Downscaler

An automated media conversion tool that monitors directories for video files and automatically converts them to H.265/HEVC format after a specified age threshold. This tool helps save storage space while maintaining video quality.

Features

• 🎥 Automatic video conversion to H.265/HEVC
• 📅 Age-based conversion (configurable threshold)
• 📊 Database tracking of processed files
• 🔄 Resume capability for interrupted conversions
• 📝 Comprehensive logging
• ⚙️ Configurable conversion settings
• 🗂️ Maintains original file structure
• 🎯 Efficient resource usage

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7 or higher
• FFmpeg installed on the system
• Sufficient disk space for temporary conversion files

Installing FFmpeg

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

macOS (using Homebrew)

brew install ffmpeg

Windows

Download from FFmpeg official website

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/patw/downscaler.git
cd downscaler

2. Configure settings in config.py:

MEDIA_ROOT = "/path/to/your/media"
FILE_AGE_THRESHOLD = 14 # days

Usage

Running Manually

python main.py

Setting up Automated Conversion

To run the converter automatically, set up a cron job (Linux/macOS) or Task Scheduler (Windows).

Linux/macOS Cron Setup

Add to crontab:

# Run daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/downscaler/main.py

Windows Task Scheduler

1. Open Task Scheduler
2. Create Basic Task
3. Set trigger to daily
4. Action: Start a program
5. Program/script: python
6. Arguments: path\to\main.py

Configuration

Edit config.py to customize the converter's behavior:

# File system settings
MEDIA_ROOT = "/data/Media"
SUPPORTED_FORMATS = ('.mp4', '.mkv', '.avi')
FILE_AGE_THRESHOLD = 14 # days

# FFmpeg settings
FFMPEG_PRESET = 'medium'
CRF_VALUE = '28' # Constant Rate Factor (18-28 recommended)

Logging

Logs are written to media_converter.log in the project directory. The log includes:

• Conversion start/completion
• Errors and exceptions
• File processing status
• Database operations

Database

The converter maintains a SQLite database (media_converter.db) tracking:

• Processed files
• Conversion status
• File metadata
• Last check timestamps

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• FFmpeg for video processing
• Python community for various libraries
• Contributors and users of this tool

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please create an issue in the GitHub repository.