ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -c:a aac output.mp4

Category: Media & Conversion

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -c:a aac output.mp4

Transcode video to H.265 for smaller files

Encodes with H.265 (HEVC), which typically halves file size at quality similar to H.264. The CRF scale differs from x264: 28 here is roughly equivalent to 23 in the H.264 recipe. Expect much slower encoding, and check that your players support HEVC.
Looking for more? Search all 7,657 commands — works offline, in English or Spanish, and fixes typos.