Videos files crompressed through Handbrake before editing in FCPX

Question

Level 1

8 points

Videos files crompressed through Handbrake before editing in FCPX

Throught I'd drag this old topic up to see if there is has been any recent update to this process since the only Q&A I can find in the group is from 2011.

I have an absolute stack of raw video files I've accumulated over the years from my rideouts on the bike shot on both GoPro and Insta360 X4 action cameras. Sadly the latter take up way too much space on both my HD and external HD(s) due to their info sizes, especially the 360 video I first have to run through the Insta360 Studio app as FCPX does not recognise their raw .insv format.

Whilst I've known about Handbrake for sometime, I've only just started using it again after many moons to try and free up some storage space I was wondering if I might be better moving forward, compressing the RAW files from future recordings through Handbrake before editing them in FCPX?

I read in a previous Q&A NOT to do this as HB only exports in H264 and this "looks rubbish in any editing software", but having looked in the settings in HB, seen that it does give the option to export in H265.

I'm asking this for future editing plans as I tend to rack up lots of raw files but don't always get around to editing them immediately and usually come back to them when I get time, but end up with a load more files in the interim.

See 2 images for main settings changed, everything else is left as is.

iPhone 15, iOS 18

Posted on Mar 14, 2025 2:40 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

joema

Level 4

1,107 points

Mar 17, 2025 7:47 AM in response to M3D1C_DAN

"...GoPro and Insta360 X4...take up way too much space....I was wondering if I might be better moving forward, compressing the RAW files from future recordings through Handbrake before editing them in FCPX?"

This class of camera records in a highly-compressed codec. The Insta360 X4 can record in both H.264 and HEVC (H.265). You didn't say what mode GoPro but most recent ones can also record using HEVC, which uses more efficient compression than H.264.

If you have not been recording in HEVC, an easy step is to do that going forward. If you carefully use Handbrake or Apple Compressor, it's probably possible to transcode H.264 to HEVC at similar image quality and with maybe a 40% to 50% size reduction. It varies based on codec variant, profile, image type, etc.

Whether it's worthwhile to do that is up to you. In general disk storage is relatively inexpensive. Spending lots of time transcoding and doing quality checks might not be cost effective.

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 14, 2025 7:00 AM in response to M3D1C_DAN

Beware generation loss and do not use lossy intermediary formats. Instead, try to edit from the most original upstream source. If that happens to be incompatible, export it to some least lossy format. For example to .flac/.alac, .dng or some ProRes flavor (which, for example ffmpeg can do).

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 17, 2025 2:05 AM in response to M3D1C_DAN

I wouldn't worry about quality!

Filming from a motorbike/car etc. is by its very nature not going to produce the most stable or well exposed/focused footage.

It's not as though you are using that footage for close investigation or to produce a perfectly shot and edited Hollywood masterpiece where even the slightest colour deviation from your ideal is going to matter.

Using HandBrake will produce perfectly sharp and faithful copies that you will be unable to detect from the original so go ahead and don't overthink it.

Reply

Answer 4

BenB

Level 6

13,142 points

Mar 16, 2025 1:20 PM in response to M3D1C_DAN

I use Handbreak all the time, great app, the output quality is great.

You won't see generational loss until you get to a third transom, and then depending on codecs used.

H.264 has come a very long way, and are excellent quality.

Reply

Videos files crompressed through Handbrake before editing in FCPX

Similar questions