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However, Instagram does provide some encoding requirements for IGTV. These settings are gathered from various sources and through trial and error. Instagram does not provide an official list of encoding requirements. These settings can also be applied to other encoders, such as Handbrake. This guide describes various FFmpeg encoding presets that can be used to help improve your video quality output when uploading to Instagram.
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Although the video preview on Instagram looks high quality, the resulting output will be degraded drastically.
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You will notice this especially if uploading videos from GoPro or other devices captured in 4K or 1440p with larger file sizes. Uploading high quality video to Instagram can result in lower quality video on posts and stories due to aggressive re-encoding to save on bandwidth and storage for users.
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