Will compression blur the code/text?

At CRF 24–26, no. Text edges survive because they cost few bits relative to their visual importance. Check one representative frame before batch processing.

Why not record at lower bitrate in the first place?

Some tools allow it, but in-recording quality loss is unrecoverable. Record generously, compress deliberately.

Parameters 5 min read

Why Screen Recordings Are So Large: Compression Parameters for Tutorials

Recording tools maximize text legibility, not file size — 10 minutes of 1080p screen recording can easily hit 500 MB. Screen content (static text, sharp edges, few colors) is the most compressible material there is, and the gain is essentially free.

Parameters that work

CRF 24–26 (libx264): text stays perfectly readable; size drops 5–10×.
Frame rate: 30 → 15 fps if there is no fast animation; another large saving.
Audio: mono AAC 96 kbps for voice-over.
Resolution: keep native — downscaling blurs small UI text, which is the whole point of the recording.

What not to do

Do not apply heavy denoising — screen noise is minimal anyway. Do not use target-size mode below ~1 Mbps for 1080p text; at that point block artifacts appear around characters, which is worse than a bigger file.