Absolutely, you can force the reference frame count back to 1 (matching your source video's setting) with common video processing tools. FFmpeg is the most reliable and straightforward option for this task—here's a detailed breakdown:

Using FFmpeg to Set Reference Frames #

FFmpeg lets you explicitly define the number of reference frames during re-encoding, overriding the processed video's current 2-frame setting.

Core Command #

ffmpeg -i your_input_video.mp4 -c:v libx264 -refs 1 -preset medium -c:a copy your_output_video.mp4

Parameter Breakdown #

• -i your_input_video.mp4: Replace this with the file path/name of your processed video (the one with 2 reference frames)
• -c:v libx264: Specifies the H.264/AVC encoder, matching your source video's format
• -refs 1: This is the key parameter—it forces the encoder to use exactly 1 reference frame
• -preset medium: Balances encoding speed and compression efficiency; adjust to fast for quicker processing or slow for better compression if needed
• -c:a copy: Skips re-encoding the audio stream (preserves original audio quality and saves time)
• your_output_video.mp4: The final video file with reference frames set to 1

Verify the Result #

To confirm the change worked, use FFmpeg's companion tool ffprobe to check the reference frame count:

ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=refs -of default=noprint_wrappers=1:nokey=1 your_output_video.mp4

If the output is 1, the setting was applied successfully.

Alternative: GUI Tools #

If you prefer a graphical interface instead of command-line tools, apps like HandBrake let you adjust this setting visually:

• Open your video in HandBrake
• Navigate to the Video tab
• Locate the "Reference Frames" option under the "Advanced Settings" section
• Set the value to 1
• Start encoding

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者user3449922