Is there a way to reduce disk usage when hosting a live casino game discussion stream?

For starters, try encoding in H.265, aka HEVC, which is more space-efficient than H.264. Experiment with lowering the bitrate, but not so low that your eyes bleed. Consider using software tools such as HandBrake or FFmpeg to automate converting and compressing your media. Upload to cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Google Drive when possible, and use a script to automatically delete old files. Play around with other presets in your video encoder; some are optimized for reduced disk usage. Periodically remove older episodes that you no longer want to watch. You can also choose a few of your most-favorite episodes to keep at full resolution. Consider using network-attached storage (NAS) appliances instead of investing in additional physical drives. Monitor storage usage and adjust settings accordingly over time.

Encode videos with the H.264 or H.265 (aka HEVC) formats – the latter will take your file down to half its original size without noticeably sacrificing quality. Use 1080p at 24 frames per second (fps) instead of 60 fps unless you need really smooth motion. Set up scheduled file deletion or manually move old episodes to an inexpensive online service, like Amazon’s Glacier or Microsoft Azure Blob Storage. If necessary, use Handbrake to compress existing files in bulk.

Use the newer HEVC/H.265 codec – it packs more punch into less data. Record in 1080p with bit rates between 5-8Mbps. And if your equipment allows: drop MP4 in favor of AV1 or VP9 for even better compression. Don’t back up videos to your computer – just archive them on the cloud and then delete them. Two weeks is plenty. And backing up to “the cloud”? Good call!

Tweak your encoder – use a decent codec such as H. 264 or H. 265 (HEVC). HEVC halves the file size with no impact on quality. Drop the frame rate if your show isn’t insanely dynamic – 25 fps is enough for most interview content. Reduce resolution from 1080p to 720p if you don’t need all the detail. Use 16:9 stream resolution and crop black bars if you’re working from letterbox source material. And set up automatic deletion/moving of old backups to cloud storage. These changes will save you even more disk space.

Encode in H.264 or H.265 – both are very efficient at maintaining video quality while minimizing the overall file size. Adjust bitrate settings through your streamer software (OBS). Decrease the audio bitrate or encode audio with AAC. Consider storing older backups in the cloud or on a network-attached storage (NAS) device. And just delete old backup files that you do not need. Save some space and still show off on TV.