Video Quality and CRF: How to Choose

CRF controls video quality when you re-encode. Lower numbers mean higher quality and larger files.

Quick recommendations

• CRF 18–20: Near‑lossless quality, larger files
• CRF 21–23: Good balance for web delivery
• CRF 24–28: Smaller files, visible quality loss on some content

How to decide

• If you want the best quality, start at 18–20.
• If you care about file size, start at 23–26.
• For fast testing, use Copy mode instead of CRF.

Tips

• Anime and screen recordings need lower CRF (higher quality).
• Talking‑head videos can tolerate higher CRF.
• Always preview a short segment before committing.