<p>(This may not be considered a complete answer, no matter the Rigid policies. This may be better as a comment.)</p>

<p>You can try using:</p>

<ul>
<li>H.265 video codec (very efficient — 100-second video of 1080p @60fps was just 6-7 MB even with audio, when recorded with <a href="https://www.bandicam.com/free-screen-recorder/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bandicam screen recorder</a>, which is free).</li>
<li>Mono audio channel</li>
<li>Use a lower bit depth and bit rate for audio as well as color/video.</li>
<li><strike>Take a look at how Khan Academy compresses their vids</strike> <em>ohh, sorry, they drop the resolution</em></li>
<li>Explore the free software <a href="https://handbrake.fr/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">HandBrake</a>. It offers variable frame rate compressions.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-15T12:17:11.497Z
2020-02-16T14:50:35.573Z
2020-02-16T14:50:35.573Z
user8395964
<p>I've got a series of videos that I'm looking to drastically reduce in size. The video content is very simple: text animating on white background with a voice track on top. The text is mostly just subtitles and occasionally an image pops up, sort of like a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation, and it needs to play on iPad at Retina resolution.</p>

<p>In terms of size, here's an example of one of the video files:</p>

<ul>
<li>Size: 20 MB</li>
<li>Dimensions: 1920 x 1080 </li>
<li>Duration: 5 minutes, 18 seconds</li>
<li>Codecs: H.264, AAC</li>
<li>Color profile: HD (1-1-1)</li>
<li>Audio channels: 2</li>
<li>FPS: 25</li>
</ul>

<p>If there were a video format with variable frame rate, that would be ideal because so much of the video holds a constant frame for a second or so (like a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation). </p>

<p>The reason is to reduce download size of a video-intensive app.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T12:12:50.580Z
Can you attach or link to one of them?
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T15:04:33.477Z
Do you mean, 20 MB for a 5 minute video is what you **have** or your **desired output**. If the latter is the case, just use a highly efficient codec such as H264 or VP9; if you already have a 5 minute video with a size of 20 MB, that's already pretty good – I don't see how you could further reduce the size significantly without noticable quality loss.
MoritzLost
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T15:39:03.887Z
@MoritzLost Thanks for the comment. That's the current, larger size. I agree it's already quite small, just looking for optimizations if possible.
Rogare
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T15:40:30.747Z
@Mulvya Not right now unfortunately, but you can just picture subtitles appearing over a white background. Each word fades in one at a time, and then the sentence remains for a few seconds before it disappears and the next begins. Most of the screen is just white space.
Rogare
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T15:48:28.067Z
Assuming 96 kbps for the audio, that's about 500 kbps for the video stream. For the type of content you describe, x264 with veryslow preset and a high-ish CRF may get you there.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T16:47:26.160Z
^this. Also, if your video just contains whitespace and subtitles with some audio, why don't you just use a subtitle file and an audio file? I'm aware this isn't possible with every application, especially subtitle files have very low compatibility, but maybe in that case you have to reassess your workflow ... what do you need that for anyway?
MoritzLost
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T17:40:17.980Z
Please, prefer to [edit] your question to add the details you're providing here in comments, then just ping the user that prompted a doubt. How are you expecting your videos to be consumed, via mobile network, via WiFi? (that's what Moritz asks "what or why do you need that")
brasofilo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-17T19:04:33.960Z
Thanks @Mulvya for the suggestion, I'll take a look into this.
Rogare
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T12:39:39.343Z
Possible duplicate of [What video codecs can provide "adaptive quality"?](http://video.stackexchange.com/questions/3727/what-video-codecs-can-provide-adaptive-quality)
Saaru Lindestøkke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-18T18:53:10.647Z
Why use video at all? You could use something like svg or html for titles on a solid color background and it would probably all come in under a meg. You can have images in html, and I would assume in svg, too.
user1118321
<video-quality><file-formats><compression>
How to drastically reduce size of very simple video?
Rogare
# How to drastically reduce size of very simple video?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-10-17)

I've got a series of videos that I'm looking to drastically reduce in size. The video content is very simple: text animating on white background with a voice track on top. The text is mostly just subtitles and occasionally an image pops up, sort of like a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation, and it needs to play on iPad at Retina resolution.

In terms of size, here's an example of one of the video files:

* Size: 20 MB
* Dimensions: 1920 x 1080
* Duration: 5 minutes, 18 seconds
* Codecs: H.264, AAC
* Color profile: HD (1-1-1)
* Audio channels: 2
* FPS: 25

If there were a video format with variable frame rate, that would be ideal because so much of the video holds a constant frame for a second or so (like a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation).

The reason is to reduce download size of a video-intensive app.

**Tags:** video-quality, file-formats, compression

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you attach or link to one of them?  
> **username_2**: Do you mean, 20 MB for a 5 minute video is what you **have** or your **desired output**. If the latter is the case, just use a highly efficient codec such as H264 or VP9; if you already have a 5 minute video with a size of 20 MB, that's already pretty good – I don't see how you could further reduce the size significantly without noticable quality loss.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Thanks for the comment. That's the current, larger size. I agree it's already quite small, just looking for optimizations if possible.  
> **username_0**: @Mulvya Not right now unfortunately, but you can just picture subtitles appearing over a white background. Each word fades in one at a time, and then the sentence remains for a few seconds before it disappears and the next begins. Most of the screen is just white space.  
> **username_1**: Assuming 96 kbps for the audio, that's about 500 kbps for the video stream. For the type of content you describe, x264 with veryslow preset and a high-ish CRF may get you there.  
> **username_2**: ^this. Also, if your video just contains whitespace and subtitles with some audio, why don't you just use a subtitle file and an audio file? I'm aware this isn't possible with every application, especially subtitle files have very low compatibility, but maybe in that case you have to reassess your workflow ... what do you need that for anyway?  
> **username_3**: Please, prefer to [edit] your question to add the details you're providing here in comments, then just ping the user that prompted a doubt. How are you expecting your videos to be consumed, via mobile network, via WiFi? (that's what Moritz asks "what or why do you need that")  
> **username_0**: Thanks @Mulvya for the suggestion, I'll take a look into this.  
> **username_4**: Possible duplicate of [What video codecs can provide "adaptive quality"?](http://video.stackexchange.com/questions/3727/what-video-codecs-can-provide-adaptive-quality)  
> **username_5**: Why use video at all? You could use something like svg or html for titles on a solid color background and it would probably all come in under a meg. You can have images in html, and I would assume in svg, too.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-02-15. Score: 1

(This may not be considered a complete answer, no matter the Rigid policies. This may be better as a comment.)

You can try using:

* H.265 video codec (very efficient — 100-second video of 1080p @60fps was just 6-7 MB even with audio, when recorded with [Bandicam screen recorder](https://www.bandicam.com/free-screen-recorder/), which is free).
* Mono audio channel
* Use a lower bit depth and bit rate for audio as well as color/video.
* Take a look at how Khan Academy compresses their vids *ohh, sorry, they drop the resolution*
* Explore the free software [HandBrake](https://handbrake.fr/). It offers variable frame rate compressions.


---

