The Complete Guide to Video Compression in 2026

Updated September 26, 2026

To compress a video without visible quality loss, re-encode it to H.265 at a quality setting (CRF) between 18 and 23 and keep the resolution. On our 11 test clips, the default (H.265, quality 23) cut 254.9 MB to 128.4 MB on an NVIDIA GPU, and no file came out bigger. This guide covers what compression removes, which codec and setting to pick, GPU or CPU, and how to do a whole folder at once.

−50 %total size of our 11 test clips with H.265 on an RTX 3080 (254.9 MB → 128.4 MB)

0 / 11clips that came out bigger: when an encode is larger, the app keeps the original

−33 %median saving of H.265 over H.264 at the same quality setting (11 pairs)

Measured in September 2026 at VideoRecompress's default settings on a Ryzen 9 3900X with an RTX 3080. The test clips run from DV to 1440p; the 4K timing further down comes from 4K iPhone HEVC footage.

What compression removes

A video codec stores most of each frame as a prediction from the frames around it and keeps only the difference. A newer codec predicts better, so the same picture needs fewer bytes. Push the quality setting too far and the missing detail shows up as blocks, banding or smeared texture.

Which codec: H.265, AV1 or H.264

H.265 (HEVC)RecommendedIn our 11 pairs at the same quality setting, H.265 files were a median 33 % smaller than H.264. Phones and TVs play it; Windows needs the HEVC Video Extensions. NVIDIA, Intel and AMD graphics cards encode it in hardware.

AV1Smaller still: an iPad clip came out 42 % smaller than H.265 at the same VMAF. It took 15 times as long, because the RTX 3080 has no AV1 encoder and AV1 ran on the CPU. RTX 40 cards, Intel Arc and AMD RX 7000 encode AV1 in hardware.

H.264 (AVC)Plays everywhere, but makes the biggest files. If your 4K footage is H.264 today, re-encoding it to H.265 is where most of the space comes from.

Every clip, with file sizes and quality scores: HEVC vs H.264, measured.

Which quality setting (CRF) to use

The quality setting, called CRF, trades size for detail: a lower number keeps more detail and makes a bigger file. VideoRecompress's presets cover the useful range:

Preset	Codec and CRF	Use it for
Wedding / Event Archive	H.265 · CRF 18	Footage you cannot shoot again
Phone Video Archive	H.265 · CRF 23	Everyday phone and camera video; the default we measured above
Security Camera Archive	H.265 · CRF 28	Bulk archives where size matters most
Maximum Savings	AV1 · CRF 35	The smallest files, if you can wait: slow without an AV1 graphics card

At the default setting our clips scored VMAF 89 to 99 on the CPU encoder (VMAF compares the new file with the source; 100 means identical). The lowest score came from an interlaced DV tape. Before a big batch, click Test Encode (10s) in the app: it encodes 10 seconds from the middle of a file and shows the size and quality.

GPU or CPU

8–17×faster H.265 encoding on an RTX 3080 than on a Ryzen 9 3900X (6 clips)

128.4 / 138.1 MBtotal of our 11 test clips at the default setting, GPU against CPU

Quality stays close. The GPU's VMAF score was within 2.5 points of the CPU's on 8 of the 10 clips we could score, and lower on a grainy GoPro clip (92.2 against 98.8) and an interlaced DV tape (85.1 against 89.3). For footage like that, or your most important files, switch to the CPU encoder; for a big archive, the GPU's speed matters more. Intel Quick Sync and AMD AMF encoders are supported, but we have not measured them.

Compress a whole folder at once

Add the folderDrag a folder in or pick files. The app lists each file with its codec, resolution, bitrate and size on disk.
Pick a presetPhone Video Archive for everyday footage, Wedding / Event Archive for footage you cannot reshoot, Maximum Savings for the smallest files.
Leave hardware encoding on AutoThe app encodes on your NVIDIA, Intel or AMD graphics card when there is one, and on the CPU when there is not.
Click StartEach new file is checked when it is done. If it came out bigger than the source, the original is kept instead.
Check before you deletePlay a few of the new files before you remove any originals. VideoRecompress writes new files and leaves the originals where they are.

Four mistakes that cost quality

Re-encoding the same file again and again

Each lossy encode loses a little. Work from the original and encode once, to the setting you want to keep.

Too high a CRF for fast motion

Static scenes survive CRF 28; sport, concerts and water often do not. Test a short clip with Test Encode (10s) first.

Lowering the resolution without need

Going from 4K to 1080p throws detail away for good. If space is the problem, re-encode at the original resolution first.

Deleting originals before checking

Play a few new files on the devices you use before you remove anything. VideoRecompress writes new files and leaves the originals where they are.

How Much Disk Space Recompressing Videos Saves: 11 Clips Measured H.265 vs AV1: Which Codec to Choose, Measured HEVC vs H.264: how much space you really save (measured)

Compress your video library in one batch

Pick a preset, add a folder and let your graphics card do the work. 30-day free trial: your first 10 files convert with no watermark; after that files get a watermark and a 10-minute cap. Buying removes both.

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