How to Use the FFmpeg Command Generator
If you use FFmpeg you know that it is very effective but can be cumbersome to use. We've created a tool to make things easy for yourself. Our tool helps you create FFmpeg commands so you can use FFmpeg a lot faster.
While FFmpeg is reasonably easy to use once you have used it a few times but it still tends to be quite labour intensive. With our tool we let you create some standardized commands super quick. You lose some flexibility but you save lots of time and mental frustration.
This tool helps you inspect the video, audio and subtitle streams in a video file and then creates an FFmpeg command that you can copy and run on your computer.
The tool does not upload or convert your video in the web browser. It creates FFprobe and FFmpeg commands for you to run on your own computer.
Pre-requisite: You have installed FFmpeg on your computer. If you haven't done this, check out our 'Guide on how to install FFmpeg on Windows' computer here.
Note: We do not support piracy. This resource is both educational and practical in the use of FFmpeg for video conversion.
Why use FFmpeg: In this day and age of copious amounts of home video footage as well as people migrating back to Blu-ray and DVD's (due to rising streaming costs) it makes sense to put your DVD and Blue-ray collections to good use (by converting them to digital files).
The convenience of having your home videos, DVD's and Blu-rays in digital format is not to be overlooked. Plus with storage costs escalating and disk space scarce, reducing file size is something all of us have to weigh up.
FFmpeg Command Generator
Once you've used the tool a few times you won't have to read the instructions. Go direct straight to the FFmpeg Command Generator.
Quick Start
- Enter the exact filename of the video you want to convert.
- Enter the movie or video title that you want stored in the output file's metadata.
- Click the Create standardized FFprobe command and copy to Clipboard button.
- Run the copied FFprobe command on your computer. FFprobe will create a JSON file containing information about the video's streams.
- Open the JSON file, copy all of its contents, paste them into the Paste JSON data box and click Import JSON data.
- Select the video stream, audio stream and, if required, a subtitle stream.
- Choose the required audio conversion setting and H265 video conversion setting.
- Check the output filename and click the Calculate Ffmpeg command and copy to Clipboard button.
- Paste the generated FFmpeg command into Command Prompt, PowerShell or your preferred terminal and run it to create the converted video.
Detailed Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Enter the Input Video Filename
In the Enter input file name field, enter the full filename of the video that you want to process.
For example:
My Holiday Video.mkv
Include the filename extension, such as
.mkv,
.mp4 or another extension used by your source video.
The filename should match the actual name of the video file on your computer.
Step 2 - Enter the Video Metadata Title
In the Enter input meta data movie title name field, enter the title that you want stored as the title metadata in the finished video.
For example:
Travel home movie: Visit to Paris 2026
This title is added to the final FFmpeg command using the
-metadata title= option.
A metadata title must be entered before the final FFmpeg command can be created.
Step 3 - Create the FFprobe Command
Click button:
The tool will create an FFprobe command and automatically copy it to your clipboard.
The command will also be displayed in the Calculated ffprobe command box.
The tool automatically copies the input filename into the Video output name field for use later when the FFmpeg command is generated.
Step 4 - Run the FFprobe Command
Open Command Prompt, PowerShell or another terminal on the computer where FFprobe is installed.
Navigate to the folder containing your video file if required.
Paste the FFprobe command that was copied by the tool and press Enter.
FFprobe analyses the video and creates a JSON file containing details about the video, audio and subtitle streams.
For example, if your source file is:
My Holiday Video.mkvthe generated FFprobe command creates:
My Holiday Video.mkv.json
Step 5 - Copy the FFprobe JSON Data
Open the JSON file created by FFprobe using a text editor such as Notepad, Notepad++, Visual Studio Code or another text editor.
Select and copy all of the text inside the JSON file.
WARNING: Do not paste the JSON filename into the tool. You need to paste the actual contents of the JSON file.
Step 6 - Import the JSON Data
Return to the FFmpeg Command Generator.
Paste the copied JSON text into the Paste JSON data box.
Click button:
The tool analyses the JSON data and populates the available Video streams, Audio streams and Subtitle streams.
If the video contains only one video stream, the tool automatically selects it.
If the video contains only one audio stream, the tool automatically selects it.
Step 7 - Select the Video Stream
Use the Video streams drop-down list to select the video stream that you want included in the output file.
A typical video may only contain one video stream, in which case the tool will normally select it automatically.
Step 8 - Select the Audio Stream
Use the Audio streams drop-down list to choose the audio track that you want included in the output video.
Videos containing multiple languages or different audio formats may contain several audio streams, so check the codec, number of channels, language and title information shown in the list before making your selection.
Step 9 - Select a Subtitle Stream
If you want subtitles included in the output video, select the required stream from the Subtitle streams list.
Subtitle selection is optional. Leave Select a subtitle stream selected if you do not want to include a subtitle stream.
Step 10 - Select the Audio Conversion Method
Use the Audio conversion rate list to choose how FFmpeg should process the selected audio stream.
The available options are:
- Direct copy - copies the existing audio stream without re-encoding it.
- AC3 192k - converts the selected audio stream to AC3 at 192 kbps.
- AC3 448k - converts the selected audio stream to AC3 at 448 kbps.
Direct copy is useful when the existing audio format is already suitable and you do not want to re-encode it.
AC3 has been chosen as it has good AV Receiver support. AC3 192k is recommended for stereo audio and AC3 448k 5.1 audio.
Step 11 - Select the H265 Video Conversion Method
Use the H265 Video conversion rate list to choose how the video stream should be encoded.
The tool currently provides the following options:
- QSV: Action - 2500k / max 4500k / buffer 8000k
- QSV: Drama - 1600k / max 2700k / buffer 4000k
- Slow: Action - libx265 CRF 21
- Slow: Drama - libx265 CRF 24
- Slow: Action - 2500k / min 1500k / max 4500k
- Slow: Drama - 1500k / min 1000k / max 2500k
- Direct copy - copies the existing video stream without re-encoding it.
The QSV options use Intel Quick Sync hardware encoding and therefore require compatible Intel hardware. QSV has a tradeoff of poorer image and audio quality against vastly faster transcoding speed.
The slow libx265 options all use software encoding and will generally take longer to complete. The benefit of the longer processing time is better quality audio and video.
Select Direct copy if you want to keep the existing video stream without converting it.
Step 12 - Check the Output Filename
Check the value in the Video output name field.
The tool automatically copies the original input filename into this field after the FFprobe command is generated.
You can change the filename before generating the final FFmpeg command if required.
The generated output filename has an underscore added before the
.mkv extension.
For example:
My Holiday Video.mkv
produces:
My Holiday Video_.mkv
Step 13 - Generate the FFmpeg Command
When you have selected the required video, audio and optional subtitle streams, selected your audio and video conversion settings, and checked your metadata title and output filename, click:
Calculate Ffmpeg command and copy to Clipboard
The tool creates the FFmpeg command and displays it in the FFmpeg command box.
The generated command is also automatically copied to your clipboard.
The command includes the selected streams, video conversion options, audio conversion options, optional subtitles, chapters, existing metadata and your chosen video title metadata.
Step 14 - Run the FFmpeg Command
Return to Command Prompt, PowerShell or your preferred terminal.
Paste the FFmpeg command that was copied to the clipboard.
Press Enter to start the conversion.
FFmpeg will process the source video using the options you selected and create the new MKV output file.
The time required to complete the conversion depends on the length and resolution of the source video, the encoding method selected and the performance of your computer.
Starting Another Conversion
After the final FFmpeg command has been successfully created and copied to the clipboard, the tool automatically clears or resets several fields so that it is ready for another video.
You can also click Clear data at any time to clear the form and reset the stream and conversion selections.
Important
This web tool generates commands only. FFprobe and FFmpeg must be installed and available on the computer where you run the generated commands. Check out our 'Guide on how to install FFmpeg on Windows' computer here.
Always keep your original video file until you have checked that the newly converted file plays correctly and contains the video, audio, subtitles, chapters and metadata that you require.
FFmpeg H264 to H265 Command Generator
Save disk space converting to AV1
This is just a reminder that while H265 (HEVC) is a good file format - a good modern alternative is the AV1 file format. This is worth considering if you have modern IT equipment or disk space is particularly scare (as file sizes are smaller again).
Below is a table that outlines the main differences between H265 and AV1 so you can decide if AV1 might be a good option for you.
H.265 (HEVC) vs. AV1 Compatibility Breakdown
| Feature | H.265 (HEVC) | AV1 |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 🏆 Compatibility | 🏆 Efficiency (File Size) |
| Smart TVs & Players | Supported by almost all 4K TVs, Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV. | Limited to newer (2021+) 4K/8K TVs and select streaming sticks. |
| Apple Ecosystem | Fully supported across iPhones, iPads, and Macs for years. | Hardware support is limited to iPhone 15 Pro/16 series and M3 Macs or newer. |
| Windows & Android | Ubiquitous hardware decoding across almost all devices. | Broad software support, but hardware decoding requires recent CPUs/GPUs. |
| Encoding Speed | Very fast with modern hardware acceleration. | Much slower to compress, requiring significant computing power. |
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