You just bought a camera that shoots 10-bit footage, but when you copy that footage to Windows 10, you can’t play it back! Even when you use VLC Media Player which normally plays anything you throw at it, the program freezes, or plays back incredibly choppy footage.
Here’s how to fix this issue and playback your 10-bit videos smoothly, for FREE!
To start, while I love VLC Media Player, I’ve found that it has fallen short when it comes to playing back 4K 10-bit video files like the ones that I record with my Sony a7Siii. Instead, I’m going to recommend that you download and install the free MPV Media Player.
Click “Installation” at the bottom of the page.
Then click the link next to “Windows builds by shinchiro”.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of options available here. Click the folder labeled “stable” which will bring you down the download links for the stable version of the software.
Click the “mpv-0.33.0-x86_64.7z” link to download the program. Note: At the time of writing this blog, this is the latest version of the MPV Player program, but it may be on a newer version when you are reading this. If so, as long as you download the top link that has “x86_64” in the filename you should be good to go.
The MPV program is downloaded in the compressed 7-Zip format (which is why the file ends with .7z). To extract the program, you will need to download the free 7-Zip program. Download the 64-bit x64 version.
Next, right click on the “mpv-0.33.0-x86_64.7z” file > 7-Zip > Extract to “mpv-0.33.0-x86_64\”. This will create a new folder labeled “mpv-0.33.0-x86_64”, and inside that folder you will find the mpv.exe program file.
Almost done! Navigate to your 10-bit video file that won’t play, right click on it, and select Open With > Choose another app. In the window that appears, scroll to the bottom and click “More Apps”, then scroll to the bottom again and click “Look for another app on this PC”. Navigate to where you saved the mpv.exe file, select it, and click open.
Your video will now open and playback smoothly in MPV Media Player!
Last step! Right click on the video file again, go to Open with > Choose another app. Then select “mpv” from the list and check the box that says “Always use this app to open .MP4 files” (or .MOV/.MXF etc). Click Ok!
That’s it! Your 10-bit video files will now automatically open with the MPV video player and playback smoothly.
Now here’s another bonus fix for you. Do your video files not have thumbnail previews? Read my blog post for how fix that issue!
Here’s how to edit and export 120 fps videos in Premiere Pro so they playback at normal speed, NOT slow motion! Premiere usually limits you to a 60fps sequence, but this easy trick lets you edit with a 120 fps sequence as well as export at 120 fps! 😁
If you’ve ever uploaded a video to Instagram and thought, “Why does this look worse than it did in Premiere?”, you’re not alone. Instagram is notoriously aggressive with compression, and if your export settings aren’t dialed in correctly, it will absolutely destroy your video quality.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through exactly how I edit and export high quality Instagram Reels using Adobe Premiere Pro, so your videos look as good as possible after Instagram does its thing.
This is the same workflow I use for my own content, and it’s designed to give Instagram the best possible file to work with.
Start With the Right Sequence Settings
Before we even talk about exporting, the foundation starts in your sequence settings.
Instagram Reels are vertical video, which means your sequence should be set to a 9:16 aspect ratio. Specifically, you want a resolution of 1080 by 1920.
Frame rate matters here too. Instagram prefers 30 frames per second, so if you’re starting a brand new sequence specifically for Reels, set it to 29.97 or 30 fps. If your footage was shot at a higher frame rate, that’s totally fine, just make sure your final sequence matches what Instagram expects.
This alone can prevent unnecessary resampling and compression issues later.
Editing for Vertical Video in Premiere Pro
If your footage was shot horizontally, Premiere makes it pretty painless to reframe for vertical.
Once your clip is in the timeline, you can use the Effect Controls panel to adjust scale and position. The key here is to resist the urge to over-scale. The more you blow up the image, the more you’re helping Instagram ruin it later.
If you’re working with 4K footage in a 1080×1920 sequence, you’ve got plenty of room to reframe without losing quality. That’s one of the big advantages of shooting higher resolution video, even if your final delivery is smaller.
For talking head content, I usually keep eyes slightly above center and leave enough headroom so nothing feels cramped on smaller screens.
Color and Contrast Matter More Than You Think
Instagram compression hates subtle gradients and flat images.
If your footage is extremely flat or low contrast, Instagram will often introduce banding and ugly artifacts once it compresses the video. This doesn’t mean you need to overdo it, but a well-contrasted image with clean color separation tends to survive compression better.
Make sure your footage is properly exposed, your blacks aren’t lifted too high, and your highlights aren’t crushed. A clean, balanced image gives Instagram less to destroy.
Export Settings That Actually Work for Instagram Reels
This is where most people go wrong.
When exporting from Premiere Pro, start by choosing H.264 as your format. This is exactly what Instagram is going to convert your video into anyway, so you’re better off controlling that process yourself.
Set your preset as a starting point, but do not rely on it blindly.
Here are the key settings you want to double-check:
Resolution: 1080 x 1920
Frame Rate: 30 fps
Field Order: Progressive
Aspect: Square Pixels
For bitrate, this is critical.
I recommend using VBR, 2-pass. Set your target bitrate around 10 Mbps and your maximum around 12 Mbps. This gives Instagram a high quality file without being so large that it triggers extra compression.
Cranking the bitrate higher than this does not help. In fact, it can sometimes make things worse.
Profile and Level Settings
Under the video tab, make sure your profile is set to High and your level is set to 4.2. This ensures better compatibility and quality across devices.
Also, enable “Render at Maximum Depth” and “Use Maximum Render Quality.” Yes, exports take longer, but this helps preserve fine detail and scaling quality.
If you’re already putting in the work to create good content, waiting a little longer on export is worth it.
Audio Settings That Won’t Get Ruined
Audio is just as important as video, even on Instagram.
Set your audio codec to AAC, sample rate to 48 kHz, and bitrate to 320 kbps if possible. Instagram will compress audio too, but starting with clean, high quality audio makes a noticeable difference.
Bad audio is one of the fastest ways to make a Reel feel low quality, even if the video looks decent.
Uploading Tips That Actually Matter
Once your video is exported, upload it directly from your phone if possible. AirDrop or a direct cable transfer is ideal.
Avoid sending the file through messaging apps, email, or cloud services that might recompress it before it ever reaches Instagram.
When posting, make sure “Upload at Highest Quality” is enabled in Instagram’s settings. It sounds obvious, but a surprising number of people forget this step.
Final Thoughts
Instagram is always going to compress your videos. You can’t stop that. What you can do is give it the cleanest, most optimized file possible so the final result still looks sharp, professional, and intentional.
If you start with the right sequence settings, avoid unnecessary scaling, export with the correct bitrate, and upload properly, your Reels will look noticeably better than most of what’s on the platform.
And if you want to go deeper into building a complete workflow for filming, editing, and delivering better videos, I’ve got a free filmmaker gear guide that breaks down everything I personally use and recommend.
I’m so excited to take the wraps off my newest offering, WhoisMatt LUTs! A collection of video presets that will enable you to easily get vibrant, true to life colors that you will love in your films.
These 12 LUTs have been tested on footage from all major camera brands to ensure consistency, including the latest camera models like the Sony a7S III and Canon R5. As a filmmaker that uses Sony, it was important to me that these LUTs work with the wide variety of picture profiles available with their cameras, including SLOG3, SLOG2, & CINE4 among others.
Come along behind the scenes as I film Kaley and Doug’s rainy outdoor Texas wedding with the Sony a7S II! See all aspects of wedding videography in this bts, from bride and groom prep, to the ceremony and reception.
