How to compress mp4 files (just a little)

[desertman]

I have a collection of about 1800 (yes, eighteen hundred) video discourses in the form of VIDEO_TS folders that fit just onto two 4 TB hard drives. Because I want to have these videos (in a separate library) in iTunes I have converted them with Handbrake into mp4 files.

I was hoping that they would fit converted onto one single 4 TB hard drive. However, they don't. I am about 200 GB short.

Is there a way to compress all or some of these mp4 files so that I fit them all - together with the iTunes library file - onto one 4 TB hard drive?

 

[joema2]

I have a collection of about 1800...video discourses...I have converted them with Handbrake into mp4 files...I was hoping that they would fit converted onto one single 4 TB hard drive. However, they don't. I am about 200 GB short...Is there a way to compress all or some of these mp4 files so that I fit them all - together with the iTunes library file - onto one 4 TB hard drive?

Some options:

(1) re-convert them in Handbrake with a lower bitrate (hence smaller files). If the files are of varying sizes, maybe you could pick out a few big ones and that would be sufficient.

(2) Compress them to a zip file using built-in OS X file/folder compression. However in this state they could not be accessed.

(3) Create a compressed NTFS disk volume using Paragon NTFS, which transparently compresses and decompresses all files dynamically so they can be transparently accessed. I tested this and it works, but the compression factor on MP4 files is very small since they are already compressed: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

(4) Use some other OS X utility like MoreSpace, or Clusters, which supposedly allows application access to compressed files. I've never tested these:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/morespace-folder-compression/id521635253?mt=12
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/33585/clusters

Note: none of the compression options are really good ideas, since MP4 files are already compressed. It's similar to compressing a ZIP file.

 

[mtngoatjoe]

If you still have the source, try using Handbrake again, but up the compression. Do some testing for quality and see how it goes.

You can also try running the MP4s that you've already created through Handbrake again. Up the compression and see how it goes.