overall the tips will help you to select the best format for your videos, and preserve its quality while you’re converting it. Needless to say if you’re going to be converting videos regularly it is important you follow them, and it will have a big impact in the long run.
