How do I post videos here?

[Cabin Fever]

Why is it that when I try to attach a video (.mov), by dragging and dropping in a post, it needs to be downloaded to view it? Other videos on this site are embedded and don't need to be downloaded? What's up with that? 

[nywaw]

Common questions are:

Question:  I'm trying to upload a video but get an error when uploading
Answer:  The site is limited to 100MB direct file uploads and video files are often much larger than this.  Your options are to reduce the file size or upload to a site that specializes in video and hosts it for free.  Examples are YouTube and Vimeo.  Once uploaded there you can add a direct link to the video here and it will auto embed it in your post.

Question:  I uploaded my video file successfully, but when I go to view it, it shows a link to download the file rather than embedding it.
Answer:  The ability to display a certain video file is dependent upon the compatibility of the format it was recorded on (i.e. the device) and the browser that is displaying it.  Some browsers cannot display certain video formats.  For example if you record a file on an Apple device in MOV format, and then upload it to view in Microsoft Edge, it won't display natively and will present a download link instead.  Your options are to convert the file to a common format such as MP4 or upload to a site that specializes in video and hosts it for free.  Examples are YouTube and Vimeo.  Once uploaded there you can add a direct link to the video here and it will auto embed it in your post.

 

Solutions:

Solution 1: Upload your video file to YouTube or Vimeo:

1. Upload your video to YouTube (https://www.youtube.com) or Vimeo (https://www.vimeo.com).  Note this requires creating an account on these sites, but they have easy and powerful tooling, as well as organization for your videos.
2. Post the URL link to your video here in a topic and it will automatically embed with a player

 

Solution 2: Convert your video file to MP4:

To convert movie files into MP4 format so they can be played in any web browser, you can use various tools available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Here are instructions for each platform:

1. Windows

Using VLC Media Player (Free)

VLC is a popular, free media player that also allows for media conversion.

1. Download and install VLC:

   • Go to VLC Media Player's official website and download the Windows version.
   • Install the application.

2. Open VLC:

   • Launch VLC after installation.

3. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • In VLC, click on Media in the top menu.
   • Select Convert/Save from the dropdown.
   • In the "Open Media" window, click the Add button and select the movie file you want to convert.
   • Click Convert/Save at the bottom.
   • In the next window, under the Profile section, choose Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4).
   • Select the destination folder and filename by clicking on Browse.
   • Click Start to begin the conversion process.

Using HandBrake (Free)

HandBrake is a powerful open-source video transcoder.

1. Download and install HandBrake:

   • Go to the HandBrake website and download the Windows version.
   • Install the program.

2. Open HandBrake:

   • Launch the program.

3. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Click on File under "Source Selection" and browse for the movie file.
   • Under Format, select MP4.
   • In the Video tab, ensure the Video Codec is set to H.264.
   • Select the destination for the output file.
   • Click Start Encode to convert the movie to MP4.

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2. macOS

Using VLC Media Player (Free)

(VLC works similarly on macOS as on Windows.)

1. Download and install VLC:

   • Visit the VLC website and download the macOS version.
   • Install and launch the program.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Click File and then Convert/Stream.
   • Click Open Media and choose the movie file.
   • Under Profile, select Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4).
   • Choose the destination folder for the output file.
   • Click Save to start the conversion.

Using HandBrake (Free)

HandBrake works on macOS as well.

1. Download and install HandBrake:

   • Download the macOS version from HandBrake’s official website.
   • Install and launch the application.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Drag your movie file into HandBrake or click Open Source to browse for it.
   • Under Format, select MP4.
   • Set the Video Codec to H.264.
   • Set the destination and click Start Encode to begin the conversion.

---

3. Android

Using VidCompact (Free)

VidCompact is a simple and free app for video conversion on Android.

1. Download and install VidCompact:

   • Go to the Google Play Store and search for VidCompact.
   • Install the app.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Open VidCompact and choose Convert to MP4 from the main menu.
   • Select the movie file you wish to convert.
   • Adjust settings if necessary (resolution, bitrate, etc.).
   • Tap Start to convert the file to MP4.

Using Video Converter (InShot)

1. Download Video Converter:

   • Install the Video Converter by InShot from the Google Play Store.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Open the app and tap + to add the movie file.
   • Select MP4 as the output format.
   • Choose the settings you need (e.g., resolution, codec).
   • Tap Convert to start the process.

---

4. iOS

Using VLC for Mobile (Free)

VLC is also available for iOS and can convert files to MP4.

1. Download and install VLC:

   • Go to the App Store and search for VLC for Mobile.
   • Install the app.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Open VLC, tap on the Network tab, and add the movie file (via cloud storage, iTunes File Sharing, etc.).
   • VLC doesn’t offer direct conversion, but once imported, it will play MP4-friendly formats directly in the app. To fully convert the file, you may need additional apps.

Using Video Converter (App)

1. Download Video Converter:

   • Go to the App Store and download the Video Converter by SmoothMobile, LLC.

2. Convert Movie to MP4:

   • Open the app and import the movie from Files, Photos, or cloud storage.
   • Choose MP4 as the output format.
   • Set additional parameters like resolution if necessary.
   • Tap Convert to start the process.

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Notes for All Platforms:

• MP4 format with the H.264 codec is the most widely compatible format for web browsers.
• Most browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) natively support MP4 with H.264 for video playback.

[Cabin Fever]

1 hour ago, nywaw said:

It's because MOV is an Apple format and not all web browsers recognize it.  Sucks as it impacts view-ability if not using Safari.  

OK, with a little help from the duckduckgo machine, I found out how to change the .mov file to an mp4! Videos can now be embedded! It worked! 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Cabin Fever

[Nontypical]

Is it a simple process? I’d much rather be able to post direct rather than a YouTube link. 

[Cabin Fever]

2 hours ago, Nontypical said:

Is it a simple process? I’d much rather be able to post direct rather than a YouTube link. 

It was simple! These are the instructions that I followed:

To convert MOV to MP4

Right-click on MOV file and select open with Photos and the video will open. 

On the upper part of the screen, click on the icon that says "Trim" (first one). At this point, you can trim/edit your video down to the main part where the action is (ie. If you have a 30 second video, but the deer is only in the frame for 10-15 seconds, you can trim the video down to just those 10-15 seconds... Pretty cool!).

After that click "Save a Copy". A box will open asking you where you want to save it to. Under the "File Name", is where you can select the "Save As Type". Use the dropdown box to select "mp4" and click save.

 

It looks like you can also convert .mov to .mp4 using VLC Media Player pretty easily as well, if you have that loaded, which I don't... 

 

 

I really like the first method though, to allow me to trim the video down to just the "good part".  

[nywaw]

bump with updated instructions

[DirtTime]

@blackbeltbill that's sharing a link not uploading. Uploading is when you upload a video or picture from a phone, PC, or other device directly to the forum.

 

 

 

If your phone is capable of creating a gif you can upload it. GIF format is a universal format,  but is limited to only a few seconds.