Media Transcoding (FFmpeg) Skill

Media Transcoding (FFmpeg)

Overview

Use FFmpeg presets to normalize video outputs for web streaming, mobile delivery, or archival quality. Your hf-videos repo already includes a simple bash script and a more advanced Python script with presets, backups, and logging.

Quick Start (hf-videos)

./ffmpeg_convert.sh check
./ffmpeg_convert.sh web_standard "My Video.mp4"
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_web_standard

Outputs are written to converted/ with backups in backup/ and logs in conversion.log.

Preset Summary (hf-videos)

web_standard: 1080p max, CRF 23, 128k audio, +faststart
web_high: 1080p max, CRF 20, 192k audio
mobile: 720p max, CRF 25, 96k audio
ultra_compact: 480p max, CRF 28, 64k audio
archive: original res, CRF 18, 256k audio

All presets use H.264 + AAC with +faststart for streaming-friendly MP4s.

Batch Workflow

Run a single-file conversion first to validate output.
Run batch conversion once the preset is confirmed.
Verify output sizes and playback.

Batch commands:

./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_web_standard
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_mobile
./ffmpeg_convert.sh batch_ultra_compact

Advanced Script (convert_video.py)

Use convert_video.py when you need:

Progress monitoring
Metadata inspection
Overwrite control
Preset listing and batch automation

python3 convert_video.py --list-presets
python3 convert_video.py --file "My Video.mp4" --preset web_standard
python3 convert_video.py --preset mobile --overwrite

Output Conventions

Converted files use suffixes like _web_standard.
Backups preserve original filenames.
Logs go to conversion.log for audit and troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

FFmpeg missing: brew install ffmpeg (macOS) or install from ffmpeg.org.
Permission errors: chmod +x ffmpeg_convert.sh.
Disk pressure: clean converted/ and backup/ after validation.

Related Skills

toolchains/universal/infrastructure/docker

Agent Skills: Media Transcoding (FFmpeg)

Install this agent skill to your local

Skill Files