Media Transcoding (FFmpeg)

Overview

Use FFmpeg presets to normalize video outputs for web streaming, mobile delivery, or archival quality. Your hf-videos repo already includes a simple bash script and a more advanced Python script with presets, backups, and logging.

Quick Start (hf-videos)

bash

./ffmpeg_convert.sh check
./ffmpeg_convert.sh web_standard "My Video.mp4"
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_web_standard

Outputs are written to converted/ with backups in backup/ and logs in conversion.log.

Preset Summary (hf-videos)

•web_standard: 1080p max, CRF 23, 128k audio, +faststart
•web_high: 1080p max, CRF 20, 192k audio
•mobile: 720p max, CRF 25, 96k audio
•ultra_compact: 480p max, CRF 28, 64k audio
•archive: original res, CRF 18, 256k audio

All presets use H.264 + AAC with +faststart for streaming-friendly MP4s.

Batch Workflow

•Run a single-file conversion first to validate output.
•Run batch conversion once the preset is confirmed.
•Verify output sizes and playback.

Batch commands:

bash

./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_web_standard
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_mobile
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_ultra_compact

Advanced Script (convert_video.py)

Use convert_video.py when you need:

•Progress monitoring
•Metadata inspection
•Overwrite control
•Preset listing and batch automation

bash

python3 convert_video.py --list-presets
python3 convert_video.py --file "My Video.mp4" --preset web_standard
python3 convert_video.py --preset mobile --overwrite

Output Conventions

•Converted files use suffixes like _web_standard.
•Backups preserve original filenames.
•Logs go to conversion.log for audit and troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

•FFmpeg missing: brew install ffmpeg (macOS) or install from ffmpeg.org.
•Permission errors: chmod +x ffmpeg_convert.sh.
•Disk pressure: clean converted/ and backup/ after validation.

Related Skills

•toolchains/universal/infrastructure/docker