How To Send Large Video Files Without Losing Quality: 5 Quick Workarounds

Sharing videos with friends, family, or colleagues can be frustrating when the quality degrades during transfer. If you want to preserve those crisp details and vibrant colors, you need to know how to send large video files without losing quality. This guide will help you do just that.

Part 1. Why Is the Video Quality So Bad When Sent?

When you share videos, and they are received in bad resolution, pixelated, or blurry, several technical factors are likely at play. Knowing the reasons for this issue can help you choose the right solution for your situation.

Automatic Compression by Platforms

Most messaging apps and social media platforms automatically compress videos to conserve bandwidth and server storage space. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram all apply heavy compression algorithms that significantly reduce file size by sacrificing quality.

The compression ratio can be dramatic - a 100MB video might be squeezed down to just 5MB, with corresponding quality reduction. This happens silently in the background without asking your permission.

Internet Bandwidth Constraints

Your internet connection speed is often responsible for poor video transfer quality. Uploading large files requires substantial bandwidth, and if your connection is limited, the platform you are using for sending video might automatically downgrade quality to complete the transfer in a reasonable timeframe.

Video Format Compatibility Issues

Different devices and platforms support various video formats and codecs. When you send a video in a format not natively supported by the recipient's device, automatic transcoding occurs. This conversion process often results in quality loss, especially when converting between substantially different formats.

For example, sending a ProRes video to someone viewing on a standard mobile device will trigger conversion to a more common format like H.264, potentially losing the original quality advantages of ProRes.

Part 2. How to Send Large Video Files Without Losing Quality: 5 Best Ways

Here are the 5 best methods for sending large video files without sacrificing quality. Each method has its own advantages, depending on your sharing needs.

1. Compress Your Video File and Send

One way to send a large video without dealing with quality issues is to just compress it. Compression tools today can reduce file size while preserving visual fidelity by eliminating redundant data rather than important details. This makes your videos easier to share without the quality loss that comes with aggressive compression.

The key is using the right compression tool with appropriate settings. HitPaw Online Video Compressor uses AI to achieve an excellent balance of simplicity and effectiveness while maintaining high quality before you send the video. Here's how:

• 1.Visit the HitPaw Online Video Compressor.

• 2.Select "Choose File" to upload your large video.

  

• 3.Select Video Quality to 100%, Resolution to 1080p, and click "Apply".

  

• 4.Then, click "Compress," wait to get the downloadable link of your compressed file, and send it via your preferred platform.

  

2. Use Email to Send Large Videos

Email remains one of the most universal ways to send video files because many already have an email account. For smaller videos, this method works perfectly and ensures your recipient can access the file without creating new accounts or installing additional apps.

Different email providers offer varying attachment limits. Gmail allows attachments up to 25MB, Outlook (Hotmail) permits 20MB, and Yahoo Mail supports up to 25MB per email. These limits include all attachments in a single email, not just your video file.

If your video exceeds these limits, you'll need to compress it first. Again, HitPaw Online Video Compressor can be a great help. Compress the video with this tool to make it shorter, and then email it.

3. Use Cloud Storage Services to Send Video

You can also use a Cloud storage service, like Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, and OneDrive, to send large video files. These services store your videos on remote servers and generate shareable links, which allow your recipients to stream or download the content at full quality.

Google Drive

Google Drive provides 15GB of free storage across Google services and integrates seamlessly with Gmail and other Google products. This makes it particularly convenient if you already use Google's ecosystem for work or personal tasks.

The service supports virtually all video formats and allows you to control access permissions. Google Drive also handles large video files efficiently, with excellent streaming quality for recipients who prefer not to download.

Follow these steps to share your large video through Google Drive:

• 1.Open the Google Drive site or the Google Drive app on your mobile device.
• 2.Click the "+ New" button in the upper left corner, select "File upload," and choose the video file you want to share from your device's storage.
• 3.Wait for the upload to complete, then right-click on the uploaded video file and select "Share" from the dropdown menu that appears.
• 4.Type in the email of your intended recipients in the sharing dialog box, or click "Copy link" to get a URL that can be shared through any communication channel.
• 5.Adjust the permission settings as needed by clicking the dropdown menu that says "Viewer," "Commenter," or "Editor" to control what recipients can do with your video.

Google Photos

Like Google Drive, Google Photos can send or share images and large video files up to 15 GB for free.

It also lets you create shared albums where multiple people can add content, which is useful for collaborative projects or family events. Not only that but all of your videos are synced to your other devices.

To share a video using Google Photos:

• 1.Open Google Photos and sign in.
• 2.Click "Upload" and select the video you wish to share from your device's storage location.
• 3.After uploading, locate your uploaded video in the Google Photos library, tap on it to open it, and then click the "Share" icon.
• 4.Select your preferred sharing method from the options provided, including creating a shareable link, sending video directly to another Google Photos user, or sharing via other apps installed on your device.

Dropbox

The Dropbox free account includes 2 GB of storage, with paid plans offering more video file size. The service excels at handling large files and provides excellent cross-platform compatibility.

Here's how to send a video through Dropbox:

• 1.Sign in to your Dropbox account through the website or open the Dropbox application on your computer or mobile device.
• 2.Click "Upload" to select video.
• 3.Wait for the upload to complete, then click the Share option to send it.

OneDrive

Microsoft's OneDrive integrates seamlessly with Windows and Office products. It gives you 10GB of free storage to upload large video files and 100 GB to 2TB more space with paid plans.

The service includes the ability to set passwords and expiration dates for shared links, adding security for sensitive content.

Follow these steps to send a video using OneDrive:

• 1.Sign in to your OneDrive account using a browser or the mobile app, and click "Upload" to upload the video.
• 2.After the upload is done, click/tap Share.
• 3.Choose your preferred sharing method in the dialog box that opens, either by entering email addresses or by creating a shareable link that can be copied and distributed.

4. Use a File Transfer Service to Send Large Videos

File transfer services can be used to send large video files. These services temporarily host your videos on their servers and generate download links you can share with recipients. After a set period (typically 7-30 days) or a certain number of downloads, the file is automatically deleted.

This approach offers several advantages over permanent cloud storage. The temporary nature means you don't need to manage or clean up files later. Many services don't require accounts for basic use, allowing quick transfers without signup processes. Most importantly, these services are optimized specifically for large file transfers, with higher limits than email or messaging apps.

Popular options include WeTransfer, which allows free transfers up to 2GB, and Filemail, which supports files up to 5GB on their free plan. For maximum flexibility, Send Anywhere stands out by allowing free transfers up to 10GB with a simple, user-friendly interface. The service works across all major platforms and doesn't require recipients to create accounts.

Here's how to use Send Anywhere to transfer large video files:

• 1.Visit the Send Anywhere website or download their mobile app from your device's app store, then open the application on your device.

• 2.Click "Add" to upload the video, then click "Send."

  

• 3.Wait for Send Anywhere to generate a unique 6-digit code for your transfer.

• 4.Instruct your recipient to enter this code in their own Send Anywhere application or on the website to download the video.

• 5.Alternatively, generate a shareable link or directly send the video to the recipient's email address.

5. Use Wi-Fi Direct (Android) or AirDrop (iOS)

Wi-Fi Direct creates a direct connection between devices without requiring an internet connection or router. This technology allows for extremely fast transfers of even very large video files when devices are nearby. The direct nature of the connection also ensures no quality loss or compression occurs during transfer.

To send large videos using Wi-Fi Direct on Android devices:

• 1.Go to "Settings" > "Wi-Fi" > "More Settings" and enable Wi-Fi Direct on both sending and receiving devices.
• 2.Open your file manager app on the sending device.
• 3.Locate and select the large video file you wish to transfer, then tap and hold on the file until selection options appear.
• 4.Tap the "Share" button, select "Wi-Fi Direct" from the sharing options that appear, and choose the recipient device from the list of available connections.
• 5.Ask the receiver to accept the incoming connection, which will initiate the direct transfer of your video file at high speed without using mobile data or an internet connection.

Apple uses AirDrop instead of Wi-Fi Direct. It serves the same purpose, but you need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled as well to send video files on a nearby iOS device or Mac computer. First, enable AirDrop on both devices and tap & hold the video. Next, tap "Share," choose "AirDrop," and select the recipient device. Finally, tap "Accept" on the recipient device to initiate the transfer.

Part 3. How to Send Video without Losing Quality on WhatsApp

WhatsApp optimizes videos for faster sending by default, which dramatically reduces quality. However, you can now choose to send videos in HD quality, which preserves more detail.

This setting needs to be configured before sending your videos. Bear in mind that HD videos will use more data and take longer to send, especially on slower connections.

To enable HD video quality sending in WhatsApp, tap the three dots, go to "Settings," select "Storage and data," tap "Media upload quality," choose the "HD Quality" option, and tap "Save.".

Part 4. FAQs of How to Send Large Video Files without Losing Quality

Conclusion on How to Send Large Video Files without Losing Quality

In this guide, you've learned how to send large video files without losing quality on different platforms, including WhatsApp. By choosing the right method for each situation, you can ensure your videos always look their best when shared with others. The easiest method is to compress your video with HitPaw Online AI Video Compressor and send it via any platform.