FFmpeg Rotate Video Without Losing Quality: A Comprehensive Guide

Interlaced videos are a common phenomenon in TV and broadcasting industries, where even lines are captured for one half frame followed by odd lines in the next half frame. To rotate such videos without compromising on quality, FFmpeg comes to the rescue.

One of the most effective ways to rotate an interlaced video using FFmpeg is by specifying a high bitrate (-b) audio for best quality sound. For instance:

ffmpeg -i ~/input.webm -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -strict experimental -b:a 192k output.mp4

Here, the input file is ~/input.webm, and the output file is named output.mp4. The video codec used is libx264, while the audio codec is aac with a bitrate of 192k.

Deinterlacing is another technique used to improve video quality by specifying a high bitrate (-b) audio for best quality sound. For example:

ffmpeg -i ~/input.webm -b:a 192k ~/output.mp3

Here, the input file is ~/input.webm, and the output file is named ~/output.mp3.

High-quality encoding can be achieved using FFmpeg's Constant Rate Factor (-crf) and preset options. For instance:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -preset slower -crf 18 output.mp4

This command uses a slower preset and sets the CRF to 18, resulting in high-quality video with minimal loss.

FFmpeg also allows you to specify the codecs for both video (-c:v) and audio (-c:a). For example:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v vp9 -c:a mp3 output.mkv

Here, the input file is named input.mp4, and the output file is named output.mkv. The video codec used is VP9, while the audio codec is MP3.

Another useful option is to encode the audio as MP3 and copy the video stream unchanged:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v copy -c:a mp3 output.mkv

This command copies the original video stream and encodes the audio as MP3.

FFmpeg also supports remuxing from one container format to another. For example, you can remux an MKV file into a lossless MP4 file without re-encoding:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -c:v copy -c:a copy output.mp4

Here, the input file is named input.mkv, and the output file is named output.mp4.

In conclusion, FFmpeg is a powerful tool that offers numerous options for rotating videos without losing quality. Whether you're dealing with interlaced videos or want to specify custom codecs, FFmpeg has got you covered. With its high-quality encoding options and flexible format support, FFmpeg is an essential tool for anyone working with audio and video files.

Ffmpeg rotate video without losing quality