Compressing video files
Compressing video files with HandBrake
These instructions explain how to use the program Handbrake to compress video files. This is useful when you want to integrate a video into an external environment (e.g., a learning platform, website or presentation) or share it externally (e.g., by storing it in a cloud service or sending it by email) but the file is too large or takes up too much space.
- You can download HandBrake for a variety of operation systems.
- To run it on Windows 10, you will need to use the Microsoft Net Framework 4.8 Web Installer first. You will be given a download link when you attempt to run HandBrake for the first time.
The HandBrake user interface looks like this:
This is how to compress a video file (the numbers correspond to those in the screenshot):
- Click “Open Source” to select a source file or drag and drop it into the application directly.
- Choose a settings template for your video format under “General > Preset”. We recommend using the common format “Fast 1080p30” (highlighted in the screenshot), which most video players can play without issues and which can be embedded into external environments easily.
- You can specify the file path for your newly created video here.
- Use Start/Pause/Stop to start, pause or cancel the recoding process. The “Start” option is not visible in this screenshot as a coding process was in progress. You can edit multiple videos in a row using the “Add to Queue” function. To start the coding process, access the collection by clicking “Show Queue”. This function is useful when you are editing a large volume of video material, as you can leave it to encode during your lunch break or overnight.
- The status bar at the bottom shows you the status of the ongoing coding process and the approximate time remaining.
How long the process will take depends on the size of the source video and the specifications of the computer. While encoding is in progress, your PC may lag and ramp up its ventilation. This is normal. If these effects are disruptive to your activities, see the queue option under point 4.
When the process has completed, you will find your compressed video in the location you specified earlier.