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)

./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

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

Batch commands:

./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

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