MP4 Format

[Volcano]

Why can't I convert my videos to mp4 as small size as YouTube does?

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, Not exactly sure what you mean, but the small screen size on youtube is done with their own software and probably not easily obtainable.

If you can explain a bit more what it is you want to do though we may be able to help more.

Nev.

[Volcano]

For example I have a 40MB avi video, when I convert it to MP4 format with any program it becomes 25MB, but after I upload 40MB one to YouTube and download it from there, it becomes 16MB.

 

Shortly, YouTube has an advanced technology?

[Plastic Nev]

Ah now I understand, I thought you meant size as in 30millimeters by 40 millimeters, not in MB. :D My mistake.

 

What you are seeing is known as compression. In reality this means throwing away small bits of data, and in the case of video or even still pictures, it means that pixcels are being lost.

 

If the level of compression isn't much, say a reduction from 30MB to 25MB you won't normally see it unless the picture is magnified by quite a lot.

 

However in the case you mention uploading video to YouTube, there is some compression takes place in order to reduce the file size for uploading, then more compression takes place while Youtube does the preparation process. This is to minimise the file size yet again for quicker download times, hence when it gets back to you it is down to 16MB from the original 40MB.

 

This explains why some YouTube video picture quality is so poor. It may have started off looking reasonable, but if already highly compressed before sending, then the end result is rubbish.

 

If you really want a small file size and not bothered by the picture quality, your AVI to MP4 converter program will or should have a slide control of some sort with high quality at one end and low quality at the other, this is nothing more than the compression level control.

 

You can experiment with this control to both minimise your file size and still keep an acceptable level of quality.

 

All file types with MPEG, JPEG, or for sound MP are compressed formats, hence when you take a video in a non compressed form such as AVI and convert it to MP4 or MPEG4 the file is automatically compressed.

Hope that has helped.

Nev.