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How to speed up video conversion [recommendations]

User question

Hello.

I am trying to convert AVI files to a more compact size (they weigh 10 GB, which is a lot). But the compression process takes a very long time (for 1 minute of video - 2 minutes of conversion, how so?). Is it possible to somehow speed up the conversion of video files on a regular computer, maybe there are "special" fast programs?

(I bought a PS PC a couple of years ago, specifications: Core i-3, 8 GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card (2 GB))

Good day!

At all, conversion time video depends on many factors: the original video quality, the codecs used, the characteristics of the PC, the chosen filters during encoding, etc.

Therefore, the conversion time of the same video in the same program on the same PC (but with different selected parameters) can vary significantly!

All this I say to the fact that it is advisable to implement the recommendations below in combination. Actually, I'll get to the specifics ... 👌

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How you can speed up the conversion process

👉 1) Choice of codec for compression, presets of settings (resolution, bitrate, etc.)

Conversion time is highly dependent on the choice of codec with which you will compress the video. When compressing even the same file with different codecs - the time to process the file can be an order of magnitude difference!

The most popular codecs are now Divx, Xvid, MP4... It is difficult to say specifically which of the codecs suits you best, I would recommend trying them all.

Another point is important here: if you are going to watch compressed video on old equipment (for example, on a DVD player) - it may simply not open the video in MP4 format. In this case, it is better to compress the video, say, in MPEG 2.

👉 To help!

"The best codecs for video and audio (Windows 7, 8, 10). How to choose codecs so that EVERYTHING opens" - see my selection.

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In general, I personally am more impressed by the Divx codec: according to my tests, it shows one of the best speed / quality / compatibility ratios (for several years now).

If your converter allows, you can customize the codec in detail: choose the resolution, bit rate, crop edges, and other useful "buns".

Divx codec, customization

Most modern converters also have presets (i.e. prepared in advance settings for popular conversion options).

For example, it is very conveniently implemented in the Freemake Video Converter: when compressing to AVI format, you can select a DVD, TV, Mobile preset, depending on the purpose of compression.

Freemake Video Converter Conversion Options

In general, the topic of choosing a codec, bit rate, filters, and other parameters is quite "extensive", and there have been disputes over it among specialists for years. Perhaps the main thing that I wanted to note in this subsection of the article is to pay primary attention to this moment!

👉 By the way!

You can learn more about the choice of codec and video compression "without loss of quality" from this article.

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👉 2) Choosing a program for converting (converter)

Perhaps this is the second thing you should pay attention to. In short and in general, programs are written by different programmers, in different languages ​​(and according to different algorithms): which is why each product has its own system requirements and its own "speed" of work.

In general, now (in my opinion) the characteristics of modern hardware allow developers to "create" software on a "grand scale" without thinking about its optimization ...

By the way, it used to be much more difficult to do: I remember quite often when working with Pentium 2 I had to carefully choose a music player (since some well-known players put a heavy load on the system).

Freemake Video Converter is a multifunctional converter (the screen is shown as an example). It's very simple to use: just add a video and choose what to convert it to

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What would I recommend:

  1. Video MASTER is a Russian-language program with a lot of settings. One of the best in terms of beginner orientation: all actions in it are performed in steps;
  2. Movavi Video Converter is a very popular and well-known converter. I draw your attention to the fact that the converter is actually quite fast (although in the free version you will have a small banner in the center of the video).
  3. Ashampoo Movie Shrink & Burn is a universal converter suitable for encoding video both for a PC and for watching it on a phone, TV, DVD-player (besides, as many people know, Ashampoo products are always focused on simplicity and efficiency);
  4. Format Factory - Supports, probably, all video formats that can only be found on the net. In terms of the speed of work, everything is also very good. I would note the abundance of settings that can confuse a completely novice user;
  5. WonderFox HD Video Converter is a very fast converter (allows you to rip an entire DVD disc to AVI format in just 20-30 minutes). But there are several drawbacks: the program is paid, some versions leave "black" bars on the sides (if you use, take the newest version), and it does not work on all systems (it may inexplicably refuse to start);
  6. Freemake Video Converter (screen above) is a very convenient converter, in which you can overtake any video in 2-3 mouse clicks. By the way, the program is indispensable when converting to DVD format (for reading discs in players);
  7. VirtualDUB is one of the most famous free video software. Allows you to convert videos, apply filters, crop edges, cut into pieces, etc. (in general, the number of functions is quite extensive).

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👉 Supplement!

You can find the best video converter programs in my selection.

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👉 3) What about the CPU load, which processes are active. We prioritize

Next, I recommend opening the task manager (shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and see what processes and programs are loading the system.

For example, programs such as a browser, uTorrent, editors, games, etc. can create a high load on the CPU, disk, RAM, etc. All this, of course, does not add to the conversion performance.

It is recommended to close "unnecessary" applications to free up all available PC resources for the video encoding process.

What programs load disk, CPU, memory

Also pay attention to the 👉 application priority.

For example, in such a popular program for working with video as VirtualDub, when encoding, you can change the priority of work from normal (it is set by default) to high.

As a result, the conversion process will speed up (although other applications may start to seriously slow down at this point).

Priority setting

By the way, you can also change the priority of the application (video converter) through the task manager.

For example, in Windows 10, you just need to open the tab "Details" , then select the application (process), right-click on it, and in the menu that appears, specify the required option in the tab "Set priority" ... See screenshot below. 👇

Note: it is not recommended to set the priority for the real-time converter program, because PC freezes are possible.

How to change the priority of an application in Windows 10 through the task manager

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👉 4) Placement of source and output files

If you have 2 disks on your computer, then it is advisable to place the original video on one drive, and save the resulting video to another.

Thus, you can speed up the conversion process somewhat, especially if it is limited by the disk speed (which, by the way, the same task manager can tell you about).

Of course, in this regard, it is also worth advising to use SSD-drives!

👉 On this topic!

1) How do I know if I have an SSD or HDD?

2) How to check disk speed: HDD, SSD. Test, determining the difference in speed between SSD and HDD, is it worth switching to a solid state drive?

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👉 5) Check if your "economy" mode is turned on. Does Turbo Boost Work

This tip applies more to laptops.Often, to save energy, they are set in the power settings (Control Panel \ Hardware and Sound \ Power Options) economical mode of operation.

👉 Help!

How to open the control panel - several ways.

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It is desirable to set the mode "High performance" (or "Balanced" ).

Balanced power supply

By the way, if you have a modern Intel Core i-3, i-5, i-7 CPU - check if you have Turbo Boost technology enabled. (this technology allows the CPU to increase its clock speed under load - that is, in essence, self-overclocking, which increases performance) .

This topic is quite extensive, so I will give here a link to one of my previous articles.

👉 Help!

Because of what the low performance of the Intel processor on the laptop. How can you speed it up? (about Turbo Boost)

Turbo Boost (Intel Core i-5). Shown max. frequency of operation when engaging Turbo Boost

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👉 6) If possible - take the source in a different quality

Here we are talking about the fact that, for example, converting MKV file to AVI, as a rule, takes longer than MPEG2 (DVD video) to AVI. The point here is what codec is used to compress the original video that you want to convert.

Therefore, if you have the same source video in different formats, try to find the optimal format from all of them.

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👉 7) Upgrade ...

Well, the last piece of advice: the conversion process is very much tied to the hardware (to its performance), then you can significantly speed up this process with the help of an upgrade: add a RAM bar, replace the CPU with a more efficient one, update the video card. In general, this topic is quite extensive, and very "controversial" (since there are different approaches to assembling a PC for video ...).

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PS

And yes, not always fast is good, for example, many converters can drive and compress a whole movie even in 10-15 minutes. - but quality the resulting video may upset you. Therefore, it is important not to forget that besides time, there are other equally important aspects ...

By the way, if your computer is not very noisy and it does not interfere with sleep, then it is convenient to start converting at night (by checking the box in your converter program, that after the operation is completed, turn off the PC).

During the night, you can overtake a lot of videos (I myself overtaken my collection of video from DVD to an external HDD on a regular laptop for a couple of weeks (fortunately, it worked almost silently and did not interfere with anyone)).

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Add-ons are welcome ...

Good luck!

👋

First published: 15.09.2018

Correction: 11/15/2020

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