What CRF value should I use?

Keep the default of 23 for general use. Use 18 for a visually lossless master copy, 28 for smaller files on the web, and 35 or more only for previews. A lower number means higher quality and a larger file.

Should I choose H.264 or H.265?

Choose H.264 for web and social media, because every browser and phone plays it. Choose H.265 (HEVC) only when a small file matters more than compatibility, since some older devices cannot play it.

How do I make a video file smaller?

Raise the Quality (CRF) value, lower the Resolution, or both. Each increase of about 6 CRF points roughly halves the file size.

How many credits does Transcode Video cost?

Transcode Video costs 10 credits per run. It does not use an AI model.

Transcode Video node — change codec, quality (CRF), resolution and audio bitrate

Re-encode a video with H.264 or H.265, a quality (CRF) value, a lower resolution and an audio bitrate, to shrink files or make them play on any device.

The Transcode Video node re-encodes a video with a different codec, quality, resolution and audio bitrate. Use it to make a large file smaller, to turn a video into a format that plays everywhere, or to give several clips the same format before you join them.

When to use it

An AI-generated video is too large to share or upload. Raise the CRF value or lower the resolution.
A clip uses H.265 and does not play on some devices. Convert it to H.264.
Several clips have different resolutions. Give them one resolution before Combine Videos.

Quick start

Add the node

Press Tab on the canvas and choose Video › Format & Export › Transcode Video.

Connect a video

Drag from the output of any video node to the Video input.

Keep the defaults or open Advanced Settings

With the defaults, the node makes a browser- and phone-safe MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. To change the codec, quality, resolution or audio bitrate, open Advanced Settings in the settings panel.

Run it

Click Run on the node. The re-encoded video appears on the node.

A generated video is re-encoded to a smaller 720p file before it is saved.

Inputs

Input	Accepts	What it does
Video	Video nodes, such as Upload Video, Generate Video and Combine Videos	The video to re-encode. Required.

The output, Video, is the re-encoded video.

Settings

All settings are under Advanced Settings. The heading says "(using defaults)" while nothing has changed.

Setting	What it does
Codec	H.264 (recommended), the default, or H.265 (HEVC).
Quality (CRF)	A slider from `0` (best) to `51` (worst). The default is `23`.
Resolution	Original (the default), `1080p`, `720p` or `480p`.
Audio Bitrate	`128 kbps` (the default), `192 kbps`, `256 kbps` or `320 kbps`.

Which codec

H.264 plays in every browser and on every phone. Use it for the web and for social media.
H.265 (HEVC) makes smaller files at the same quality, but some older devices cannot play it.

Which quality value

CRF stands for Constant Rate Factor. A lower value gives higher quality and a larger file. Each increase of about 6 points roughly halves the file size.

CRF	Quality	Use it for
`18`	Visually lossless	Archives and master copies
`23`	Good (the default)	General purpose
`28`	Acceptable	Smaller files for web delivery
`35` and higher	Low	Previews and thumbnails

Credits

Transcode Video costs 10 credits per run.

Tips

Start from the defaults. H.264 at CRF 23 suits most purposes.
Use 720p for previews. A smaller resolution also takes less time to process.
Raise the audio bitrate only for music. 256 kbps and more only makes a difference when music carries the video.
Avoid extra passes. Every run re-encodes the video, even with the same codec and quality, so transcode once at the end.

Transcode Video