Video conversion: How does it work and how long can it take?
1. What is video conversion?
2. Status “Waiting for conversion”
3. Status “Converting”
4. Video replacement
5. What can make the conversion take longer than usual?
6. What are Disabled or Unavailable qualities?
Video conversion, also called *encoding* or transcoding, is the technical process that transforms the original video sent to Panda Video into web-compatible formats. This ensures that the content can be played correctly on different devices, browsers and internet conditions.
During conversion, the system can generate multiple versions of the video in varying resolutions, such as 1080p, 720p and 480p. This allows Panda Video to use so-called adaptive streaming, a technology that delivers the best possible video quality based on the viewer's internet speed.
The status “ Waiting for Conversion” means that the video has already been successfully sent to Panda Video (upload completed), but has not yet actually started the conversion process to the formats optimized for online reproduction.
At this point, the video is in the processing queue and is waiting for system resources to start converting it. This is most common at times of high demand, when many videos are being uploaded at the same time.
💡 Tip: When you move your mouse over the “Waiting for Conversion” status, an estimated time for the conversion to start will be displayed. You can still access settings and copy the embed code even before the conversion starts.
The “Converting” status means that the video is currently going through the conversion (or encoding) process, in which it is transformed into web-compatible formats and adapted for different resolutions, such as 1080p, 720p and 480p.
During this stage, the video is already being processed by Panda Video's servers and, as the conversion progresses, some resolutions may be gradually released for viewing.
Important: When you hover over the “Converting” status, you will see:
The percentage progress of the conversion;
The estimated time for conclusion;
The qualities already available for reproduction.
This process ensures that users can start watching the video in the initial qualities while the high-resolution versions continue to be generated in the background.
When the information “Ready to use” is displayed in front of the conversion time, it means that the video can already be viewed and used in the initial qualities that have been released.
So even if the video is still being converted, you can copy the embed code and integrate it into your membership platform or website. When the conversion is complete, the other qualities will be released automatically without the need to copy the embed again.
When you replace a video in your library, the new file goes through the same status and conversion steps as a normally uploaded video: “ Waiting for Conversion”, ‘Converting’ and finally “Ready to use”.
Important: During this process, the old video continues to play as normal. As soon as the conversion of the new video is complete, it automatically replaces the previous content, without the need to change the embed code or make manual adjustments.
This approach guarantees a smooth and seamless transition for your audience.
In some cases, video conversion can take longer than expected. This can happen due to different factors, the main ones being:
High demand at Panda Video: At peak times, when many users upload simultaneously, there can be a queue waiting for the conversion to start. This results in the status “ Waiting for conversion” lasting longer than usual.
Video size and time length: Longer videos or videos with a higher resolution (such as 4K) require more resources to process, which naturally extends the conversion time.
Reprocessing in multiple resolutions: When video needs to be converted to multiple qualities (1080p, 720p, 480p etc.), the process can take longer, especially if the system prioritizes the release of the lowest resolutions first.
Infrastructure upgrades or maintenance: At times, maintenance or improvements to servers may occur, which can temporarily impact conversion speed.
💡Important: Even in these cases, as soon as the status of the video is “Ready to use”, you will be able to configure and share it as normal. The other resolutions will be released automatically as they are finalized.
During the conversion process, the system usually generates multiple versions of the video in different resolutions (such as 1080p, 720p, 480p, etc.). When one of these qualities appears as “Disabled” or “Unavailable”, this indicates that that particular resolution is not available for reproduction in that video.
See the difference between the two cases:
Disabled: This quality has been intentionally disabled in the account settings, i.e. conversion to this resolution is disabled by default for all videos. This can be done to reduce bandwidth consumption.
Unavailable: The resolution is not compatible with the uploaded video. Even if it is enabled in the account, it will not be generated if the original video is not of sufficient quality. For example: a video uploaded in 1080p will not be able to generate a 4K version because the original file does not support that quality.
Rest assured that we are on hand to provide you with all the support you need. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, our support team is ready and willing to help.
Simply contact us via our convenient support chat, where our experts are ready to answer your questions and help you with any challenges that may arise.
Your satisfaction and success are our priorities! 🐼
2. Status “Waiting for conversion”
3. Status “Converting”
4. Video replacement
5. What can make the conversion take longer than usual?
6. What are Disabled or Unavailable qualities?
1. What is video conversion?
Video conversion, also called *encoding* or transcoding, is the technical process that transforms the original video sent to Panda Video into web-compatible formats. This ensures that the content can be played correctly on different devices, browsers and internet conditions.
During conversion, the system can generate multiple versions of the video in varying resolutions, such as 1080p, 720p and 480p. This allows Panda Video to use so-called adaptive streaming, a technology that delivers the best possible video quality based on the viewer's internet speed.
2. Status “Waiting for conversion”
The status “ Waiting for Conversion” means that the video has already been successfully sent to Panda Video (upload completed), but has not yet actually started the conversion process to the formats optimized for online reproduction.
At this point, the video is in the processing queue and is waiting for system resources to start converting it. This is most common at times of high demand, when many videos are being uploaded at the same time.
💡 Tip: When you move your mouse over the “Waiting for Conversion” status, an estimated time for the conversion to start will be displayed. You can still access settings and copy the embed code even before the conversion starts.
3. Status “Converting”
The “Converting” status means that the video is currently going through the conversion (or encoding) process, in which it is transformed into web-compatible formats and adapted for different resolutions, such as 1080p, 720p and 480p.
During this stage, the video is already being processed by Panda Video's servers and, as the conversion progresses, some resolutions may be gradually released for viewing.
Important: When you hover over the “Converting” status, you will see:
The percentage progress of the conversion;
The estimated time for conclusion;
The qualities already available for reproduction.
This process ensures that users can start watching the video in the initial qualities while the high-resolution versions continue to be generated in the background.
"Ready to use" message
When the information “Ready to use” is displayed in front of the conversion time, it means that the video can already be viewed and used in the initial qualities that have been released.
So even if the video is still being converted, you can copy the embed code and integrate it into your membership platform or website. When the conversion is complete, the other qualities will be released automatically without the need to copy the embed again.
4. Video replacement
When you replace a video in your library, the new file goes through the same status and conversion steps as a normally uploaded video: “ Waiting for Conversion”, ‘Converting’ and finally “Ready to use”.
Important: During this process, the old video continues to play as normal. As soon as the conversion of the new video is complete, it automatically replaces the previous content, without the need to change the embed code or make manual adjustments.
This approach guarantees a smooth and seamless transition for your audience.
5. What can make the conversion take longer than usual?
In some cases, video conversion can take longer than expected. This can happen due to different factors, the main ones being:
High demand at Panda Video: At peak times, when many users upload simultaneously, there can be a queue waiting for the conversion to start. This results in the status “ Waiting for conversion” lasting longer than usual.
Video size and time length: Longer videos or videos with a higher resolution (such as 4K) require more resources to process, which naturally extends the conversion time.
Reprocessing in multiple resolutions: When video needs to be converted to multiple qualities (1080p, 720p, 480p etc.), the process can take longer, especially if the system prioritizes the release of the lowest resolutions first.
Infrastructure upgrades or maintenance: At times, maintenance or improvements to servers may occur, which can temporarily impact conversion speed.
💡Important: Even in these cases, as soon as the status of the video is “Ready to use”, you will be able to configure and share it as normal. The other resolutions will be released automatically as they are finalized.
6. What are Disabled or Unavailable qualities?
During the conversion process, the system usually generates multiple versions of the video in different resolutions (such as 1080p, 720p, 480p, etc.). When one of these qualities appears as “Disabled” or “Unavailable”, this indicates that that particular resolution is not available for reproduction in that video.
See the difference between the two cases:
Disabled: This quality has been intentionally disabled in the account settings, i.e. conversion to this resolution is disabled by default for all videos. This can be done to reduce bandwidth consumption.
Unavailable: The resolution is not compatible with the uploaded video. Even if it is enabled in the account, it will not be generated if the original video is not of sufficient quality. For example: a video uploaded in 1080p will not be able to generate a 4K version because the original file does not support that quality.
Do you have any questions?
Rest assured that we are on hand to provide you with all the support you need. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, our support team is ready and willing to help.
Simply contact us via our convenient support chat, where our experts are ready to answer your questions and help you with any challenges that may arise.
Your satisfaction and success are our priorities! 🐼
Updated on: 06/12/2025
Thank you!