Convert video files to x265 (all same attributes) in order to reduce file size?

[Elliot B.]

I have 6x MKV video files.

 

They're 1.45 GB each.

 

If I convert them to x265 and keep all the same attributes (frame size, frame rate, audio, overall quality etc.), will the overall file size be lower?

 

If so, how can I achieve this in Windows?

 

General

Format                         : Matroska
Format version                 : Version 2
File size                      : 1.46 GiB
Duration                       : 29 min
Overall bit rate               : 6 999 kb/s
Encoded date                   : UTC 2012-11-20 08:14:33
Writing application            : mkvmerge v4.9.1 ('Ich will') built on Jul 11 2011 23:53:15
Writing library                : libebml v1.2.1 + libmatroska v1.1.1

Video

ID                             : 1
Format                         : AVC
Format/Info                    : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                 : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC         : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames      : 5 frames
Codec ID                       : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                       : 29 min
Bit rate                       : 5 486 kb/s
Width                          : 1 280 pixels
Height                         : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio           : 16:9
Frame rate mode                : Constant
Frame rate                     : 25.000 FPS
Color space                    : YUV
Chroma subsampling             : 4:2:0
Bit depth                      : 8 bits
Scan type                      : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)             : 0.238
Stream size                    : 1.11 GiB (76%)
Writing library                : x264 core 129 r2230 1cffe9f
Encoding settings              : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 / threads=6 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=5486 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Language                       : English
Default                        : Yes
Forced                         : No

Audio

ID                             : 2
Format                         : DTS
Format/Info                    : Digital Theater Systems
Mode                           : 16
Format settings, Endianness    : Big
Codec ID                       : A_DTS
Duration                       : 29 min
Bit rate mode                  : Constant
Bit rate                       : 1 509 kb/s
Channel(s)                     : 6 channels
Channel positions              : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                  : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                     : 93.750 FPS (512 spf)
Bit depth                      : 24 bits
Compression mode               : Lossy
Stream size                    : 322 MiB (22%)
Language                       : English
Default                        : Yes
Forced                         : No

[fusi0n]

Sounds like a task for Handbrake 

[Circaflex]

Step 1: Download Handbrake

Step 2: Convert 1 file

Step 3: Check file size

Step 4: profit?

 

Theoretically it should end up being a smaller file, isnt that one of the benefits to HEVC/H.265? Really isn't rocket science

[+BudMan MVC]

Lets say they are reduced by 50% your talking of a savings of bit over 4GB total.  While if you had 600 or 6K files like this I could see doing this.  But for 6?  Is this a test run before you do your whole library.  Is there some other reason you need to shrink these files.  To fit on a usb stick or something.

 

What will you be playing the files with, does it support x265?

 

I have done this with some files with handbrake pretty simple..

[AndyMutz]

keep in mind that re-encoding the video _will_ reduce the quality.

whether you will be able to see it or not, is another question..

 

 -andy-

[+BudMan MVC]

"will_ reduce the quality"

"whether you will be able to see it or not, is another question.."

 

Not really true..  Would depend on the settings used for the conversion.  And if you can not see it anyway with the human eye than the point is moot.

[AndyMutz]

every time you transcode audio or video using lossy codecs the quality gets reduced, encoding settings don't matter.

 

 -andy-

[+BudMan MVC]

Lets try this again

 

"And if you can not see it anyway with the human eye than the point is moot."

 

Who says the mkv files are lossy source?  Maybe it lossless move to the mkv container.  MKV is a container, it can contain lossless video files from the source.  Which both x264 and x265 can do.

 

This is my point about settings.  What the OP has or doesn't have is also moot to my answer to your statement.  Yes I agree with you that if you encode lossy and then lossy again, then yes there will be some loss from the original.  But if you take your source and encode it to x264 and x265 it can be done lossless to the source.  Moving from a source that is lossless and converting it to a different codex also lossless -- what quality would be lost?

 

And then again it all comes down to if the OP can see a difference..  I just converted a copy I had of radar men from the moon.. Old movie serial from 1952.. Quality was never all that good.  But the file I had was 4.7GB in size.  I converted it to mp4 with x265 using handbrake.. My new size is only 2GB..

 

If the OP is worried about size, I highly doubt he is too worried about the slight less quality the video might be if done correctly.

 

 

[Circaflex]

OP any updates? Did you get it figured out? Or is this yet another thread by Elliot where he leaves to never return with any update or solution?