FFmpeg CRF Explained: Quality vs File Size Guide

Originally published at ffmpeg-micro.com Every video encoder faces the same tradeoff: quality vs. file size. CRF (Constant Rate Factor) is how FFmpeg lets you control that tradeoff with a single number. Most guides say "just use CRF 23." That's fine for a quick transcode, but CRF 23 means completely different things depending on your codec, your content, and where you're delivering. This guide covers what CRF actually does, how the scale works across codecs, and how to pick the right value. What