/tfdg/ Clip Guide: No Audio - WebM/MP4 (~4 MB)

The First Descendant Poster

Simple guide to turn your The First Descendant gameplay into silent WebM/MP4 under 4 MB for posting in /vg/ - /tfdg/ in 30 - 60fps!
All commands are one-shot:
You set the start time and duration in the same command, and it outputs a clip ready to upload.

TFD Clip Example

⌬ Programs or GUI tools for Windowns/Linux/MacOS (no terminal)

If you don’t want to touch a terminal, you can use these sofware or GUI apps instead, much easier and quick for this (~4MB).
Pick any tool that works on your OS, but always:

  • Trim your clip to 10–30 s
  • Set 480p / 720p / 1080p
  • Use 30 fps (unless you really need 60)
  • Mute audio
  • Export and make sure the file is ≤ 4 MB

Windows – GUI options

You can use any of these:

  • HandBrake – simple transcoder, good for MP4/MKV/WebM.
  • Shotcut – full video editor, use the Export panel.
  • Avidemux – simple cut + re-encode tool.
  • Shutter Encoder – powerful converter, good WebM/VP9 support.

Basic workflow (applies to all):

  1. Import your clip or VOD segment.
  2. Trim your scene:
    • Normal gameplay: 10–20 s
    • Heavy effects/explosions: 8–12 s
  3. Set Resolution:
    • 480p, 720p, or 1080p (for short clips).
  4. Set Frame rate:
    • 30 fps (Constant). Use 60 fps only for very short clips.
  5. Mute audio (disable/remove the audio track).
  6. Set quality:
    • If the app lets you set bitrate, use the rule from the table above.
    • If it uses CRF/quality slider, start in the middle and test.
  7. Export the file, then check its size:
    • If file > 4 MB → shorten the clip, lower bitrate/quality, or drop resolution.

Linux – GUI options

On Linux you can also avoid the terminal:

  • HandBrake – transcoder (Flatpak, DEB, etc.).
  • Shotcut – full editor, cross-platform.
  • Avidemux – simple editor/encoder.

Basic workflow (same idea as Windows):

  1. Import your source clip.
  2. Trim to 10–30 s.
  3. Set 480p / 720p / 1080p, 30 fps.
  4. Mute audio.
  5. Adjust bitrate/quality so the output is under 4 MB.
  6. Export, check size; if it’s too big, shorten or lower quality.

You can export as MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9) depending on what the program supports. Both work on 4chan as long as they’re ≤ 4 MB and muted.


macOS – GUI options

For Mac users:

Basic workflow:

  1. Import your clip into one of these programs.
  2. Trim to 10–20 s (or shorter if 1080p or 60 fps).
  3. Set:
    • 480p / 720p / 1080p
    • 30 fps (or 60 fps only for very short clips)
  4. Mute audio.
  5. Use bitrate/quality controls to aim for ≤ 4 MB:
    • More seconds → lower bitrate or lower resolution.
  6. Export and confirm the final file is under 4 MB.

Console (PS / Xbox) → PC GUI

  1. Capture your clip on PS5/PS4 or Xbox as usual.
  2. Send the clip to your PC (USB, app, cloud, etc.).
  3. If the clip is recorded at 60 fps:
    • Keep it ≤ 8–10 s, or
    • Convert it to 30 fps in HandBrake/Shotcut/Avidemux/Shutter Encoder.
  4. Then follow the Windows / Linux / macOS GUI steps above:
    • Trim 10–20 s,
    • Choose 480p/720p/1080p,
    • Mute audio,
    • Adjust quality/bitrate until the final file is ≤ 4 MB.

The First Descendant Poster-2


Video Encoder by Terminal (PC/Linux/MacOS)

⌬ Quick start for Terminal use (for lazy anons)

"TL;DR – 720p WebM in one command"

  1. Put your long video (stream, VOD, etc.) in a simple folder, e.g. C:\clips\source.mp4 or ~/clips/source.mp4.
  2. Decide:
    • START_TIME = when the scene starts (HH:MM:SS)
    • DURATION = how many seconds you want (e.g. 13, 20, 30)
  3. Run this (single line) in cmd, PowerShell, or terminal:
ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4" -vf "scale=-1:720,fps=30" -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 900K -an output-720p.webm
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- Change `START_TIME`, `DURATION`, and filenames.
- Upload `output-720p.webm` to /vg/.
- If file > 4 MB  shorten `DURATION` or lower bitrate (e.g. `700K` instead of `900K`).

⌬ How to read these commands (placeholders)

In all commands below, you only need to edit these parts:

  • START_TIME → when your scene starts in the source video.
    • Format: HH:MM:SS
      • Example: 00:03:15, 01:23:45
  • DURATION → length of the clip in seconds.
    • Example: 13, 20, 30
  • source.mp4 → your long video (VOD, stream, etc.).
    • Can be .mp4, .mkv, etc.
  • output-xxx.ext → the final file name (WebM or MP4).

Example:

ffmpeg -ss 01:23:45 -t 20 -i "my_stream.mp4" -vf "scale=-1:720,fps=30" -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 900K -an "tfdg-clip-720p.webm"
  • Starts at 01:23:45 of my_stream.mp4
  • Takes 20 seconds
  • Re-encodes to 720p 30fps, WebM VP9, silent
  • Outputs tfdg-clip-720p.webm yes between " " please don't forget this.

⌬ Less 4 MB limit – what matters

4chan’s limit is 4 MB per file. Only two things really control your size:

  • Clip duration → DURATION
  • Video bitrate / quality → -b:v (or -crf in MP4 section)

The total length of the original source (30 min, 2 h, 5 h) does not matter as long as you set -t DURATION.
FFmpeg will only encode that slice.

"Rule of thumb for bitrates"

Rough maximum bitrate that still fits under ~4 MB is:

max_kbps ≈ 32000 / seconds

Examples:

  • 10s → ~3200 kbps max → use 2000–2500 kbps to be safe.
  • 20 s → ~1600 kbps max → use 1000–1400 kbps.
  • 30 s → ~1060 kbps max → use 800–1000 kbps.
  • 40 s → ~800 kbps max → use 600–700 kbps.

The presets below use conservative values tuned for typical gameplay.
If your file is still > 4 MB, shorten DURATION or lower -b:v.


These presets use VP9 and are recommended for /vg/.
All are silent (-an) and single-command!
Works the same on Windows, Linux, macOS (no OS-specific flags).

WebM – keep original resolution (any res)

Use this if you want to keep the source resolution (whatever it is).

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 0 -crf 32 -row-mt 1  -an "output.webm"
  • Keeps the original resolution.
  • Uses constant quality (-b:v 0 -crf 32).
  • If file > 4 MB:
    • Raise -crf (34, 36, …) or
    • Reduce DURATION.

WebM 480p (longer clips, smaller size)

Good for longer clips (e.g. 30–45 seconds) with smaller size.

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:480,fps=30"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 600K -row-mt 1  -an "output-480p.webm"

Guideline:

  • Try DURATION ≤ 40–45 s with 600K.
  • If file > 4 MB → lower -b:v to 500K or shorten DURATION.

WebM 720p (balanced – typical use)

Default recommendation for most /tfdg/ clips.

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:720,fps=30"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 900K -row-mt 1  -an "output-720p.webm"

Guideline:

  • For 20–35 s clips, 900K is usually safe.
  • If your clip is longer (35–40 s), try:
    • -b:v 800K or
    • 480p instead.

To keep 60 fps (heavier):

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:720,fps=60"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 900K -row-mt 1  -an "output-720p60.webm"

60 fps looks smoother but grows in size quickly. Keep those clips shorter.


WebM 1080p (short, high quality)

For short highlights only (e.g. 10–25 s).
If you go longer, 1080p is risky for 4 MB.

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:1080,fps=30"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 1200K -row-mt 1  -an "output-1080p.webm"

Guideline:

  • Use DURATION ≤ 25 s for 1200K.
  • If file > 4 MB:
    • Lower -b:v to 1000K, or
    • Shorten DURATION, or
    • Drop to 720p.

Optional 60 fps:

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:1080,fps=60"  -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 1200K -row-mt 1  -an "output-1080p60.webm"

⌬ MP4 (H.264) presets – alternative

If WebM gives you problems, you can use MP4 (H.264) instead.
These presets are also silent and one-command

They use CRF (constant quality):

  • Lower -crf → better quality, bigger file.
  • Higher -crf → worse quality, smaller file.

MP4 – keep original resolution

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 26  -an "output.mp4"

If file > 4 MB:

  • Raise -crf → 28, 30.
  • Or shorten DURATION.

MP4 480p

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:480,fps=30"  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 28  -an "output-480p.mp4"
  • Good for longer clips with smaller size.
  • If too blocky → lower -crf to 26 (but keep clip short).

MP4 720p

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:720,fps=30"  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 26  -an "output-720p.mp4"
  • Good default for most clips.
  • If > 4 MB → rise -crf to 28 or shorten DURATION.

MP4 1080p

ffmpeg -ss START_TIME -t DURATION -i "source.mp4"  -vf "scale=-1:1080,fps=30"  -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 24  -an "output-1080p.mp4"
  • Use for short clips only (≤ 15–20 s).
  • If file too big → raise -crf to 26 or move down to 720p.

⌬ Getting your source video (PC & consoles)

PC (Windows / Linux / macOS)

Recommended:

OBS Studio (Windows / Linux / macOS)

  • Windows:
    • OBS, NVIDIA ShadowPlay, AMD ReLive, Xbox Game Bar…
  • Linux:
    • OBS, SimpleScreenRecorder…
  • macOS:
    • OBS, QuickTime screen recording.

Tips:

  • Record at a stable resolution (1080p or 1440p is ok).
  • Save as MP4 or MKV.
  • For this guide, we call it source.mp4 (rename if needed).

PS5 / Xbox → PC

PS5

  1. Capture your gameplay (Create/Share button → Save Recent Gameplay, etc.).
  2. Export your clip to USB or via the official app.
  3. On PC, you should have a video file (usually MP4). Rename it to source.mp4 if you want.

Xbox Series X|S

  1. Use the Xbox capture function.
  2. Transfer the file via the Xbox app or USB.
  3. Again, you should end with an MP4 on your PC.

Once you have source.mp4, the commands above work exactly the same.


⌬ Installing FFmpeg & running commands

Install FFmpeg

Windows

  1. Download a static build from the official FFmpeg site (or a trusted build).
  2. Extract to e.g. C:\ffmpeg.
  3. Add C:\ffmpeg\bin to your PATH so ffmpeg works in any cmd/PowerShell.

Linux

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ffmpeg


# Arch
sudo pacman -S ffmpeg


# Fedora
sudo dnf install ffmpeg

macOS

  1. Install Homebrew (if you don’t have it).
  2. Then:
    brew install ffmpeg
    

Where to run the commands

  1. Put your source.mp4 in a simple folder (no weird paths).
  2. Open:
    • Windows: cmd or PowerShell in that folder.
    • Linux/macOS: terminal, cd into that folder.
  3. Paste one of the commands from sections 3 or 4:
    • Replace START_TIME DURATION, source.mp4, output-xxx.
  4. Press Enter and wait. The output file will appear in the same folder.

The First Descendant banner- Yuujin
The First Descendant banner- 1

⌬ Common problems & fixes

File is bigger than 4 MB :c

  • Shorten DURATION (fewer seconds).
  • Lower -b:v (WebM) or raise -crf (MP4).
  • Drop resolution:
    • 1080p → 720p → 480p.
  • For very high motion scenes:
    • Use shorter clips or 480p.

4chan rejects the file :o!

  • Make sure the extension is .webm or .mp4.
  • Do not just rename mp4 or mkv to .webm – re-encode using ffmpeg.
  • Confirm size ≤ 4 MB.
  • Avoid changing the codecs/flags in the commands if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Video looks blurry/blocky :/

  • Your bitrate/quality is too low for:
    • that resolution,
    • that duration,
    • and that much motion.
  • Fix:
    • For WebM: raise -b:vor reduce DURATION or lower resolution.
    • For MP4: lower -crf (e.g. 28 → 26 → 24).
    • Shorten clips for heavy effects or boss fights.

There is audio! :'(

  • You forgot -an.
  • Check that your command includes -an.
  • Re-run the command.
  • If using a GUI, mute/disable the audio track.

The First Descendant banner- 1

⌬ FAQ (short)

  • 1080p? Works for short clips. At 30 fps: calm up to ~10–15 s; heavy action ~6–9 s. At 60 fps, keep it even shorter.
  • 60 fps? You’ll hit 4 MB fast. Prefer 30 fps or keep it ≤ 8–10 s.
  • Best format? MP4 (H.264) encodes fast; WebM (VP9) compresses a bit better.
  • Why mute? Saves bits... and rules from 4chan. Don't ask me why.
  • Do I need bitrate math? Nope. Use the presets table above, but if you want...do it.

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Pub: 20 Oct 2025 07:13 UTC

Edit: 21 Dec 2025 21:36 UTC

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