iPadOS - How to prevent the Photos app from compressing files?

[rodralig]

Looking to make use of the CalGuns collective intelligence...

Hoping someone could advise on iPadOS - so, I have a video file in my Photo library (Photos app) in my iPad. Information shows it to be 2560x1440 at 204MB.

However, when I do the following -

• AirDrop to my MacBook
• Share to "Files" on the iPad internal memory
• Share to "Files" to an external USB drive

It gets compressed!?! Same resolution, but the size is down to only 60MB. What the hell is going on here??

The only way I can get the original video is to connect to a PC via USB and go into the DCIM folder. Connecting the iPad to a MacBook is not helpful...

Seems like a bad design for on Apple's part...

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[ocabj]

https://www.macworld.com/article/342577/how-to-maintain-video-resolution-when-sharing-videos-via-airdrop.html

[rodralig]

https://www.macworld.com/article/342...a-airdrop.html

Thanks!

I actually referenced that article in my troubleshooting. The "Keep Originals" in "Transfer to Mac or PC" is does not work. I would actually need to go into the alternative shown where for every photo/video I would like to share, I will need to go into "Options" then "All Photos Data." Quite a hassle indeed.

However, what is really giving me a headache is that when I "Save to Files" - the iPad still compresses/converts (or whatever "Preparing" it does) that I don't get the original quality.


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[ocabj]

Weird. I tested my own Airdrop or other save to files outcomes, and the files remain intact for me (1.2GB HEVC on phone remains 1.2 on computer after Airdrop).

[the86d]

Android tablets work wonderfully...

[rodralig]

Weird. I tested my own Airdrop or other save to files outcomes, and the files remain intact for me (1.2GB HEVC on phone remains 1.2 on computer after Airdrop).

Indeed weird!

Did some experiments this morning... Say, I shot a 4K 60fps with my iPhone. Transferred it to my PC via USB so I get the original file. ... Then I AirDrop from iPhone to iPad - yup! Still original... Then from the iPad, I AirDrop to the MacBook - yup! Still original. Also from the iPad, I share to Files to both the internal memory and an external SD card - yup! Still original.

... I am guessing it is some 3rd party compatibility issue - this footage was an export from the iOS app of a 360 camera maker - InstaOne. I noticed that when I either AirDrop or share to Files, I get a window/message saying "Preparing..." So, I am guessing that there are some conversions happening.

Hhhmmm...


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[ocabj]

... I am guessing it is some 3rd party compatibility issue - this footage was an export from the iOS app of a 360 camera maker - InstaOne.


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You neglected to mention this originally. Yes, that actually makes a huge difference. 360 video is might be proprietary to the app itself and it would need to be reencoded if exported.

[rodralig]

You neglected to mention this originally. Yes, that actually makes a huge difference. 360 video is might be proprietary to the app itself and it would need to be reencoded if exported.

True, I did neglect to mention this originally...

But it was not a 360 video per se - it was already a flat video in the Photo gallery (not in the 360 app). It had already been "encoded" as flat when exported to the Photo gallery from the proprietary app... When I did an AirDrop using "All Photos Data" or use a USB cable - the file is a "flat" MP4. Also, it can be viewed directly with the iPad's native, again, Photos app.

Thus, me trying to figure out - what other encoding is the iOS doing. All that I could think right now is that the exported file may still have an embedded EXIF saying that it is still a "360 video" even if it already isn't...

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