Google Photos is over-compressing my edited videos, ruining them.

[Former Community Member]

I make videos of car washes (ca. 10 minutes long, 4K, 2.5GB sized files, mp4)

Sometimes I cut off the first and the last few seconds of a video and save the copy to local storage on my Smartphone. Strange thing lately is that Google Photos compresses my video files extremely with huge loss of quality.

Example:

Original file: 2,7 GB size, 10:42 long, mp4, 4K resolution (superb quality)

>> I used Google photos to cut off the first few and the last few seconds => then saved copy<<

New file: 512 MB size, 10:30 long, mp4, 4K resolution (and horrendous quality: artefacts, blurred image, muddy)

Why is this happening? :=((

[icrew]

Perhaps https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop would help?

[Former Community Member]

Thanks. I did try that. Unfortunately it didn't help.

Very strange.

[icrew]

I imagine it would only affect stuff that you've uploaded after you made the change. Also, Google Photos is a consumer service, which means that Google is fundamentally unresponsive to Workspace admins like us in terms of raising issues. To submit feedback on Google photos, see https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6156065

Also, if you store photos/video in Drive instead of Photos, they are kept fundamentally unaltered.

Hope that helps, at least a little!

Ian

[Former Community Member]

I tried deactivating and activating backup function. It didn't had any effect on the compression. "Original Quality" is set.

I am not sure what is causing this problem. I never had that problem before. Maybe it's a new feature? Did Google implement some new changes?

[ajojose33333344]

@icrew you are right, he needs to check the quality settings in google photos,that must be the issue

[Former Community Member]

It's set to "original quality" 😅

[cryptochrome · Accepted solution]

AFAIK, the second you create a copy of something, it's no longer considered "the original" and Google swings the compression hammer. 

Also worth noting: Sometimes Google only stores a preview and it takes them hours, sometimes days, to finally display the original. This happens with videos, not photos. Upload a 4k video, and it will only show a 720p version for hours on end until it has processed the original in full. 

[Former Community Member]

Thanks you for the useful information.

[dulcerobles]

https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/media/gallerypage/comment-id/71364/image-id/118309iC7E61CB08...

[belloshelly]

I have also faced the same issue. My videos and photos also got compressed automatically and it ruined the quality. That's why I use lightroom for it. It offers you high resolution images and videos.

[Rohan7]

I have same issue, google photos didn't used to compress the videos so heavily before, atleast not so noticeable. If I have enough space remaining out of 15 GB, the video SHOULD remain in original quality, doesn't matter if its a copy or not...we have to save it as a copy since theres no other option anyway.

[patricefreeman]

I encountered a similar problem myself. The automatic compression of my videos and photos adversely affected their quality. Consequently, I turned to capcut mod apk v9.2.0 as my solution.

[Saima14]

The issue you're experiencing with Google Photos compressing your video files may be related to the platform's automatic compression settings. Google Photos offers free storage for photos and videos, but there are limitations on the resolution and file size for free storage.

Here are a few reasons why this might be happening:

1. Free Storage Limitations:

   • Google Photos provides free storage for "High Quality" photos and videos, but it compresses files to fit within certain size limits. Your original 4K video may exceed these limits, leading to significant compression when you save a copy.

2. Resolution and Bitrate Reduction:

   • Google Photos may automatically reduce the resolution and bitrate of videos to fit within its storage constraints. This reduction in quality can result in artifacts, blurred images, and a loss of detail.

3. Compression During Editing:

   • When you use the Google Photos app to edit and trim videos, the app may apply additional compression to the edited portions, leading to a further loss of quality.

4. Upload Quality Settings:

   • Check your Google Photos settings, especially the upload quality settings. If the upload quality is set to "High Quality" instead of "Original," Google Photos will compress videos during the upload process.

To mitigate this issue:

• Upload as "Original": When uploading your videos, select the option to upload in "Original" quality rather than "High Quality" to avoid additional compression.

• Use Other Editing Apps: Consider using a dedicated video editing app to trim your videos instead of relying solely on Google Photos. This way, you have more control over the editing process and can potentially avoid additional compression.

• Backup Originals Locally: Before editing, consider backing up your original videos locally to ensure you have a high-quality copy if needed.

Keep in mind that if you choose to upload in "Original" quality, it might count against your Google storage quota, especially if the videos are large. Be aware of your storage limits and adjust your settings accordingly.

[joboedits]

how to Upload as "Original ? 

i don't see any option for that. Can u help?