Vimeo is a fantastic platform for showcasing high-quality videos, but to ensure your uploads look their best, proper video compression is essential. This guide provides best practices for video, color, and audio settings when compressing videos for Vimeo, ensuring optimal viewing experience and efficient uploads.
Compression Quickstart Guide
For a quick setup, here are the recommended settings. For detailed explanations, continue reading the sections below.
- Video Codecs: H.264, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), or H.265 (HEVC)
- Frame Rate: Maintain native frame rate; Constant Frame Rate (CFR) is crucial
- Bit Rate: Variable Bit Rate (VBR) is preferred; refer to bitrate ranges based on resolution
- Resolution: Pixel Aspect Ratio of 1:1 (square pixels)
- Color Primaries and Matrix Coefficients: BT.2020 (Rec. 2020) or BT.709 (Rec. 709) recommended
- Color Transfer Characteristics: PQ (SMPTE 2084) or HLG for HDR videos
- Bit Depth: 10-bit or higher
- Scan Type: Progressive scan; Deinterlacing is advisable
- Audio Codec: AAC-LC (Low Complexity AAC)
- Data Rate: 320 kb/s
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Video Encoding Guidelines for Vimeo
Video Codecs: Choosing the Right One
Codecs are algorithms that compress and decompress video files. Selecting the right codec balances video quality with file size, impacting upload speed and storage. Vimeo accepts various codecs, but these are recommended for optimal results:
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H.264: A widely accepted standard, H.264 offers a great balance between visual quality and file size efficiency. It’s ideal for most users as it optimizes upload quota usage and conversion times. Always use the “High Profile” H.264 setting. Note: H.264 supports resolutions up to 4K.
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Apple ProRes 422 (HQ): A professional-grade codec, ProRes 422 (HQ) ensures superior quality, though resulting in larger file sizes compared to H.264. If H.264 videos show quality issues and storage isn’t a concern, ProRes can deliver better results.
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H.265 (HEVC): The successor to H.264, H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding) provides high visual quality with even smaller file sizes. However, it requires more encoding time. H.265 supports resolutions up to 8K.
Alt text: Comparison of video codecs H.264, ProRes 422 HQ, and H.265 HEVC, highlighting balance of quality and file size.
What is a Codec?
A codec compresses video files for efficient storage, upload, and streaming. Video editing software allows you to export using different codecs, each compressing data uniquely for network efficiency.
Frame Rate: Maintaining Smooth Motion
Frame rate, measured in Frames Per Second (FPS), determines video motion smoothness.
- Constant Frame Rate (CFR) vs. Variable Frame Rate (VFR): Always choose Constant Frame Rate for Vimeo uploads. Variable Frame Rate can cause playback issues.
- Common Frame Rates: Vimeo supports various frame rates, including 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, and 60 FPS.
- Native Frame Rate: Maintain your video’s original frame rate during compression.
- High Frame Rates: If your video exceeds 60 FPS, Vimeo automatically reduces it, potentially impacting quality and smoothness.
Alt text: Visual demonstration comparing low frame rate choppy video playback versus high frame rate smooth video playback.
What is Frame Rate?
Frame rate is the frequency at which frames appear per second, influencing motion perception in video. Maintaining a constant, native frame rate is vital for smooth Vimeo playback.
Bit Rate: Balancing Quality and File Size
Bit rate, or data rate, impacts both video quality and file size by defining the data amount used per second of video.
- Variable Bit Rate (VBR): If available, use Variable Bit Rate and select values from the ranges below. Adjust rates if file size is too large or quality is unsatisfactory.
- Constant Rate Factor (CRF): If you can set CRF, aim for 18 or lower for quality-focused encoding.
- ProRes Bit Rate: For ProRes, use standard presets in your editor (e.g., ProRes HQ for 1080p at 29.97 fps is around 220 Mbps in Final Cut Pro).
Recommended Bit Rate Ranges (Mbps):
| Quality | Bit rate (Mbps)* |
|---|---|
| SD | 2 – 5 |
| 720p | 5 – 10 |
| 1080p | 10 – 20 |
| 2K | 20 – 30 |
| 4K | 30 – 60 |
| 8K | 50 – 80 |
Note: CRF adjusts data based on desired quality, unlike specific data rate settings.
What is Bit Rate?
Bit rate determines video quality and file size by measuring data used per second. Higher bit rates generally mean better quality but larger files.
Resolution: Optimizing for Different Screens
Resolution defines video detail and aspect ratio. Consider various screen sizes viewers might use.
- Pixel Aspect Ratio: Compress with a 1:1 pixel aspect ratio (square pixels).
- Common Resolutions:
| Format | Resolution (px) |
|---|---|
| Standard Definition (SD) 4:3 | 640 × 480 |
| Standard Definition (SD) 16:9 | 640 × 360 |
| 720p HD 16:9 | 1280 × 720 |
| 1080p HD 16:9 | 1920 × 1080 |
| 2K 16:9 | 2560 × 1440 |
| 4K UHD 16:9 | 3840 × 2160 |
| DCI 4K UHD 17:9 | 4096 × 2160 |
| 4K Monoscopic 360 2:1 | 4096 × 2048 |
| 4K Stereoscopic 360 2:1 | 4096 × 2048* |
| 8K UHD 17:9 | 8192 × 4320 |
Note: Stereoscopic 360 videos should be uploaded with left/right views stacked (4096 x 1024 per eye, 4:1 aspect ratio).
What is Resolution?
Resolution is the detail level in video frames, affecting clarity and aspect ratio. More pixels equate to higher quality and detail.
Color Settings for Vimeo
Accurate color display on Vimeo requires proper color space information in your uploaded file.
Note: Some software may lack color setting controls.
What is Color Space?
Color space defines the range of colors and luminance in a video. It dictates how color values are reproduced during Vimeo’s transcoding.
Color Primaries and Matrix Coefficients: Defining Color Range
- Recommended Settings: BT.2020 (Rec. 2020) or BT.709 (Rec. 709) are recommended for color primaries and matrix coefficients. Use the same value for both. For Dolby Vision, use Rec.2020 HLG.
- Supported Settings: Vimeo supports all color primaries and matrices.
What are Color Primaries and Matrix Coefficients?
Color primaries define white point and red, green, blue primary colors. Matrix coefficients translate between RGB and Y´CbCr color spaces.
Color Transfer Characteristics: Standard and HDR
- SDR Support: Vimeo supports various transfer characteristics for Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) videos.
- HDR Support: For High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos, use PQ (SMPTE 2084) or HLG transfer functions.
- PQ Metadata: If using PQ, include Mastering Display Color Volume (SMPTE 2086) and Content Light Level Information (CEA 861.3) metadata for accurate color display.
About Color Transfer Metadata and Dolby Vision
Color transfer metadata is often auto-added in post-production. Vimeo supports Dolby Vision uploads, using an HLG base layer with Rec. 2020 primaries and Dolby Vision dynamic metadata, automatically included without extra metadata needs. HLG ensures backward compatibility with non-Dolby Vision devices supporting HLG.
Bit Depth: Color Detail
- Recommended Bit Depth: 10-bit or higher for best quality.
- HDR Requirement: HDR and Dolby Vision videos must be 10-bit or greater to be recognized as HDR on Vimeo.
- Supported Bit Depths: Vimeo supports various bit depths.
What is Bit Depth?
Bit depth is the data bits used to record color channels per pixel. Higher bit depth means more color shades and smoother gradients.
Scan Type: Progressive for Vimeo
- Progressive Scan: Vimeo converts all videos to progressive scan for playback.
- Deinterlacing: Deinterlace videos before uploading for optimal results.
What is Progressive Scan?
Progressive scan displays all lines of a frame at once. Interlaced scan alternates lines, showing only half a frame at a time, which is less ideal for online video.
Audio Settings for Vimeo
Audio codec and compression affect sound quality and file size, similar to video.
Audio Codec: Consistent Audio Quality
- Recommended Codec: AAC-LC (Low Complexity AAC) for consistent results.
Data Rate: Audio File Size
- Recommended Data Rate: 320 kb/s CBR (Constant Bit Rate) for high quality, though potentially higher than needed for transparent audio. Appropriate rate depends on channels, sample rate, and bit depth.
Sample Rate: Audio Fidelity
- Recommended Sample Rate: 48 kHz. Vimeo converts sample rates to 48 kHz if different in the uploaded file.
By adhering to these video, color, and audio compression guidelines, you can optimize your videos for Vimeo, ensuring they look and sound their absolute best for your audience.
