Video Compressor

Compress video to 250 MB

The size is already set to 250 MB. Add your video and get an MP4 that comes in just under it.

Getting a video under 250 MB

250 MB is SlideRoom’s limit for each video, and many colleges use SlideRoom for the art, music and film supplements to a Common App application. Some universities also set Moodle courses to 250 MB, and the Blackboard app is reported to stop at the same number.

It holds almost ten minutes of full HD, or a twenty-minute piece at 720p, enough for most portfolio pieces and performances. For SlideRoom, our Common App page aims for 240 MB, a little under the limit, so the upload doesn’t fail at the last second.

We aim a little under 250 MB so the file is sure to fit, since most sites reject anything even slightly over. Sizes are in decimal megabytes (1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes), so the result also fits a limit that counts megabytes the binary way. Your video is encoded once at the bitrate that lands on 250 MB; when it’s compressed in your browser, the result is measured and done again if it came out too big.

How long a video fits in 250 MB

The longest video that keeps each resolution, for a typical 30 fps video with sound. At 60 fps, expect about half as long.

ResolutionLongest video
1080p
720p
480p
360p

Longer than 1:17:15? Even 360p would look too rough, so the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video first or choose a bigger size.

Where you’ll run into 250 MB

  • SlideRoom portfolios

    Each video in a SlideRoom portfolio can be 250 MB. SlideRoom has no length limit of its own, but the program you apply to may, so check its instructions before you compress a long piece.

  • Moodle courses

    Moodle stacks limits from the server, the site and each course, and each can only be lower. 250 MB is a common setting at universities; our Moodle page aims for 240 MB, and also has the lower 100 MB limit.

  • The Blackboard app

    Uploads from the Blackboard app are reported to stop at 250 MB, even when the website allows more. Compress here and submit from the app, or use the website when your school allows bigger files there.

How to compress a video to 250 MB

  1. 01

    Add your video

    Drop it on the page, or pick it from your files, photo library or camera roll.

  2. 02

    Check the size

    250 MB is already filled in. Change it if you need another size, or pick a preset instead.

  3. 03

    Download the MP4

    It comes out just under 250 MB. Compare it with the original, then save it.

Questions

Can’t find your answer? Write to feedback@videocompressor.xyz.

Will the video be exactly 250 MB?

Just under it. We aim a few percent below 250 MB so it’s certain to fit, since sites and apps reject a file that is even slightly over.

What if my video is already under 250 MB?

Then it already fits, and the page tells you so. You can send it as it is, or still make it smaller with a preset.

Will my video look worse at 250 MB?

That depends on its length. A short video keeps its full resolution; a longer one is scaled down, to 720p or lower, so the picture stays clean instead of blocky. The table above shows where each step starts. The sound keeps its quality unless the size is very small for the length.

What if my video is too long for 250 MB?

Past 1:17:15 there aren’t enough bits for a watchable picture, even at 360p, and the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video with our video cutter first, or choose a bigger size.

Is 250 MB enough for a ten-minute film?

At 720p, yes, with room to spare; full HD fits only a little under ten minutes. For a portfolio, 720p usually looks fine on the reviewer’s screen, and the page picks the resolution for you.

Why aim for 240 MB instead of 250 MB?

To leave a margin. A file that lands right on the limit leaves no room for error, and an upload refused near a deadline costs far more than 10 MB of picture would. Our Common App page aims for 240 MB; this page aims just under 250 MB.

Will compressing hurt my portfolio’s quality?

Less than you might think. A short piece keeps its full resolution, and a longer one is scaled down instead of turning blocky. Compare the result with the original before you submit, and choose H.264, which every reviewer can play.

Should I choose H.264 or H.265 for 250 MB?

H.265 keeps more detail in the same 250 MB, so a longer video can keep a higher resolution. Choose it when the people you send it to have newer devices; H.264 plays everywhere.

Is my video uploaded to compress it?

Not when your browser can handle it: then it’s compressed on your device. Otherwise it goes to our server over an encrypted connection and is deleted 2 hours after compressing.

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