[FFmpeg-user] 4K Way to large to stream

[Rob Hallam]

Please regard this as a frame-challenge set of suggestions or pointers
to point you in directions you might not otherwise have considered.

On Tue, 29 Jun 2021 at 13:58, <rbarnes at njdevils.net> wrote:

> Back to my original issue with much more clarity.
> I'm trying to figure a way to preserve the 4K content from a 50GB Video in
> order to stream it from my server.

Is there a reason it needs to be preserved as '4K', specifically?
Perhaps those watching are more interested in the content, and would
be pleased to see it in 1080p or 720p , rather than potentially more
data-hungry 4K.

> If I can avoid transcoding and keep it direct play (8 Bit, 5.1, SDR) then
> anything under 15GB will stream without buffering.

In my experience, video playback 'buffering' is variable based on a
number of factors. However, bitrate -- ie data over time -- is the
most relevant of those, rather than total file size.

I would suggest figuring out what the throughput is from whatever your
origin (eg Plex server at home) is to whatever your endpoint is (eg
grandma's player), and target output bitrate accordingly. I would also
suggest leaving a bit of overhead in that figure.

> Just executing scripts hoping to find the sweet spot takes days and days to run.

You can operate ffmpeg on video segments shorter than the entire file
time. This is a useful way of testing changes and creating previews.

Secondly, in my experience of creating long videos of GoPros and other
footage... it is unlikely that even those most interested in them are
keen to watch the video in its entirety. Cutting things down to the
best moments or 'highlights' creates something that is more
interesting and (helpfully for your use case) a file size which is
proportionally smaller. This is of course at the cost of your own
time.

HTH and good luck

Cheers,
Rob