Fixing Video Width and Height with ffmpeg: A Tech Support Guide

Fixing Video Width and Height with FFmpeg: A Tech Support Guide

In this article, we will discuss how to fix the width and height of a video using FFmpeg, a powerful tool for manipulating multimedia files. We will cover key concepts such as aspect ratio, subtitles, and more. By the end of this guide, you will be able to resize your videos with ease.

What is FFmpeg?

FFmpeg is a free and open-source tool for handling multimedia files. It can be used for a wide range of tasks, including converting video and audio formats, resizing videos, and extracting frames from videos. FFmpeg is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it a versatile tool for anyone working with multimedia files.

Checking the Aspect Ratio with FFprobe

Before we start resizing the video, it's important to check the aspect ratio of the original video. This will ensure that the resized video maintains the correct proportions and doesn't appear distorted. We can use the FFprobe tool, which is included with FFmpeg, to check the aspect ratio of the video.

To check the aspect ratio of a video, open a command prompt or terminal window and run the following command:

This will output the width and height of the video, separated by a colon. To calculate the aspect ratio, divide the width by the height. For example, if the output is 1920:1080, the aspect ratio is 16:9.

Resizing the Video with FFmpeg

Now that we know the aspect ratio of the original video, we can resize it using FFmpeg. To do this, we will use the scale filter. The basic syntax for resizing a video is as follows:

Replace input.mp4 with the name of your input video, and width and height with the desired dimensions for the output video. For example, to resize a video to 720p, the command would be:

This will create a new video file called output.mp4 with a width of 1280 pixels and a height of 720 pixels. The aspect ratio of the output video will be the same as the input video, so there will be no distortion.

Adding Subtitles

If the original video has subtitles, you may want to include them in the resized video. To do this, we will use the subtitles filter. The basic syntax for adding subtitles is as follows:

Replace subtitle.srt with the name of your subtitle file. The subtitle file must be in the SRT format. The subtitles will be burned into the video, so they will be visible even if the video is played on a device that doesn't support subtitles.

• FFmpeg is a powerful tool for manipulating multimedia files
• Use the FFprobe tool to check the aspect ratio of a video
• Use the scale filter to resize a video
• Use the subtitles filter to add subtitles to a video

References

• FFmpeg website
• FFprobe documentation
• scale filter documentation
• subtitles filter documentation