---
name: "cli-anything-quietshrink"
description: Compress macOS screen recordings with zero CPU stress using Apple Silicon's hardware HEVC encoder. Typically reduces file size 70-90% while staying visually lossless. Computer stays silent during encoding.
---

# quietshrink — Agent Skill

You have access to `cli-anything-quietshrink`, a CLI for compressing video files on macOS Apple Silicon. It uses the Media Engine (hardware HEVC encoder), not the CPU, so encoding is fast and silent.

## When to use it

- User wants to compress a screen recording, screencast, or any .mov/.mp4 file
- File is too large to share (chat, email, GitHub)
- Need smaller files but cannot tolerate visible quality loss
- Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3/M4) — best results

**Don't** use this on non-screen content (camera footage, vlogs) — savings will be much smaller because there are no duplicate frames to drop.

## Commands

```bash
# Compress with default transparent quality
cli-anything-quietshrink compress <input> [output]

# Compress with specific preset
cli-anything-quietshrink compress -q tiny <input>     # smallest
cli-anything-quietshrink compress -q transparent <input>  # default, visually lossless
cli-anything-quietshrink compress -q pristine <input>     # near-source quality

# Inspect a file before compressing
cli-anything-quietshrink probe <input>

# List quality presets
cli-anything-quietshrink presets

# Verify environment
cli-anything-quietshrink doctor
```

All commands accept `--json` for machine-readable output.

## Quality presets

| Preset | q | Typical reduction | SSIM | Use case |
|--------|---|-------------------|------|----------|
| `tiny` | 50 | ~90% | ~0.95 | Chat/email — small artifacts OK |
| `balanced` | 55 | ~88% | ~0.99 | Docs/sharing — high quality |
| `transparent` (default) | 60 | ~87% | ~0.99+ | **Anything important** — visually lossless |
| `pristine` | 70 | ~84% | ~0.997 | Archival — near-source |

## JSON output schema

`compress` returns:
```json
{
  "input": "/path/to/input.mov",
  "output": "/path/to/output.mov",
  "input_size": 105952129,
  "output_size": 12345678,
  "saved_bytes": 93606451,
  "saved_percent": 88.3,
  "duration_seconds": 193.3,
  "elapsed_seconds": 87,
  "encoding_speed": "2.2x",
  "quality_preset": "transparent",
  "q_value": 60,
  "gop": 600
}
```

`probe` returns:
```json
{
  "path": "...",
  "size_bytes": 105952129,
  "size_mb": 101.04,
  "codec": "h264",
  "width": 3024,
  "height": 1964,
  "framerate": "120/1",
  "duration_seconds": 193.31
}
```

## Decision flow for agents

```
User wants to share a recording
  ├─ Is it on Apple Silicon Mac? → use quietshrink
  │  ├─ For chat/email/quick share → -q tiny
  │  ├─ For docs/important sharing → -q transparent (default)
  │  └─ For archival/editing → -q pristine
  └─ Not on Mac? → falls back to software, less efficient
```

Before processing, run `doctor` to verify environment.
For unfamiliar files, run `probe` to understand resolution/codec/duration.

## Errors and recovery

- `ffmpeg not found` → `brew install ffmpeg`
- `hevc_videotoolbox not available` → `brew reinstall ffmpeg`
- `compression_failed` → check input file isn't corrupted; try `--verbose` mode to see ffmpeg errors

## Source

- Main repo: https://github.com/achiya-automation/quietshrink
- Bash CLI: `quietshrink` command (via the install script)
- Why this approach works: see [WHY.md](https://github.com/achiya-automation/quietshrink/blob/main/WHY.md)


---
Source attribution: HKUDS
Original project: https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriel Moreira

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Dave AI resource metadata

Creator / publisher: HKUDS
Original project: https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything
Attribution basis: Upstream repository explicitly recorded in package mirror path

Fields of work: Content & Media, Marketing
Roles: Content Marketer, Video Producer
Specialties: Backend
Tools: Ffmpeg
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: c297b4f424e6e00e1ded2ed4dc204a5bea69deeee1417daae65e3b6d3eb4874f