Why is it that I can post the attached mp4 but not the source as a gif?
To make the mp4 I encoded the gif in handbrake, which actually made increased the file size but reduced the dimensions.
Source gif: 728*408, 785.5 KiB
Encoded mp4: 640*360, 836.7 KiB
EDIT: For real though, you can always just hotlink embed the source like this (provided the source site allows hotlinking):
Example:

This specific image:

If you’re looking for somewhere to upload files with clear limits which are explained, I suggest catbox.moe
MP4 > GIF
I mean yeah but having to use handbrake to encode it is less than great.
I feel like something’s gone very wrong if the MP4 is dimensionally smaller but has a larger file size than the GIF
I’ve pretty much given up on Lemmy media uploads and I default to hotlinking these days.
Catbox.moe is a popular place for uploading for this purpose. Alternatively, I decided to roll my own for various reasons and you can DM me if you’re interested in testing the platform.