How Long Does It Take for a Video to Be Encoded?
Overview
After you upload your webinar video, StealthSeminar automatically encodes (formats and transcodes) it so it plays reliably on virtually any device — desktop, mobile, or tablet — without playback issues.
How Long Encoding Takes
As a rule of thumb, encoding takes about as long as your original upload took.
For larger files (4–5GB or more), plan for at least an hour, and make sure this happens well in advance of your webinar's start time.
| File size | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Smaller files | Encoding time roughly matches your original upload time |
| 4–5GB or larger | Budget at least an hour for encoding |
You'll receive an email notification once encoding/transcoding is complete.
Resolution
The maximum playback resolution for attendees is 1080p (1920x1080). Keep this in mind before you upload:
- Uploading in a resolution higher than 1080p will not improve what attendees see — anything higher is automatically converted down to 1080p
- Higher-resolution files take up more space and increase both your upload and encoding time with no playback benefit
TIP : Upload your source video at 1080p to keep file size (and encoding time) as low as possible without sacrificing quality.
Our Recommendation
Upload your webinar video at least one full day before your webinar. This gives you enough buffer to:
- Allow for encoding time, especially on larger files
- Test your full setup once encoding finishes
- Fix any issues before you start marketing or driving traffic to your event
Common Questions
How do I know when my video is done encoding?
You'll get an email notification once encoding/transcoding is complete.
Why is my video taking so long to encode?
Encoding time scales with file size and generally mirrors how long the original upload took. Files over 4-5GB can take an hour or more.
Can I upload a video higher than 1080p for better quality?
No — attendees can only view up to 1080p, so anything higher gets converted down to that resolution automatically. Uploading above 1080p only adds file size and encoding time without any visible quality gain.
Does a longer video take longer to encode than a larger file at a lower resolution? Encoding time is primarily tied to file size, not just length — a longer video at a lower resolution/bitrate may encode faster than a shorter video with a much larger file size.