4K to 1080p on Mac
QuickTime Player's Export As has a 1080p tier with a choice of HEVC (Smaller File Size) or H.264 (Greater Compatibility), and Finder's Encode Selected Video Files has an H.264 1080p setting. Both save a .mov, so a 4K iPhone clip comes out smaller but still in the container that an .mp4-only form refuses. Press downscales and changes the codec in one pass: pick H.264 and 1080p, and the result is an .mp4 that plays where the original did not.
- Drop the 4K file onto Press.
- Under Video, keep H.264 and select 1080p. Portrait clips are handled: the longer edge becomes 1920, whichever way the phone was held.
- Click Convert. name (Press).mp4 lands next to the source.
What you get
- Container
- .mp4 beside the original.
- Codec
- H.264 and AAC through AVFoundation's 1920x1080 preset.
- Quality
- The longer edge is scaled to 1920 pixels and the short edge follows the aspect ratio, so a 3840x2160 clip becomes 1920x1080 and a 4:3 source keeps its shape. Sources already at or below 1080p are not scaled up.
- Metadata
- AVFoundation carries the source's metadata into the MP4 wherever a matching field exists.
How much smaller will it be?
A 1080p frame has a quarter of the pixels of 4K, and the bitrate drops with it. Exact numbers depend on the clip. The finished row in Press shows the output size.
Can I keep 4K and only change the codec?
Yes. Choose Original instead of 1080p, which keeps the frame size and changes only the codec.
Is 4K to 1080p free?
Yes. 1080p and 720p H.264 output are in the free download, one file at a time.
Press converts video and images on your Mac. The download is free, and Press Pro is a one-time $14.99 unlock for batch conversion, size presets, and WebP.