The program 'HANDBRAKE' is a fantastic tool that can be used to convert larger video files to the mp4 format (saving you potentially significant upload time) and address problems with a video clip's resolution or initial encoding.
It is a free download here: https://handbrake.fr/
(If you receive an "unidentified developer warning" when trying to install Handbrake on your Mac, you can get around that here.)
Step by step instructions are listed below, or a good, short 'How-To' video on YouTube can be seen here:
This article addresses the current version of Handbrake (version 1.1.1 as of this writing).
WHY SHOULD I RE-ENCODE OR CONVERT MY FILES?
Good question. Re-encoding your files is a good option to turn to if:
1) you're running into frequent 'encoding failure' notifications after uploading your video
2) the resolutions or file sizes of the footage you wish to upload are huge
3) the type of video file you have is unorthodox or unrecognized
Re-encoding a video can take some time, but depending on the type of video file you have it can also result in an mp4 file MUCH smaller than - and of comparable quality to - the original. Time spent re-encoding can MORE than pay for itself in upload time and headache saved.
To re-encode video files ON A MAC:
1) For ease of locating the files you wish to convert in Handbrake, we recommend placing them on the Desktop first, then opening Handbrake.
2) When the program first opens, you'll launch right into it! Navigate through your computer to find the files you wish to convert/re-encode. You choose one file at a time to convert/re-encode. If you have more than one file to convert/re-encode, you can build a queue of files that Handbrake will automatically work its way through (see below).
Press 'Open' to pull the file into Handbrake to convert/re-encode:
3) After selecting the video file you wish to convert/re-encode, check all the settings before pressing the 'Start' button to begin re-encoding.
The clip info of your Source video file will be displayed at the very top of the window; the properties of the file you are re-encoding will be displayed to the left of the video preview window.
The name of the file and the location on your computer that it will be saved to (both are editable) are listed at the very bottom of the screen.
Press the 'Dimensions' tab in the middle of the screen to view the resolution information. The resolutions of both the source video as well as the file you'll be creating are listed here.
You can change the output resolution if needed by clicking into the 'Storage Size' fields and entering new values. Those changes will be reflected in the 'Display Size' boxes.
When you're ready to re-encode your video file, click on the green 'Start' button in the middle-left of the top of the page.
If you have other files you want to convert/re-encode, you can 'queue them up' while your first file is running through. Press the 'Open Source' button (in the upper left corner) to locate and select the video you wish to convert/re-encode:
Repeat steps 2 & 3 above, but instead of pressing 'Start', press the 'Add To Queue' button.
After the files are converted/re-encoded, they're good to upload!
Stripping out the audio track ON A MAC:
On occasion, your video files will be fine but an audio corruption might cause an encoding error. In these instances, your video can still be used by deleting the audio track and uploading the corruption-free file(s).
1) After opening Handbrake and selecting a Source file (see steps 1 - 3, above), click on the 'Audio' tab in the middle of the screen:
2) Click on the chevrons associated with the file's audio track:
3) Select the 'None' option (to set that as the audio that will re-encode with the video file). This will strip the audio from the video file:
4) If your video settings are ready to go (see "To re-encode video files ON A MAC" section above), press the 'Start' or 'Add To Queue' button to begin re-encoding the video without the audio track.
To re-encode video files ON A PC:
1) For ease of locating the files you wish to convert in Handbrake, we recommend placing them on the Desktop first, then opening Handbrake.
2) When the program first opens, you'll launch right into it!
3) If you have the file you're looking to convert readily available, you can just drag it right into the center window. If not, you can use the tools on the left side of the screen to find it. The left tab asks if you would like to batch convert multiple files at once, or a single file. This article will cover single files (so please choose that tab). Please contact support@vidswap.com if you would like instructions on how to batch convert files.
4) Navigate through your computer to find the files you wish to convert/re-encode. You choose one file at a time to convert/re-encode. If you have more than one file to convert/re-encode, you can build a queue of files that Handbrake will automatically work its way through (see below).
Select the file you want and press 'Open' to pull the file into Handbrake to convert/re-encode.
5) After selecting the file you wish to convert/re-encode, you should check all the settings before pressing the 'Start Encode' button.
The clip info of your Source video file will be displayed at the very top of the window; the properties of the file you are re-encoding will be displayed to the left of the video preview window.
The name of the file and the location on your computer that it will be saved to (both are editable) are listed at the very bottom of the screen.
Press the 'Dimensions' tab in the middle-left of the screen to view the resolution information. The resolutions of both the source video as well as the file you'll be creating are listed here.
You can change the output resolution if needed by clicking into the 'Width' and 'Height' fields and entering new values. Those changes will be reflected in the Output 'Display Size'.
When you're ready to re-encode your video file, click on the green 'Start Encode' button in the middle-left of the top of the page.
If you have other files you want to convert/re-encode, you can 'queue them up' while your first file is running through. Press the 'Open Source' button (in the upper left corner) to locate and select the video you wish to convert/re-encode:
Repeat steps 2-5 above, but instead of pressing 'Start Encode', press the 'Add To Queue' button.
After the files are converted/re-encoded, they're good to upload!
Stripping out the audio track ON A PC:
On occasion, your video files will be fine but an audio corruption will cause an encoding error. In these instances, your video can still be used if you delete the audio track and upload the corruption-free file(s).
1) After opening Handbrake and selecting a Source file (see steps 1 - 4, above), click on the 'Audio' tab in the middle of the screen:
2) To wipe the audio track from the video clip, click on either the 'Clear' button or the red "x" on the far right edge of the audio track list:
3) Review your 'Picture' / resolution settings one more time by clicking on the 'Summary' tab, and press the 'Start Encode' or 'Add To Queue' button to begin re-encoding the video without the audio track.
