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Resize a Video Without Distortion Using ffmpeg scale

Shrink any video to a smaller resolution while keeping its aspect ratio with the ffmpeg scale filter.

WindowsresizemediaffmpegLow risk
Run `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1280:-2" -c:a copy output.mp4` to resize the video to 1280 pixels wide with proportional height.

01Command

Command
$ ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1280:-2" -c:a copy output.mp4

02What it does

Resizing by hand risks a stretched picture, but the scale filter accepts expressions: in scale=1280:-2 the -2 tells ffmpeg to compute the height automatically while keeping the aspect ratio (rounded to even numbers, which most codecs require). -c:a copy streams the audio through untouched so quality and timing are preserved. This is the standard way to turn a 4K clip into a 1080p file or fit a screen recording into a smaller frame.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsRequires ffmpeg installed and on PATH. The -2 keeps even dimensions required by common codecs.
!Warning: Downscaling loses detail permanently — keep the original file if you may need the full resolution later.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • FFmpeg Filters Documentation
    FFmpeg · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: The scale filter accepts width/height expressions; scale=1280:-2 resizes to width 1280 with the height auto-computed preserving aspect ratio.
  • Scaling - FFmpeg wiki
    FFmpeg Trac · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: The wiki documents the scale filter with width/height expressions such as scale=1280:-2 to auto-compute height preserving aspect ratio.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Media

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