You know, I’ve been making videos for a while now and always used regular MP4 files. But lately, everyone kept talking about this “hybrid MP4” thing. So last Tuesday, I finally decided to put both formats to the test myself.
Setting Up The Experiment
First things first, I grabbed my phone and shot two identical videos of my cat being weird – one minute each, same lighting, same 1080p settings. Then transferred them to my computer. Important part here: I used the exact same video content for both tests so the comparison would be fair.
The Conversion Process
Now came the messy part. I used this free video converter tool I’ve had for years to create three versions:
- Original MP4 (just as my phone made it)
- Re-encoded regular MP4
- Hybrid MP4 version
Damn, that hybrid conversion took forever! Like almost triple the time of regular encoding. I actually went to make coffee while waiting.
Testing Playback Compatibility
Here’s where it got interesting. I tried playing all files on different devices:
On my Windows laptop: All played perfectly fine, no noticeable difference.
On my ancient iPad: The hybrid file stuttered like crazy while regular MP4 was smooth.
On Android phone: Both worked, but hybrid took an extra second to start playing.
File Size Showdown
This blew my mind. Checked the properties:
- Original MP4: 95MB
- Regular re-encoded: 68MB
- Hybrid version: Only 52MB!
That hybrid compression is no joke – almost half the size of my original file.
The Final Verdict
After a full day of testing, here’s my take: Hybrid MP4 is amazing for saving storage space and faster uploads if you’re only watching on modern devices. But the compatibility issues? Big turn-off. For now, I’m sticking with regular MP4 for anything I share publicly. Maybe in a few years when old devices die off, I’ll switch to hybrid.
Funny how these tech experiments go – spent the whole afternoon testing, just to end up right where I started!