Accessing the full quality video file from the video object

Store Design

Topic summary

A developer is unable to access the original, full-quality video file from Shopify’s video object.

Current Issue:

  • The video object’s sources array only provides a compressed 480p, 1.5 Mbps version generated by Shopify
  • The original file has a custom resolution (980x362) at higher quality
  • Original files are relatively small (~9mb)

What’s Been Tried:

  • Examining the JSON structure of the video object
  • Checking the video_tag output, which also returns the same compressed version

Key Question:
Is there any method to access or retrieve the original uploaded video file instead of only the Shopify-generated compressed version?

The discussion remains open with no solution provided yet.

Summarized with AI on November 9. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I can’t find a way to get the full quality video from the video object. The JSON for a video object looks like this:

{
  "alt": null,
  "id": 23865085820998,
  "position": null,
  "preview_image": {
    "aspect_ratio": 2.707,
    "height": 362,
    "width": 980,
    "src": "//myteststore.myshopify.com/cdn/shop/files/preview_images/04f8913d831042689966fcd5f5ef2a71.thumbnail.0000000000.jpg?v=1714702453"
  },
  "aspect_ratio": 2.704,
  "duration": 34000,
  "media_type": "video",
  "sources": [
    {
      "format": "mp4",
      "height": 480,
      "mime_type": "video/mp4",
      "url": "https://cdn.shopify.com/videos/c/vp/*removed*.SD-480p-1.5Mbps-28503631.mp4",
      "width": 1298
    }
  ]
}

The only video found in the source is a compressed 480p 1.5Mbps version that Shopify has generated. My original file is a custom resolution that’s actually smaller (980x362) but higher quality. Is there any way to access the original file? These files aren’t large (around 9mb). Using video_tag also gets this compressed version.