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# Scale any video to 1080p (1920x1080) with the scale filter
- URL: https://ffmpeguru.com/scale-any-video-to-1080p-1920x1080-with-the-scale-filter/
- Published: 2026-11-02T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T09:00:02.000Z
- Author: FFmpeguru
- Tags: ffmpeg

The most common video rescale. The `scale` filter resizes the frame to the given width and height. `1920:1080` is full HD, the most common delivery target for web, mobile, and broadcast. Pair with a codec and a CRF and you have a delivery-ready encode.

## The command

```
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf scale=1920:1080 -c:a copy output.mp4
```

## What it does

The `scale` filter decodes each frame, resizes it to 1920x1080, and re-encodes. The default scaler is bicubic, which is a good default. `-c:a copy` skips re-encoding audio, which is usually unnecessary when rescaling video.

## When to use it

When the source is smaller than 1080p and the target is 1080p. For sources larger than 1080p, scale down only if you have a reason; the source is usually higher quality than the rescale. For sources that are already 1080p, the scale filter is a no-op but adds CPU cost; skip it.

## Video and audio requirements

Any decodable video. The output frame is exactly 1920x1080; if the source's aspect ratio does not match 16:9, the rescale will stretch or squish unless you combine it with `scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080`. For a 4:3 source, use `1440:1080` to keep the aspect.

## Things to avoid

- Upscaling low-resolution sources. A 480p source scaled to 1080p does not look like 1080p; it looks like a stretched 480p. The bitrate cost is real, the quality gain is not.
- Forgetting audio. The default re-encodes audio; add `-c:a copy` if the source audio is fine and you just want to resize video.
- Using the wrong aspect handling. Stretching a 4:3 source to 16:9 makes people look fat. Combine scale with pad to preserve aspect.
- Setting the wrong CRF. The default is 23 for H.264, which is fine for most delivery, but if you scaled up from a low-quality source, use a higher CRF to avoid re-amplifying artifacts.