How to use HandBrake For Video Conversions - Full Guide

HandBrake is the best free video converter, but if you're not familiar with video compression terminology, it can be challenging to use. Here's a complete guide on how to import videos into HandBrake, how to choose the best settings for different use cases, how to create presets, how to preview your output, and how to start your conversions.
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[@quick-tutorials]

Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/quicktutorials

[@KMSB-q9u]

Thanks!

[@quick-tutorials]

Thank you so much for the support!

[@th3rd3arplan3tradio]

I'm curious what does chroma smooth look like in the Filters section? Does it smooth out the 60fps or something else?

[@quick-tutorials]

Chroma smooth can help reduce artifacts in your video's color channels. It's usually helpful if you notice blocky, banded or jagged color edges in the video as a result of heavy compression. Chroma smooth will gently blur the colors, making the them smoother and cleaner, but if your video looks clean to begin with, it might make your video unnecessarily soft and blurry. Useful if you're dealing with color artifacts, but otherwise no need to use it.

[@th3rd3arplan3tradio]

@quick-tutorials oh ok thanks.

[@ChampFreeze]

How do you remove files from handbrake

[@quick-tutorials]

Great question. I don't think it allows you to remove a file, so you'll either have to open another source file, or restart the app.

[@ChampFreeze]

@ the memory is almost full

[@georgecarter8104]

Very informative and clear. Thank you.

[@quick-tutorials]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@s.jswrld3000]

Hi, when i converted a mkv file to a mp4 and i played it the mp4 it doesn't play till the end. The last few minutes the video is cut off help

[@RussDnB]

Not a bad video, but I really would like to see a deep dive into the (i.e. Ultrafast to Placebo). I've been learning and dabbling with these for (many) years and the difference in file size and quality is phenomenal. As is the time things can take to encode (especially with h.265). Whilst I'm learning for myself, I've never seen anyone dig into these things. Then when you take into consideration the video you're converting makes a massive difference to the settings you choose, this is a minefield to say the least. It's also worth noting, for the frame rate, at the top of the list is an option for "Same as source".

[@quick-tutorials]

Well said, it truly is a minefield and video compression in itself could easily be a 40-hour course. Things like H.265 are also tricky because it heavily depends on the computer and hardware each user has - some computers really struggle with H.265 while others can process it like it's nothing. From a tutorial perspective, I always try to keep it generic enough so the advice works for everyone watching the video. But at the same time, sometimes you have to dig deeper and get into the specifics. If you're interested in video compression and codecs in general, you might enjoy my video about Apple ProRes, where I do a deep dive into ProRes and how it compares to codecs like H.264 and H.265. Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHu4oH6ojtKifposi=jpj3vFB0jhoBcQPZ

[@RussDnB]

@@quick-tutorials Awesome. Thanks for the link.

[@liviarios8816]

Does Handbrake support 8K quality?

[@quick-tutorials]

It does, yes

[@pianism30]

why does your handbrake ui look so modern? skin? or update? do tell how.

[@quick-tutorials]

Just the basic Handbrake on a Mac, it’s always looked more or less the same for me

[@KMSB-q9u]

I have no experience doing any of this. I'm trying to convert home videos that were taken about 15-25 yrs with handheld video camera to MP4. I would like to have the best quality possible to view them on a tv. I don't know what the current format of videos is or if it's possible to try and improve the quality when I convert to MP4, or is their existing quality as good as it will get. What do you recommend I set resolution at as well as avg bitrate. I know there's also the issue of how much space they will take up but for now I'm trying to understand how to get the best quality I can, then I'll worry about whether that takes up too much space. Thanks!

[@quick-tutorials]

First of all, it's super smart to convert old home videos so you're able to have backups and keep them in a digital format. Here's a couple of thoughts • You won't be able to improve the quality, but you should be able to maintain it similar to the originals • Most cameras shoot 16:9 format. Some common resolutions for 16:9 video are 1920x1080 (also known as Full HD), or 1280x720. • If you have the videos already on a computer, you can use a video player like QuickTime Player to open a video and use the "Show Movie Inspector" tool to check the resolution • A good bitrate depends on the resolution, for 1920x1080 you're usually fine with around 8,000kbps, maybe even lower if you want to save space. Regarding both resolution and bitrate, it's always good to do a couple of test compressions on a smaller file to see if you're happy with the results. If not, keep changing your settings until the file looks good. Once you find good settings, use those to process a larger batch. If you have any specific questions regarding your project let me know, happy to help the best I can.

[@KMSB-q9u]

@@quick-tutorials Thx so much for your quick reply! For the most part, I actually have 2 sources for videos. First were on cassettes that I had converted to dvd's at least 15 yrs ago. When I load one one of those dvd's and open Handshake, it says Storage size 720x480, Display size 640x480 and Aspect Ratio 4:3. The second source which is a little more recent but still very old is compact dvd's and when I load one of those on Handshake it says: VOLUME IDENTIFIER, 720x480 (853x480), 29.97 FPS, SDR (8-bit 4:2:0, 6-1-6), 1 audio track, 1 subtitles trac. Based on this info, to start would you still recommend 8,000kbps bitrate and what about Resolution Limit (originally I tried 2160p 4K HD)? I'm not even sure if my questions make sense, thank you!!

[@quick-tutorials]

That makes sense and all this is super helpful to determine your settings! 720x480 is a typical resolution for DVDs, so in this case you'd want to keep the resolution the same. You could make it higher like 2160p 4K, but it won't improve the image quality, and you'd be just making your files unnecessarily large. You can think of it like building a house - if you currently have a 1000 sq ft house, you can't convert it to a 4000 sq ft house without adding more material to it. The same goes for your video, you're working with the pixels that were saved during the original recoding, but you can't add more pixels to make your video resolution larger. For 720x480 your bitrate can be lower, somewhere around 1,500 to 2,500 kbps. It should maintain your quality without making the files too large. DVD video typically maxes out at around 5,000 kbps so I definitely wouldn't go over that. If you want to test the best quality-to-filesize ratio, I would try a short clip at 1,500kbps and then repeat at 2,500kbps to see if there's any difference. Pick the one that gives you good quality and a good file size. Based on your specs your frame rate should be set to 29.97, or you can simply choose "Same as source".

[@KMSB-q9u]

@@quick-tutorials Thank you so much!

[@quick-tutorials]

Happy to help, and good luck with the project!

[@jaywoelfel9228]

I've been told, meaning recommended, to use Handbrake to convert video frame rates, but I've, so far been unable to have it do that properly? You seem to not recommend that at all. I have a video that started at one frame rate but that changed in an editing program and I was told handbrake could turn that back into the original/correct frame rate. The one time I tried it, for some reason Handbrake took the first frame of my "movie" and made a completely new video which was only that frame repeated for 90 minutes. What are your thoughts, other than you saying, don't do it in your posted video?

[@quick-tutorials]

Think of it this way - you can always reduce the frame rate, but you can’t increase it. For example, you can take a 60fps file and convert that to 30fps. The motion won’t look as fluid since you’re cutting your frame rate in half, but essentially the playback will still look okay. On the other hand if you take a 30fps file and try to convert that to 60fps, it cannot be done because Handbrake or any other video converter cannot create new frames for your video. Depending on the software it will either limit you to the frame rate of your current file, or it might allow you to convert it to a higher frame rate, but it will just duplicate frames to make it work. For example, converting a 30fps video to 60fps will make every other frame be a duplicate freeze frame. Technically the output file is 60fps, but the playback will look choppy because of the duplicate frames.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

@@quick-tutorials I'm basically taking a 30fps and reducing it to 20fps, the 30 actually had to duplicate some frames. So I'm trying to remove those to get back to the 20fps it was shot at. Yes I see what you're saying, you are what they used to call step printing in film, where you were repeating frames to make something slo motion, it can't see more of the event you "filmed" so it has a herky jerky feel which can be interesting and used to be the only want to have video slo motion, now you can film at higher frame rants on video.

[@quick-tutorials]

Ah I see what you’re trying to do. It’s always best to use the original file for conversions so using that 30fps file that has some duplicate frames will not give you ideal results, but I understand you might not always have access to the original.

[@jaywoelfel9228]

@@quick-tutorials Yes it's a silent film so shot at unconventional 20 fps then transferred wrongly to 29.97 so I think there are pull down frames.

[@Mikilangelo-gy3nd]

Can I use this app for convert psp videos and if i can how?

[@quick-tutorials]

Yes, this will work for converting videos for PSP. It should work when you choose MP4 format, H.264 encoder and set the dimensions/resolution to 480x272. There are also presets you can use, for example here: www.pspunk.com/psp-handbrake/

[@Mikilangelo-gy3nd]

@@quick-tutorials thank you so much it works

[@stnbfbf]

Sir pc off how to again start video restart

[@quick-tutorials]

I'm not sure I understand the question, but if you mean your PC turned off while video encoding was in progress, you'll usually have to start over.

[@logan344]

Size is not decreasing for some reason, instead it is getting increased, even after setting everything properly.

[@quick-tutorials]

File size usually comes down to the length of your video + bitrate. If you need a smaller file size, you'll need to lower the bitrate.

[@MohammedAadhil10]

thanks! Great video❤

[@quick-tutorials]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it!

[@JackVasu]

Nice

[@johnboyajian1689]

I dont need all this, all i wanted to do was RIP my DVD to a MP4 video and Handbreak made it too compolicated to do! It turned my video in to a formatted slide show wich was a file that was unsuported

[@Pappysan]

Handbrake doesn’t necessarily decode DVD encryption. You usually have to pay for software that does.

[@NevaranUniverse]

Full guide but skips 80% of the settings.

[@quick-tutorials]

Video compression in itself could easily be a 40-hour course. Was there something specific you wanted to learn more about?

[@NevaranUniverse]

@@quick-tutorials Going through all the settings with at least some sort of short explanation wouldve been nice. And not just about the video editing; the program itself also has a bunch of things that couldve been nice to be said, like needing to add all to queue media that you added, if its more than one - and how.

[@illuzeweb]

hence it says QUICK TUTORIALS

[@Civilizashum]

the messed-up "music" as an underscore makes this entirely unwatchable for me

[@quick-tutorials]

Appreciate the feedback, noted on the music.

[@antoniiocaluso1071]

that BITRATE-part was still a little Vague.

[@quick-tutorials]

Thanks for the feedback, I did go over that pretty quickly trying to keep the overall video length reasonable. Bitrate is basically the "amount of data" that's being used to display your video every second. High bitrate -> more data -> better video quality. Larger resolutions and high frame rates require higher bitrates to maintain decent image quality, and with smaller resolutions you can get away with lower bitrates while still maintaining good image quality. The contents of your video also matter - static imagery with simple colors doesn't require a very high bitrate to look good, while fast-moving shots with lots of fine detail will need a much higher bitrate, or they will look pixelated. An ideal bitrate depends on the material you're working with, and where the video will be displayed. KZbin for example recommends 8000kbps for regular 1080p video and between 35,000 to 45,000 kbps for 4K video.

[@KMSB-q9u]

Thanks!

[@quick-tutorials]

❤ you're too kind. Thanks for the support!

[@dave10101]

hey I try to download the file/video but it states “0 mb size and couldn’t find local storage” what can I do to fix this?

[@quick-tutorials]

Is that happening when you're first importing a file into Handbrake? It sounds like that file might be corrupted or incomplete. That, or your system isn't allowing Handbrake to access the volume where the file is located. Or if the file is in cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive, make sure it's first downloaded locally on your computer.

[@dave10101]

@ I don’t think it happens when importing the file but how can I tell if the file is corrupted or incomplete? How can I allow Handbrake to access the volume do I just give it administration?