Encoder has crazy long times and large files

[beckyv6400]

I have a .mp4 video that is 542.8 MB. I added the video to Premiere Pro version 14.0. The image size is 3840x2060, audio 32000 Hz, frame rate 25.00. I trimmed a little of the video at the beginning and end and added a image at the beginning of the video. The image is a .png that is 39.69 KB, 1920x1080. My sequence settings are 640x360, 25.00 fps, 32000 Hz.

I want to create an .mp4 video using h.264. If I select "match source - high bitrate" the estimated file size is 3148 MB. That's a huge file. If I select "match source - adaptive high bitrate" the file size drops to 646 MB, but the export time is >30 minutes and it makes my computer essentially unusable because it uses up all recources.  Most of the other presets produce a file size even greater than my first selection. 

The output has to be an .mp4 using h.264. What am I missing? I dropped the size down to 640x360 in the first place because anything above that was an even bigger file size. I don't understand how this video, which started at 542.8 MB can grow so huge while at the same time dropping in quality.

[R Neil Haugen]

The original file was created using a very high compression H.264 or "long-GOP" process. Compressing back to that extent can be problematic for losing more data, and as Premiere was more designed for broadcast, file-size wasn't a huge issue ... quality of file was.

There are some H.264 encoding apps out there that can take the file and run a much higher compression with mostly acceptable results (as long as you don't expect to ever work that file again). And there are a couple plugins for H.264 encoding for Premiere that are also capable of higher compression without too notable file degradation.

Neil

[beckyv6400]

Thank you for your response. What plugins for h.264 encoding exist and where would I find them?

[Ann Bens]

Filesize = duration x bitrate.

So there is no point in lowering the resolution. It wont cut down on the filesize just the image qualitiy.

So lower the bitrate. Post screenshot export settings.

[beckyv6400]

I can't post a screen shot of the export because I've already done it. (Although I could probably recreate it if you think it would be worth looking at). I just used the adaptive setting because it produced the smallest file size. Thanks for the explanation regarding how the file size is determined! I incorrectly assumed that lowering the resolution would help with file size. I won't do that the next time. Every time I think I've bypassed the beginner level, reality sets back in and I realize there is much I don't know.

[R Neil Haugen]

You can search for "H.264 plugins for Premiere Pro" easily enough. I have AfterCodecs from Autokroma as I already had their BRAW plugins in use. But there are also TurboCut and Voukoder and some others I think as well.

As Ann notes, the main determinant of output is bitrate x duration. There are some options in 'quality' settings that can assist, and some of the plugins manage that part a little better for visual results in the export.

Neil