Video File Conversion to MP4

Recommended File Format

MP4(H.264) is the recommended video file format. See the Help page for more detail on the Recommended File Format.

Note that MP4(H.264) will have the following MediaInfo (see Listing 1 below):

• MP4 container: MPEG-4, Id=mp42
• Video Codec: Advanced Video Codec, Id=avc
• Writing library: x264

HandBrake - Recommended Converter

You can use any conversion program you prefer. If you don't have a converter, our recommendation is HandBrake. It's free, open-source and has shown solid results.

Download and Install

HandBrake Installer download link (Free tool)

Usage Instructions and Settings

1. Save Original Source File - It is a best practice to save your original source file(s) in case you decide to change the conversion output settings later.
2. Select Source - (Figure 1) You can drag-drop the source video file to the Source selection panel or browse to Open a source. After the source file is entered, click Cancel to close this panel.
3. Destination - (Figure 2) Choose the Destination folder and filename for the output file. If you are using the Windows Documents folder (default), you may want to create a HandBrake folder under Documents. Make sure the Destination filetype is ".MP4".
4. Video Output - - (Figure 3) The Video Output recommended settings below worked well in our testing for very good quality and performance. You can vary from these settings as desired. Be sure to see the HandBrake Documentation for details on these settings.
   Recommended Settings
   
   See Figure 3.
   • Container - Set to "MP4".
   • Video Codec - Set to "H.264" .
   • Framerate - Set to "Same as source" and "Variable".
   • Quality - Set to "Constant Quality", with an RF value in the range 12 to 20. Lower RF values create better quality (sharpness) with somewhat larger file size. This setting is a compromise between compression vs larger file size and video sharpness. You should note that the quality slider is logarithmic (not linear) for x264. This means small movements in the numbers can have large results. RF=0 is lossless (no compression) but is not recommended because you'll end up with video file size much larger than the source, but doesn't look any better. (see User's Guide for full details.)
   • Audio - "AAC" audio output is the default. Other AAC options are available on the Audio tab.
5. Start conversion - Click the Start button to begin conversion. Processing will take from a few seconds up to a few minutes depending on source file size and Video Output settings.

Notes

• Handbrake allows you to add SRT subtitles (for foreign language translation captions). (on the Subtitles tab)
• You can adjust output aspect ratio (width x height) on the Picture tab if needed. (Figure 2)

HandBrake Documentation and Help

• User's Guide - The HandBrake User's Guide has a complete list of all settings.
• FAQs, Forum, more... - HandBrake Documentation and Help page has a complete list of all support resources.

Listing 1. MediaInfo for an MP4(H.264) file

Complete name                            : C:\Users\MyPC\Documents\HandBrake\prologue8.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4  
Format profile                           : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                                 : mp42	 
File size                                : 21.7 MiB
Duration                                 : 3mn 20s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 909 Kbps
Encoded date                             : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16
Writing application                      : HandBrake 0.10.2 2015060900

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec	 
Format profile                           : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 4 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1	 
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 3mn 20s
Bit rate                                 : 745 Kbps
Width                                    : 480 pixels
Height                                   : 270 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 24.000 fps
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.239
Stream size                              : 17.8 MiB (82%)
Writing library                          : x264 core 142 r2479 dd79a61	
Encoding settings                        : cabac=1 (editor note: some values removed, unnecessary detail)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16
Color primaries                          : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.601

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile                           : LC
Codec ID                                 : 40
Duration                                 : 3mn 20s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 159 Kbps
Channel count                            : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 3.78 MiB (17%)
Title                                    : Stereo
Language                                 : English
Encoded date                             : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2036-02-06 06:28:16