Can I compress a video file ?

What do you mean. To decrease the file size ????

I wouldn't

But you can right click on the file>>properties>>

General Tab>>Advanced>>select to compress and apply

just telling someone to use handbrake or any other ripper to compress a video is ridiculous.

If they know nothing about resolutions, bitrates, file formats and file types, then you would not know how to get a smaller file and what quality you will get. With degrees in this field and after doing probably 1000's times more files than anyone on this website, I know a little about A/V.

Hey Keith,

Feel free to use Handbrake, it'll do exactly that, doesn't get any simpler than that: https://handbrake.fr/

Let me know if you have any questions about using the software.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Handbrake is going to compress it ?????

No

Does not get any simpler than that huh ?????

If you would want a H264 video file to the new H265 HEVC, then the file would be compressed and with a higher bitrate and possible better quality (if creating a new file from like a Blueray etc) and a much smaller file size.

Or an AVI or MP4 to a FLV would be more compressed and smaller file size.

Or from an AVI to MP4 will be a little smaller as MP4 uses a more compressed format. Based on the fact using similar bitrates and resolution.

And I would not use junkbrake to encode any of my video files.

Making the video size smaller with same formats means using a lower bitrate and resolution making the video poorer quality. Messing with additional tech specs when encoding will only produce bad video files if you do not know what you are doing.

Or like I do, I capture my videos at 1280x720 and encode them to like 720x404 at about 900kb/s data and 128kb/s audio.

or 854x480 950kb/s data.

Using H.264/x264 mp4

AVS Video Converter is about the best for both editing videos and encoding/ripping them.

If by compress you are talking about converting .avi or other large formats to a compressed format such as MP4,

the article below has a number of video tool options to choose from.

 -Note that free versions are sometimes trial only, and some are restricted to file conversion (as is MOVAI below).

https://videoconverter.wondershare.com/video-converter/free-video-converter-windows-10.html

MOVAI 

• https://www.movavi.com/videoconverter/

(I still use the old Windows Movie Maker which will convert to MP4 when saving, but that's no longer available. )

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