Compressing Video For The Web

The technicalities of [tag-tec]compressing video[/tag-tec] is not something that most of us want to know about, we just want to use the tools. We want to create videos, and quickly compress them for clear images and smooth playback without spending hours on trial and error. If you are shooting your video to use as website video content, there are a few things you can do when you are planning and shooting to make the video look better on a computer monitor.

It will helps to understand the basics of video files and compression. Compression looks at video pixels in blocks, this explains why poorly compressed video appears ‘blocky’. Imagine a video of a child playing on the beach with blue sky and sea. Uncompressed, the video contains information for every pixel, in every frame. Compressed, the video contains less information because similar pixels, the blue sky for instance, are grouped together.

So, by recognizing that all pixels in the large amount of sky are blue, and all pixels in the large area of beach are sandy color, the compressed video significantly reduces the file size. The only changing pixels are those that show the child playing. Compare this to a ‘busy’ street scene or a parade with lots of color and movement, this will be more difficult to compress and will result in a larger compressed file than the former.

So, the less a video changes frame to frame, the easier it is to compress. Of course, shooting a video with little movement will create a boring video but a compromise can be reached. Read and implement the following tips and your videos look better online, without creating a forgettable video:

• Pay attention to the background. You don’t want your subject up in front of a plain wall neither do you want a lot of movement in the background plants and tree swaying gently in the breeze for instance. You increase the file size capturing all that movement. Try finding a stationary background that can be easily compressed and still look good.

• Brighten up. Slight overexposure reduces details, which, means less information to process. This may sound wrong, but remember, the fine details probably will not show up anyway on a small flash player screen. Additionally, computer screens tend to make videos look darker, so added brightness can actually improve image quality.

• Be steady. Whenever possible, shoot your video on a tripod. This way, even if there is motion in the scene, the background remains the same.

• Get closer. The closer you are to a subject, the less information is on screen. In a close up with a talking head shot, the only motion is that of the face. Pull back and you will capture much more body and possibly background movement, which will make your video more difficult to compress.

I hope this article has given you a little insight into what you should consider before shooting your video with a view to producing a better result after compressing the video.