Looking for a rec for a file compressor (for Mac)

[Crusher Disciple]

Can any of you give me a rec for a (video) file compression program for a Mac? I'm working on creating classes for Udemy, and even a short 5 minute file comes in at over 100MB.

I tried DLing Handbrake, but the "compression" means that the entire file is cut to about 1/10th of the length of the original file. When I "compress" on my Mac's OS, it gives me a ZIP file. I click on the "compressed" file the OS gives me and the file size is still the same 100MB it started out as.

Those are numbers for a 1 minute test file I'm trying to UL to Udemy.

I've looked at the paid compression programs, and since I can't get the demo version to give me a compressed file that's not 1/10th of the length of the original, I can't determine on my own if they programs are worth buying until I buy them. They all state that I have to buy if I don't want a video that's not chopped down to at least 1/3 the length of the original.

Oh, and they companies that make these programs have all massaged the SEO to the point that "best compression program for Mac" leads me to pages on their sites that offer "reviews" of their product verses their competitor.

So, anybody got a compression program that they like? One that I should avoid? I'll be using it on a regular basis, so I want to get something that meets my needs.

 

[spinnerlys]

First let's find out what video file format and codec you actually use, as HandBrake is a wonderful tool to compress video, if it is not already compressed too much.

If you like, you can download VideoSpec (free Mac OS X application) to analyse the video you have.

Open VideoSpec, click the SELECT button on the top left of the toolbar (or press CMD+O), select the file you want to compress (the 5 minute file over 100 MB big) and click OPEN.
The process should take less than a minute.

Once completed, click the REPORT button in the toolbar, save it to a location you can easily find.

When that is done, and since TBBS does not allow attachments, open the TXT file VideoSpec created, copy all data from it (CMD+A then CMD+C) and paste it into your reply between the CODE tags (

).

That report will tell us, if the original video is already using a compression like H.264 (which it probably does, as 100 MB for 5 minutes of video indicates that) and what data rate it uses.

but the "compression" means that the entire file is cut to about 1/10th of the length of the original file.

Then we can go back to HandBrake and apply the correct settings, as I have never seen HB do the thing you have experienced (taking parts away from the video), thus maybe it is a chapter issue or something else.
I have used HandBrake for over a decade now, and it does not do that, unless it has been told to.

If you could also provide Mac OS X and HandBrake version numbers, that would be nice.

Until next time.



PS: Stay way from iSkySoft and Wondershare and all those shitty applications you have to pay for, when HandBrake and MPEG StreamClip and FFMPEG and Adapter (free in the Mac App Store) can do the same for free and with proper results.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I'm running OSX 10.9.5 and the Handbrake version is the latest at 0.10.2

I did a screenshot of the report so I won't forget.

The Video section goes like this:

Format: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Bitrate: Max.: 768 Kbps / Average: 5 005 Kbps / Min.: ---
Frame rate: Max.: --- / Average: 29.970 / Min.: ---
Encoding Profile: High@L3.1

and the bitrate is 5 125 Kbps

I thought I had found a hack on this yesterday by going to Preferences in HB and changing the "minimum length of title to scan" to 6000 seconds. It worked like a charm last night, and then today I open HB up and it's right back to 2 seconds.

And thank you for confirming my suspicions that paying for a compressor is pointless!

 

[spinnerlys]

Well, I never changed the setting for the minimum length of title to scan in over a decade, if you mean this one:

It should not be important, but maybe something is broken with your HandBrake.

Maybe try deleting the PLIST file at Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library (via Finder > Menu Bar > GO and then holding down the OPTION/Alt key to make the Library visible in that menu) / Preferences / fr.handbrake.HandBrake.plist.

Upon reopening HandBrake, that file will be recreated, and thus should be fresh, and that Scan setting should not be changed to work properly.
I have transcoded hundreds of hours without ever having to change that, from 10 seconds of video to three hours of video.

If that does not help, I am kinda lost, since that is a really strange behaviour.

If it happens again after the PLIST file deletion, open HandBrake, open the video in it and do not apply anything and make a window screenshot via CMD+SHIFT+4 > Spacebar > click with mouse on HandBrake window and show it to me.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

^ I'll keep that in mind.

I kept poking around the settings tonight, and finally I realized that the program kept warning me that a file already existed, which seemed strange to me.

I had been opening coolvid.mp4 and assuming that HB would compess it and it would re-save as a smaller file. When I opened vids from You Tube I'd saved into my Documents I had no trouble saving them on my Desktop. But when it came to vids I had improted from my iPhone and edited in iMovie, all I got was the 1-2 second thing.

None of that made any sense, but I decided to try opening a file named "xyz.mp4" and changing the destination and name of the output file. So I'd open xyz in Documents and rename it qwert.mp4 and save it to my Desktop.

That fooled HB long enough to successfully compress a file. Now, that worked tonight. God only knows what'll be messed up when I reopen HB tomorrow.

 

[spinnerlys]

The standard output destination folder is the Desktop, thus you always have to check if HB warns you, as it does when it comes to overwriting files.
If it does not warn you, there should not be such problems you are having, and even if it overwrites an actual file, the problem should not occur, as it creates a new file.

But then again, I haven't used Mavericks that long, I simply upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion and then Yosemite two years later, as Mavericks is a shitty OS for me.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I'm trying to DL Yosemite now, but at almost 6GB I can only do it a bit at a time over a few days. The fastest connection is Barnes and Nobel which signs me out after 1 hour of use in order to avoid me DLing large files.

Dude, living in the ^*&ing sticks SUCKS!

So far so good with the "remember to rename it before clicking on Start" thing. I hate to brag, but I'm not pulling my hair out tonight.

Thanks again for helping me with this!

 

[spinnerlys]

I know, loving in the city does suck major spinach. Even though spinach is the second best after brussels sprout.

Good luck with Yosemite, you hopefully have a backup, as some have had not that much luck with that OS, though I have had quite good luck with it, but I am not using a Mac in the purest form (not being born by Android kittens).

 

[Crusher Disciple]

The file is 5.64 MB, which is waaaaay too big to download in one night with my connection speed. So I'm DLing 1-2 MB each night.

Apple should get their heads out of their asses and make DLig easier. I finally got the 2MB iMovie upload finished last night.

And so far (crosses fingers) I haven't had any more problems compressing videos with Handbrake. Just successfully compressed two.

 

[spinnerlys]

The file is 5.64 MB, which is waaaaay too big to download in one night with my connection speed. So I'm DLing 1-2 MB each night.

Apple should get their heads out of their asses and make DLig easier. I finally got the 2MB iMovie upload finished last night.

And so far (crosses fingers) I haven't had any more problems compressing videos with Handbrake. Just successfully compressed two.

Wow, 6 MB too big to download reminds me of waiting overnight for a 16 MB DS9 video with 320x240 pixels almost twenty years ago. Sorry to hear you have such ancient speeds. Move to Europe or Sri Lanka, where 3G is faster than that.