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    FFmpeg Installation and Video Conversion Tutorial for Windows

Overview

This tutorial will guide you through manually installing FFmpeg on Windows and using it to convert large video files (like 12GB files) into smaller, YouTube-compatible formats. You'll learn how to control the output resolution and quality to meet your specific needs.
Prerequisites


Windows 10 or later
Administrator access to your computer
A large video file you want to convert

Part 1: Understanding Command Prompt

What is Command Prompt?

Command Prompt (also called "cmd" or "Command Line") is a text-based interface in Windows that allows you to run programs and commands by typing text instead of clicking buttons. Think of it as a way to "talk" directly to your computer using typed commands.
Why We Need Command Prompt

FFmpeg is a command-line tool, which means it doesn't have a graphical interface with buttons and menus. Instead, you type commands to tell it what to do. Don't worry - we'll provide you with exact commands to copy and paste!
How to Open Command Prompt


Method 1 (Recommended): Press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter
Method 2: Right-click the Start button, select "Command Prompt" or "Windows Terminal"
Method 3: Type "cmd" in the Windows search bar, click "Command Prompt"

Command Prompt Basics


Current Directory: Shows where you are in your computer's file system (e.g., C:\Users\YourName>)
Commands: Type text and press Enter to execute
File Paths: Use backslashes \ to navigate folders (e.g., C:\Videos\)
Quotes: Use quotes around filenames with spaces (e.g., "My Video.mp4")
Copy/Paste: Right-click to paste, or use Ctrl + V

Important: Run as Administrator

Some commands require administrator privileges. To do this:

Press Win + X
Select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)"
Click "Yes" when prompted

Part 2: Installing FFmpeg

Manual Installation (Recommended)


Download FFmpeg

Go to https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
Click "Windows Builds" under "Get packages & executable files"
Click "Windows builds from gyan.dev" (recommended)
Download the "essentials" build (e.g., "ffmpeg-6.1-essentials_build.zip")


Extract and Install

Extract the ZIP file to C:\ffmpeg
Copy the contents of the bin folder to C:\ffmpeg\bin
Add to PATH:

Press Win+R, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter
Click "Environment Variables"
Under "System Variables", find "Path" and click "Edit"
Click "New" and add C:\ffmpeg\bin
Click OK on all dialogs


Verify Installation

Open Command Prompt and type: ffmpeg -version


Part 3: Converting Large Video Files

Basic Command Structure

ffmpeg -i "input_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output_video.mp4"
Understanding the Parameters


-i "input_video.mp4": Your source video file
-c:v libx264: Use H.264 video codec (YouTube compatible)
-crf 23: Quality setting (18-28 range, lower = better quality, larger file)
-preset medium: Encoding speed (slower = better compression, faster = larger file)
-c:a aac: Audio codec
-b:a 128k: Audio bitrate

Part 4: Resolution Control Examples

Example 1: Convert to 1080p (Full HD)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=1920:1080" -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output_1080p.mp4"
Example 2: Convert to 720p (HD)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=1280:720" -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output_720p.mp4"
Example 3: Convert to 480p (SD)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=854:480" -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output_480p.mp4"
Example 4: Convert to 4K (Ultra HD)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow -vf "scale=3840:2160" -c:a aac -b:a 192k "output_4k.mp4"
Example 5: Maintain Aspect Ratio (Auto-scale)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease" -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output_720p_auto.mp4"
Part 5: Quality and File Size Control

CRF Values for Different Quality Levels


CRF 18: Visually lossless, very large files
CRF 20: High quality, large files
CRF 23: Good quality, balanced (recommended for most uses)
CRF 26: Acceptable quality, smaller files
CRF 28: Lower quality, much smaller files

Preset Options for Encoding Speed


ultrafast: Fastest encoding, largest files
superfast: Very fast, large files
veryfast: Fast, large files
faster: Fast, large files
fast: Fast, large files
medium: Balanced (recommended)
slow: Slower, smaller files
slower: Slower, smaller files
veryslow: Slowest, smallest files

Part 6: Practical Examples for Different Use Cases

For YouTube Uploads (Recommended Settings)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=1920:1080" -c:a aac -b:a 128k -movflags +faststart "youtube_ready.mp4"
For Web Sharing (Smaller Files)

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 26 -preset fast -vf "scale=1280:720" -c:a aac -b:a 96k "web_ready.mp4"
For Mobile Devices

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 25 -preset fast -vf "scale=854:480" -c:a aac -b:a 64k "mobile_ready.mp4"
For High-Quality Archiving

ffmpeg -i "large_video.mp4" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow -vf "scale=1920:1080" -c:a aac -b:a 192k "archive_quality.mp4"
Part 7: Step-by-Step Conversion Process


Prepare Your Files

Place your large video file in a folder (e.g., C:\Videos\)
Open Command Prompt in that folder (Shift + Right-click → "Open command window here")


Choose Your Resolution and Quality

Decide on target resolution based on your needs
Choose appropriate CRF value and preset


Run the Conversion

Copy the appropriate command from above
Replace "large_video.mp4" with your actual filename
Replace "output_video.mp4" with your desired output filename
Press Enter and wait for completion


Monitor Progress

FFmpeg will show progress information
Conversion time depends on file size and your computer's speed


Part 8: Troubleshooting Common Issues

"ffmpeg is not recognized"


Restart Command Prompt after installation
Verify PATH environment variable is set correctly
Try using the full path: C:\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe

"Permission denied"


Run Command Prompt as Administrator
Check if antivirus is blocking FFmpeg

"File not found"


Ensure you're in the correct directory
Check file path and spelling
Use quotes around filenames with spaces

"Conversion takes too long"


Use faster presets (e.g., -preset fast instead of -preset medium)
Increase CRF value (e.g., -crf 26 instead of -crf 23)
Lower target resolution

Part 9: Estimating File Sizes

Rough Size Estimates (for 1 hour of video)


4K (3840x2160): 8-15 GB
1080p (1920x1080): 2-4 GB
720p (1280x720): 1-2 GB
480p (854x480): 500 MB - 1 GB

Factors Affecting File Size


Resolution (higher = larger)
CRF value (lower = larger)
Preset (slower = smaller)
Video content (complex scenes = larger)
Audio quality (higher bitrate = larger)

Part 10: Advanced Tips

Batch Conversion (Multiple Files)

for %i in (*.mp4) do ffmpeg -i "%i" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -vf "scale=1280:720" -c:a aac -b:a 128k "converted_%i"
Two-Pass Encoding (Better Quality)

ffmpeg -i "input.mp4" -c:v libx264 -preset medium -b:v 2M -pass 1 -an -f null NUL
ffmpeg -i "input.mp4" -c:v libx264 -preset medium -b:v 2M -pass 2 -c:a aac -b:a 128k "output.mp4"
Extract Audio Only

ffmpeg -i "video.mp4" -vn -c:a aac -b:a 128k "audio.m4a"
Conclusion

With FFmpeg installed and these examples, you can now convert large video files to any resolution and quality level you need. Start with the recommended settings (CRF 23, medium preset) and adjust based on your file size and quality requirements. Remember that higher quality means larger files, so find the right balance for your specific use case.
For YouTube uploads, 1080p with CRF 23 typically provides excellent quality while keeping file sizes manageable. If you need smaller files, try 720p resolution or increase the CRF value to 26.
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