How to Compress Video in VLC and Its Alternative Solution

Patricia Rapatalo .
1080P and 4K video provide an impressive visual experience. Who wouldn’t want a UHD streaming experience, right? However, did you know that a 1-minute uncompressed 1080P video takes an average of 120-130 MB of storage space? Having a large video file size is somehow annoying for some people.
vlc resize video

That’s because social media platforms and video-sharing sites have file size limitations for video sharing and uploading. So, that’s where video compression comes in. You can use a free video compressor like VLC to compress and reduce the file size of your large videos. VLC is known as a media player by many users. It has been in the market since 2001. Luckily, because of the continuous development of technology, VLC continues to provide helpful features for its users. Furthermore, that is the main reason why we are here. We will help you to discover more about the VLC resize video feature. We will give you the best alternative solutions that you can consider. Start discovering more in the next part.

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Different Ways to Compress Video in VLC

1Convert Video to a Smaller Size Format

Some formats, including AVI, MOV, MKV, and others, occupy a huge space. So, converting them to a format that uses small storage space, like MP4, WMV, FLV, and other supported formats, is wise. VLC offers video codec and resolution alongside the format you can use to convert your video to a smaller one. In addition, you can use the tool to rotate in VLC, record your screen, and more. Furthermore, video size may be reduced using different bit rates, video codecs, and other elements. To start, see the guide below to convert and compress video using VLC.

User-guide:

  • Install VLC from its official website and launch it. After that, hit the “Media” tab on the upper menu and select “Open Capture Device” to add the video. Then, hit the arrow-down icon below and choose “Convert.”
  • Next, select your file's preferred format and video codec beside the “Profile” section. Afterward, hit the “Browse” button to select an output destination.
  • Finally, hit the “Start” button to convert the video to a smaller format. The converted video will be saved in the folder you set where you can double-check it.

add video, click convert, select video codec and folder, hit start

2 Compress Video by Changing Audio Encoding

VLC is a great 8MB video compressor that you can use. By resetting the audio codec, bit rate to 128kbps, sample rate, and channels in the VLC video and audio options, you can minimize the video file size without sacrificing video quality. Keep in mind that the file size of the video as a whole is not significantly impacted by audio. Leave it alone if you want to keep the audio settings the same. It's a good idea to extract the audio from your video file if you only require the audio file because the file size will significantly reduce. A listed step is shown below to reduce video size VLC.

User-guide:

  • Launch your VLC app and go to its “Media” tab. Then, choose the “Convert/Save” button from the options and add your video file by hitting the “Add” button.
  • Once done, hit the “Profile edition” button to access the “Audio codec.” Here, tick the box beside “Audio” to set the audio settings. Adjust the bitrate to 128kbps to minimize the file size.
  • Then, hit the “Create” button, and the conversion process will proceed. Lastly, your video will be saved on your computer. Check on it to see if the file size was reduced.

click profile edition, audio codec, tick audio, select bitrate and create

3 Trim Video with VLC to Reduce the Size

VLC does not support trimming or cutting out undesired video segments. You can "edit" video footage using the "Record" tool under playback to record only the essential segments. Doing this can reduce video file size VLC without sacrificing quality. After playing the video and clicking the red recording button, drag the video to the starting point you wish to keep. Then, when the video reaches the finishing point, hit the recording button once more to save the video. Since the video is smaller in time, its file size will be smaller too. You can visit this page if you like to know more about trimming video with VLC.


The Best Alternative Software to Compress Video

System Requirements: For CPU-1GHz Intel/AMD CPU or higher/ For RAM-1GB or more/ For HDD-200MB or more
Distinctive Features: It allows you to create a collage video with built-in templates that you can use to play different videos side-by-side.
Pricing Plan: $55.95/lifetime license for two computers

VLC Media Player compress video, yet it can be complicated for you, mainly if you are unfamiliar with VLC and its configurations and navigations. So, you can use alternative software, like Video Master Premium, to help you with your task. Video Master Premium is a professional software that allows you to compress your video to your preferred file size. In addition, you can also select the video resolution, like 720P, 1080P, and 4K. With that, you will still have high-quality output even if you compress it. Additionally, you can edit your video to enhance it before compressing it. You can rotate, crop, add watermarks, effects, filters, or trim parts. Plus, you can compress multiple videos simultaneously to save time, which you can’t get on using VLC. A tutorial is provided below to guide you through.

Free Download
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
Secure Download
Free Download
For macOS 10.12 or later
Secure Download

Step 1Download and Install AceThinker Video Master

Click the "Download" button corresponding to your computer OS and follow the setup window instructions to save the software. After that, launch the tool to become accustomed to its main interface, features, and navigations. This will help you quickly get the instructions on the next steps. Verify that you have the appropriate software installed by looking at the user interface below.

Step 2Import the Video

Go to the “Converter” tab and tick the "Add Files" button in the top-left corner to choose the video from your computer. You can also drop the video into the software for a faster import. The software will display the video once it has completed analyzing it.

click converter, add files, check video

Step 3Reduce File Size in Different Ways

After that, you can lower the file size of your video in three different ways. Check them below and observe to see what best fit your needs in downscaling large video file size. You can also try them all, depending on your preference.

Compress Video to Small File Size: Hit the “Compress” symbol next to the “information” icon. Then, the “Video Compressor” window will appear. Customize the video size by hitting the arrows or typing the exact details on the box. You can also see the bitrate while adjusting the size. Once done, click the “Save” button to store the changes.

hit compress icon, select file size, hit save

Convert Video to Other Formats with Smaller Size: Hit the drop-down menu on the right side of the video’s details to access the format window. Hit the “Video” button and select MP4. You can also select your preferred video format from the selection with a smaller file size. Afterward, choose a video quality of up to 4K for your file or lower to reduce file size.

click arrow button, select video, select format and quality, hit convert all

Trim or Cut the Video: For this process, hit the “Scissor” icon under the video’s details to launch the cut window. Then, set the “Start” and “End” of the video by adjusting the slider. You can also directly type specific time stamps to save time. Afterward, hit the “Save” button to cut the video.

click scissor icon, adjust timestamp, hit save

Step 4Start Converting Video

After adjusting your desired output for the video, hit the “Convert All” button on the bottom right to convert and compress your video. If you forgot to adjust other video elements, you could hit the “Stop” button to halt the ‘process. Meanwhile, you can observe the procedure on the “progress bar” of the software.

hit convert all and stop icon

Step 5Play the Compressed Video

Lastly, hit the “Converted” button to see the compressed file. After the process, the video is now 3.04MB which is lower in file size. If satisfied, hit the “Folder” icon to see the folder location of the video. You can play the video using VLC or another media player.

click converted, check size, hit folder, play video


FAQs About Compressing on VLC

1. Can I convert 720P to 480P with VLC?
You can reduce video size with VLC by lowering its resolution. 720[ videos can be decreased to 480P by adding it to VLC. Then, hit a new window will open when you hit the “Convert/Save” button. Click the “Profile” drop-down button, and a variety of profile preset selections should appear. Hit “Start” to initiate the 720P to 480P conversion with VL. SD profiles are examples of 480P, like Video for Android SD, iPod SD, and YouTube SD.
2. Does compressing affects video quality?
Although video compression reduces file size, it might affect the quality of the video. However, video encoding reduces the size of your video files without sacrificing quality. Gigabytes of data are reduced to mere megabytes when watching encoded videos. Additionally, your content is made available on various platforms and devices, like computers and mobile phones. So, upon all the methods above, we suggest changing your video codec and format.

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