[Beginner’s Guide] What is Transcoding? How to Transcode Videos?

In the context of video, transcoding, or video encoding, is a digital-to-digital conversion of one encoding to another. And that process commonly involves at least one of the following conversions – codec conversions such as H.264 to H.265, resolution conversion such as 1080P to 4K, size conversion (compression), bitrate conversion, and more.

Tips. The opposite of video transcoding is remuxing, which means changing the video container only, such as remux MKV to MP4.

Video transcoding is easy as long as you use the right video transcoder. For Windows users, WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is hands down the best transcoder right now. It can transcode not only videos but also audio files. And with its flexible settings, you can quickly change between mainstream formats, adjust bitrate, change quality, and more with no fuss. Moreover, it accepts multiple file conversions at once. Yet, it is an easy-to-use program that simplifies the whole video conversion into a three-step process. We have prepared a tutorial on how to transcode footage with this software below. Follow the instructions to start your first video transcoding now.

Before start, please free download free download the software and install it on your PC.

Step 1. Import the Video into the Transcoder

Launch HD Video Converter Factory Pro and open the “Converter.” Click “+ Add Files” to import the video into this converter. Or you can throw the video into this program directly.

Step 2. Make Transcoding Preparations

>> To Transcode Format (container format & codec & platforms): Click on the format image on the right side of the workspace to open the format page. There you will see all the available formats and preset specs, including MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, WAV, H264, H265, VP9, DVIX, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Yahoo, iPhone, Xbox, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and so on. Choose your preferred output format.

>> To Transcode Size/Quality: Below the output format where the “Quick setting” is, drag the slider to quickly upscale/downscale or enlarge/downsize the video.

>> To Transcode Other Parameters: Open the “Parameter Settings” under the format image. There you will see all the available options, such as encoder, resolution, bitrate, frame rate, aspect ratio, etc. Tweak these settings in any way you like.

Step 3. Start Transcoding

When you are ready, hit “Run” to start the transcoding process.

Video transcoding is needed more often than ever in today’s multimedia era, especially with the streaming industry on a tear. For example, when your device does not support a 4K resolution, but you want to play a 4K movie on that device from your Plex server, the Plex server will have to downscale the video resolution to your device-compatible resolution to secure a smooth video playback on your device. And that resolution-downscaling process is transcoding. Or a more common case is when you are doing live streaming, the raw data captured by the camera will be transcoded into various renditions so the end-user can watch the streaming content on different devices and at different quality. Such transcoding is also called cloud video encoding that is automatically done without your interference.

There are times you also need to transcode videos yourself. The common circumstances are:

1. The current video file is not compatible with your device;

If a video can be successfully played on other people’s devices but not on yours, it is largely because it is in the wrong video format that is not supported by your device. Take the MOV files, the .mov videos can be smoothly played on Apple products but not natively on Android phones. Either you can get a MOV player or transcode it to Android-friendly formats to make it compatible with your device.

Related Post: iPhone Won't Play Videos | Android Won’t Play Videos

2. The current video file is too large for your device;

This is very true in transcoding footage, a raw and unedited material recorded by the camera. It's impractical to just share the footage with others because of its big size and the unsupported raw format. Luckily, you can transcode footage in many video editing software like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Camtasia, etc.

Also, when you have a small device memory, transcoding the video to a smaller size file is recommended.

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3. The current video file is expected to upload to online platforms (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, etc.)

This is one of the major reasons why transcoding videos are so important. The online video-sharing platforms have their particular rules for uploading videos in terms of size, resolution, format, length, and so forth. And you have to transcode your videos to match their proper specs to guarantee a successful or smooth upload.

Related Post: Upload Video to Twitter | Upload Video to Tumblr | Upload Video to YouTube | Upload Video to Facebook | Upload Video to Instagram

From the above information, you should know that transcoding videos is crucial if you want a smooth video playback on various devices and platforms. If you are in the need of transcoding videos or want to learn how to transcode videos, you can go back to #Part 2 where we have prepared a simple tutorial on this matter.

That’s all for video transcoding and the related stuff. If you have any questions or doubts about this article, please feel free to contact me on Twitter, and I’ll be glad to help.