The key is managing your expectations. You cannot expect a 900MB file to look like a Blu-ray. But if you are watching on a phone, on a plane, or via an old secondary TV, you likely won't notice the difference. By understanding codecs (H.265 over H.264), audio sacrifices, and using tools like Handbrake yourself, you can reclaim hundreds of gigabytes of storage without losing the story.
| File Size (2h movie) | Resolution | Codec | Quality Expectation | Best Use Case | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 480p (DVD) | H.264 | Poor. Blocky. Audible hiss. | Dial-up internet or ancient MP4 players. | | 500-800 MB | 720p | H.265 | Average. Watchable on phones. Blurry on monitors. | Commuting, mobile phones, data saving. | | 900 MB - 1.5 GB | 1080p | H.265 | Good. Most "YIFY" style rips. Fine for laptops. | Laptop screens, budget tablets. | | 2-3 GB | 1080p | H.264 / H.265 | Very Good. Noticeable film grain. Clean audio. | Home theater PC, 1080p projectors. | | 4-8 GB | 1080p or 4K | H.265 / AV1 | Excellent. Near remux quality. | Archival, OLED TVs, action films. | highly compressed movies and tv shows
is slowly replacing H.265. Services like Netflix and YouTube already stream AV1 to supported devices. An AV1 file at 500MB looks as good as an H.265 file at 1GB. The key is managing your expectations