How to Customize Video Output Settings in RedditVideoMakerBot

Configure resolution_w, resolution_h, video_codec, and audio_codec in your config.toml file to control the final video format, quality, and encoding parameters.

The RedditVideoMakerBot generates Reddit-style videos by stitching together screenshots, text-to-speech audio, and optional background video. Understanding its configuration system allows you to fine-tune output resolution, codec selection, and bitrate settings without modifying source code. This guide covers the TOML-based configuration schema and FFmpeg integration points defined in utils/config.py and video_creation/final_video.py.

Configuration File Structure

The bot uses a config.toml file located in your project root or a custom path specified via settings/config.toml. All video output parameters live under the [settings] table with nested [settings.background] and codec-specific keys.

[settings]
resolution_w = 1080
resolution_h = 1920
fps = 30

[settings.background]
background_choice = "minecraft"
background_audio_volume = 0.15
background_audio_fade = 0.2

[settings.codec]
video_codec = "libx264"
audio_codec = "libfdk_aac"
video_bitrate = "4M"
audio_bitrate = "192k"

Video Resolution and FPS

resolution_w and resolution_h define the output dimensions in pixels. The default configuration produces 1080×1920 vertical video optimized for mobile viewing (resolution_h = 1920, resolution_w = 1080). For standard landscape output, swap these values or set both to 720 for 720p square formats.

Resolution	Width	Height	Use Case
Mobile Vertical	1080	1920	TikTok/Reels/Shorts (default)
Square	720	720	Instagram feed
Landscape	1920	1080	YouTube standard

[settings]
resolution_w = 720
resolution_h = 720
fps = 30

Codec Selection and Bitrate

The video_codec parameter accepts any FFmpeg-supported encoder. The default libx264 provides H.264 compatibility across platforms. For hardware acceleration, use h264_nvenc (NVIDIA) or h264_qsv (Intel). The audio_codec defaults to libfdk_aac for high-quality AAC encoding, falling back to aac if unavailable.

[settings.codec]
video_codec = "h264_nvenc"
audio_codec = "libfdk_aac"
video_bitrate = "8M"
audio_bitrate = "256k"
preset = "slow"  # libx264-specific tuning

video_bitrate controls visual quality—higher values reduce compression artifacts but increase file size. For 1080p60 content, use 4M-8M; for 720p, 2M-4M suffices.

Background Video and Audio

The background_choice parameter selects which MP4 file from assets/backgrounds/ serves as the video wallpaper. background_audio_volume sets the mix level (0.0-1.0) for the background track, while background_audio_fade defines fade-in duration in seconds.

[settings.background]
background_choice = "minecraft"
background_audio_volume = 0.1
background_audio_fade = 0.5

Setting background_audio_volume = 0 mutes background audio entirely, producing videos with only TTS narration.

FFmpeg Integration and Custom Filters

The bot constructs FFmpeg commands in video_creation/final_video.py using your configuration. You can extend the pipeline via ffmpeg_params, accepting raw FFmpeg arguments:

[settings]
ffmpeg_params = "-vf \"fade=t=in:st=0:d=0.5,format=yuv420p\" -c:v libx264 -preset slow -crf 23"

For advanced workflows, modify utils/ffmpeg.py where the FFmpeg class processes:

• -c:v (video codec)
• -c:a (audio codec)
• -b:v and -b:a (bitrates mapped from your TOML settings)

Summary

• Edit config.toml to change resolution, codecs, and bitrates without touching Python source
• Use resolution_w and resolution_h to control output dimensions (default 1080×1920)
• Set video_codec to libx264, h264_nvenc, or hevc_nvenc based on your hardware
• Adjust background_audio_volume (0.0-1.0) to mix background music with TTS audio
• Pass raw FFmpeg flags via ffmpeg_params for filter graphs and encoding tweaks

FAQ

How do I enable GPU acceleration for rendering? Set video_codec = "h264_nvenc" in config.toml. Ensure your NVIDIA drivers support NVENC and FFmpeg is compiled with --enable-nvenc. This reduces render time by 60-80% compared to CPU-only libx264.

Can I use custom background videos? Yes. Place your MP4 file in assets/backgrounds/ and set background_choice to the filename without extension. The bot automatically loops clips shorter than the final video duration.

What Audio codec settings improve compatibility? Use audio_codec = "aac" instead of libfdk_aac if your FFmpeg build lacks the FDK library. Both produce standard MPEG-4 audio, but aac has wider default support across devices.

Where does the bot save final videos? The final_video.py module writes to results/{subreddit}/final_{timestamp}.mp4 by default. Change the output path via settings[ "paths" ][ "save_final_video_path" ] in your configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}