How to reduce video file size?

So, I used Bandicam to record a video—it’s about 10 minutes long and clocks in at roughly 10 GB. Once I throw some effects in there using Movie Maker and export it (set to 960×720), the file size drops to around 870 MB. Is there any way to squeeze that down even further?

I was wondering, which program is best for 😕
?

I suppose you could have just resized it in Movie Maker right away. Besides, if you check the Bandicam settings, there should be an option to adjust the video resolution and such.

I guess HandBrake is pretty solid if you want to shrink files since you can dial in the exact size you're looking for, though quality might take a hit depending on what you do.
I’ve tried HandBrake before too and it works fine, but it felt kind of limited because you could only pick from a few specific preset sizes they give you.

Actually, I believe you're mistaken; within HandBrake, one can manually input a specific value rather than being restricted to the preset options provided.

So, I’m trying to figure out how to fix this annoying issue with HandBrake—basically, every single time I try to crop a GIF, the final result ends up looking totally muddy... it just loses all its clarity and looks washed out, no matter which setting I mess with...

Do I need to be picking some specific option here? Like, is there something I should be tweaking in the settings...

I’ve tried everything, but I keep running into this same headache with the colors looking weird and everything getting all blotchy and smeared...

It always turns out like this—or something close to it—just constant issues with the color accuracy

Seriously, what am I doing wrong? What's the deal with this...🤷

Roger Phillips said:I'm trying to fix an issue with HandBrake. No matter which setting I pick, the final result always looks muddy and lacks clarity...

The phrase "when I crop a gif" is vague...

- Are you taking a GIF animation and cropping/saving it as a GIF?
- Or are you taking a JPEG (or video) and saving it as a GIF?

Do I need to select something specific here ((image)), or change something...?

Heh. It seems HandBrake isn't exactly the best tool for fine-tuning GIF exports via custom settings...

I tried, but the colors are always messy and "muddy."
It's always like this ((image)) or similar—color issues.
What's the problem?🤷

If this is a "GIF from a GIF," then you have to accept that the source quality dictates the outcome.
However, if the GIF comes from a JPEG (or a video), the "problem" is simply your expectation that the quality will remain identical.

A JPEG can display 16 million colors; a GIF is limited to just 256.

Your GIF likely has a very rich color profile. It probably utilizes all 256 available slots.
If it’s being cropped from even moderately decent video (rather than another GIF), you shouldn't expect much better. When forced, the GIF format groups adjacent shades into single blocks of one color.

True, HandBrake lacks certain granular controls that might improve the output—like dithering, anti-aliasing, or specific color palette adjustments—though those are likely baked into the various preset profiles (Standard, Mobile, HD, etc.).

coppersailor28 said:I don't really get what you mean by "cropping a GIF image"...

Well, obviously, when I select a specific section from a video, it "crops," "extracts," or "pulls out" that exact part, right?

coppersailor28 said:Heh, looks like Handbrake isn't exactly the gold standard for saving GIFs using your own custom settings...

Exactly—I tried out some other tools and they work perfectly fine, so it’s probably just a Handbrake issue...

coppersailor28 said:But look, if that GIF was pulled from a JPG (from a video), then the "issue" is just your expectation that the quality would stay identical.

Yeah, clearly the problem is my expectations...🤣

coppersailor28 said:A JPG can display 16 million different colors, whereas a GIF is stuck with only 256...

Sure, I'll take your word for it, though luckily with other programs I don't run into these "tricks" or deal with that whole million-color headache...😁