<p>When I convert a video with <code>ffmpeg</code>, and use <code>mediaInfo</code> to review the metadata, I see the followings for the video codec:</p>
<pre><code>Format : AVC 
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec 
Format profile : Baseline@L3.1 
Format settings : 1 Ref Frames 
</code></pre>
<p>Whereas for some other videos, <code>mediaInfo</code> shows this:</p>
<pre><code>Format : AVC 
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec 
Format profile : High@L4.2 
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames 
</code></pre>
<p>What are the differences between these two profiles and settings? Do they have any effects on the compression ratio/file sizes? Any pros/cons? My goal is to reduce the video file sizes at much as possible with negligible quality degradation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-15T04:39:50.737Z
More ref frames = better compression. Higher profile = better compression.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-15T12:52:59.390Z
How about quality? Encoding execution time?
angel_30
<ffmpeg><video><video-quality><codec><h.264>
H264 AVC codec Baseline@L3.1 vs High@L4.2
angel_30
# H264 AVC codec Baseline@L3.1 vs High@L4.2

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-14)

When I convert a video with ffmpeg, and use mediaInfo to review the metadata, I see the followings for the video codec:
Format : AVC 
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec 
Format profile : Baseline@L3.1 
Format settings : 1 Ref Frames 

Whereas for some other videos, mediaInfo shows this:
Format : AVC 
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec 
Format profile : High@L4.2 
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames 

What are the differences between these two profiles and settings? Do they have any effects on the compression ratio/file sizes? Any pros/cons? My goal is to reduce the video file sizes at much as possible with negligible quality degradation.

**Tags:** ffmpeg, video, video-quality, codec, h.264

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: More ref frames = better compression. Higher profile = better compression.  
> **username_0**: How about quality? Encoding execution time?  

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## 0 answers

