VideoRecompress Studio

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---
name: contenta-video
description: Compress and re-encode video files with the VideoRecompress Studio CLI (videorecompress). Use when the user asks to shrink videos, convert to H.265/HEVC, AV1 or VP9, prepare videos for WhatsApp, Discord or email, archive phone, wedding, dashcam or screen recordings, batch-compress a folder, or watch a folder for new videos.
allowed-tools: Bash
---

> **Requires VideoRecompress Studio installed on this Windows PC** (download: https://www.contenta-software.com/videorecompress/download.php). The commands below run the app's command-line tool on the user's own computer, so they work in Codex and other local agents. In ChatGPT, which cannot run programs on the user's computer, use this skill to choose the right command and give it to the user to run.


# VideoRecompress Studio (video compression)

Use the `videorecompress` CLI (VideoRecompress Studio 2026.2.22+, Windows). Default per-user install: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\VideoRecompressStudio\videorecompress.exe`, on the user PATH. Check with `videorecompress --version` (it prints the build id after a `+`).

Relative and full paths both work for inputs, `--output`, `--profile` and watermark images.

Every command accepts `--json` (JSON on stdout, logs on stderr), `--quiet`, `-v`.

## Commands

```bash
videorecompress analyze <file> [--json]
videorecompress recompress <file> --output <dir> [--preset-id ID | --codec C --crf N] [options]
videorecompress batch <dir> --output <dir> [--preset-id ID | --codec C --crf N] [--workers 2] [--include "*.mp4"]
videorecompress presets [--json] [--preset-id ID]
videorecompress profile save|load|validate <file.json>
videorecompress watch --folder <dir> --preset <ID> [--output <dir>]     # runs until Ctrl+C, scans every 30 s
videorecompress register <email> <key>
videorecompress status                       # license, clean files left, tools, GPU encoders
```

`--output` is a folder; outputs keep the source name.

## Presets: two different flags

- `--preset-id <id>` = named preset (recompress, batch, profile save). Explicit flags override single settings.
- `--encoder-preset` = encoder speed (`ultrafast`..`veryslow`, or 0-13 for SVT-AV1; default `medium`). There is no `--preset` on recompress/batch.
- `watch` uses `-p/--preset <id>` for the named preset.

| Goal | `--preset-id` | Codec / CRF |
|------|---------------|-------------|
| Phone/home video archive | `phone_archive` | H.265 / 23 |
| Wedding/event archive (high quality) | `wedding_archive` | H.265 / 18 |
| Maximum savings | `max_savings` | AV1 / 35 |
| Surveillance | `security_archive` | H.265 / 28 |
| Dashcam / body cam | `dashcam_archive` | H.265 / 27 |
| Screen recordings | `screen_recording` | H.265 / 26 |
| Fast, plays everywhere | `quick_h264` | H.264 / 23 |
| Web (WebM) | `web_optimized` | VP9 / 30 |
| 4K down to 1080p | `4k_to_1080p` | H.265 / 22 |
| WhatsApp / email / Discord | `whatsapp`, `email_attachment`, `discord_free` | H.264 / 28-32 |

Full list: `videorecompress presets --json` (24 presets).

## Other options (recompress and batch)

`--quality-mode crf|cbr|twopass` + `--bitrate kbps` · `--hw-accel auto|nvenc|qsv|amf|software` · `--audio-mode copy|reencode|remove` · `--audio-codec aac|opus|mp3|flac|ac3|eac3` · `--audio-bitrate` · `--container mp4|mkv|webm` · `--width/--height` (a maximum; smaller videos are not enlarged) · `--trim-mode skip-start|skip-end|keep-first|custom` + `--trim-duration`/`--trim-start`/`--trim-end` (seconds of the source) · `--denoise off|light|medium|strong` · `--deinterlace off|yadif|yadif-bob` · `--watermark-text/--watermark-image` + `--watermark-position TopLeft..BottomRight` · `--fps/--fps-mode` · `--overwrite` · `--profile file.json` · `--measure-quality` (SSIM/VMAF). batch: `-r/--recursive` (default on), `-w/--workers` (default 2), `--include/--exclude`.

Option values are checked: an unknown `--codec`, `--hw-accel`, `--container`, `--quality-mode`, `--audio-*`, `--denoise`, `--deinterlace`, `--trim-mode`, `--fps-mode` or `--watermark-position` exits 2 and names the valid values; `--crf` must be 0-63; `--quality-mode cbr|twopass` needs `--bitrate`; H.264/H.265 cannot go into WebM (use `--codec vp9` or `av1`). The presets `gif_creator`, `youtube_thumbnails` and `video_contact_sheet` write several files and work only with `batch`.

Trim examples: `--trim-mode keep-first --trim-duration 10` keeps the first 10 s; `--trim-mode custom --trim-start 5 --trim-end 12` keeps 0:05-0:12 of the source.

## Examples (verified on 2026.2.22)

```powershell
videorecompress analyze video.mp4 --json
videorecompress recompress video.mp4 --output .\compressed
videorecompress recompress video.mp4 --codec h265 --crf 18 --encoder-preset slow --output .\archive
videorecompress recompress video.mp4 --trim-mode keep-first --trim-duration 10 --output .\first10
videorecompress recompress small.3gp --preset-id whatsapp --output .\whatsapp
videorecompress batch .\videos --preset-id phone_archive --workers 2 --output .\compressed
videorecompress batch .\videos --codec av1 --crf 35 --output .\av1 --json
videorecompress watch --folder .\incoming --preset phone_archive --output .\compressed
```

`batch --json` always prints, even for an empty folder: one JSON object per line, `{"type":"progress",...}` objects, then a summary `{"success":true,"cancelled":false,"totalFiles":N,"processed":N,"failed":0,"skipped":0,"durationMs":...,"errors":[]}` (with a `message` when nothing was encoded, for example `All files skipped (same codec as target).`).

## Exit codes

0 success · 1 general error · 2 invalid arguments (including every bad option value) · 3 not used (older versions: trial ended) · 4 recompression failed (also `analyze` or `recompress` on a file that is not media, and a `batch` with a failed file) · 5 file or folder not found · 6 ffmpeg/ffprobe missing.

## Guidelines

- Run `analyze` first; report size before and after.
- If re-encoding would make a file bigger, the original video is kept and the CLI says "This video was already well compressed". Presets with a fixed size (e.g. `whatsapp`, `4k_to_1080p`) never enlarge a smaller video.
- Hardware encoding is automatic; `--hw-accel software` forces the CPU.
- Trial: no end date. This computer's first 10 files (lifetime, plus 10 after the newsletter confirmation in the app) are unrestricted; every later file is watermarked and cut at 10 minutes. Nothing stops working; `videorecompress register <email> <key>` removes the watermark and the cap.