How to Compress Video
A practical explanation of bitrate, codec choice, resolution and the trade-offs involved when reducing video file size.
What matters
Reduce bitrate or resolution when the target can tolerate lower data rates.
Newer codecs can improve compression efficiency, but device compatibility matters.
Step-by-step
- Step 1Hardware encoders can be faster, while encoder quality varies by codec and implementation.
- Step 2Judge results by both file size and visible quality; a single percentage target is not universally meaningful.
Keep the workflow local
FastConvert is positioned as a local Windows media converter. The conversion itself is performed through FFmpeg on the machine rather than sending the media to a browser upload service.
Use FastConvert locally. Download for Windows or browse the format guide.