Convert a file

Convert is a structured front end to FFmpeg. The available codecs and hardware encoders come from the FFmpeg build selected under Settings → Local Tools, so the controls reflect what this machine can actually run.

Choose the output

Select a container and video codec, then set quality, resolution, frame rate, pixel format, GOP, and audio options. Common choices include:

• H.264, H.265, VP9, and AV1 software encoders;
• VideoToolbox, NVENC, AMF, and QSV hardware encoders when supported;
• CRF, target bitrate, one-pass, and two-pass rate control;
• MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, and WebM containers; and
• AAC, MP3, Opus, FLAC, or audio passthrough.

The preset picker includes general codec presets and platform targets. You can also save, export, and import your own presets.

Add filters

The filter pipeline includes deinterlacing, denoise, sharpen, deband, crop, rotate and flip, deshake, deflicker, color controls, and scaling. Their order matters because FFmpeg applies the filters in sequence. Check the generated command after rearranging a pipeline.

Check before running

The command preview shows the FFmpeg arguments that Video Commander will run. Use the short preview encode to check framing, filters, encoder support, and speed before committing to the full source.

Run the encode

Choose an output path and press Cmd/Ctrl+Enter. The encode becomes a job with progress, processing speed, time remaining, the complete command, and an FFmpeg log. It keeps running when you move to another tab.

When the job completes, open the output in Player or use it as the distorted input for VMAF analysis.

Target VMAF encoding

Target VMAF mode searches for the lowest-bitrate CRF that reaches the quality score you set. It needs an FFmpeg build with libvmaf, takes longer than a single encode, and is most useful when a quality threshold matters more than a specific bitrate. A conventional CRF encode is the better starting point when you are still choosing a codec or preset.

Remote input and output

Convert can read an object chosen in the remote browser and write its completed output back to an S3-compatible source. See Work with remote files for connection setup.