Video encoding with FFmpeg, a great tool with the shittiest user interface you can imagine: lots of confusing, unmemorable, unintuitive, undiscoverable command-line flags

Video encoding with FFmpeg.md

Remux without transcoding

ffmpeg -i input.ts -c copy output.mp4

x264, AAC

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuvj420p -c:a aac -b:a 160k output.mp4

x265, AAC

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx265 -preset slow -crf 24 -x265-params range=full -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

HEVC_NVENC, pass-through audio

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v hevc_nvenc -preset slow -rc vbr_hq -cq 27 -tier high -dst_range 1 -c:a copy output.mp4

~ FFmpeg.md

Remux without transcoding

ffmpeg -i input.ts -c copy output.mp4

x264, AAC

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuvj420p -c:a aac -b:a 160k output.mp4

x265, AAC

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v libx265 -preset slow -crf 24 -x265-params range=full -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

HEVC_NVENC, pass-through audio

ffmpeg -i input.avi -c:v hevc_nvenc -preset slow -rc vbr_hq -cq 27 -tier high -dst_range 1 -c:a copy output.mp4

~ Fraps.bat

REM Convert a Fraps capture to a Ut Video file with the trimming, cropping, and resizing you want, using a tool like TMPGEnc.
REM Export as AVI file output with UtVideo YUV420 BT.709 VCM (ULH0).
REM Specifying -pix_fmt yuvj420p will preserve the full range of lightness values, instead of washed-out blacks and whites.

ffmpeg -i input.avi -pix_fmt yuvj420p -c:v libx264 -preset medium -crf 23 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

REM You can also use YUV422 and H.265:

ffmpeg -i input.avi -pix_fmt yuvj422p -c:v libx265 -preset fast -crf 26 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

REM Fraps to H.265 with NVENC:

ffmpeg -i input.avi -ss 00:00:01.000 -to 00:05:00.000 -c:v hevc_nvenc -preset slow -rc vbr_hq -cq 27 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -dst_range 1 output.mp4

~ Premiere Pro.md

1. Export from Premiere to a lossless, compressed AVI.
2. Transcode AVI to H.264 using FFmpeg.

If you don't have the time or space to render a temporary lossless copy of your file on disk, you can use a frameserver instead.

Premiere export settings

Video

Setting	Value
Format	AVI
Video Codec	UtVideo YUV420 BT.709 VCM
Width	1920
Height	1080
Frame Rate	29.97
Field Order	Progressive
Aspect	Square Pixels (1.0)

Audio

Setting	Value
Sample Rate	48000 Hz
Channels	Stereo
Sample Size	16 bit