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HandBrake Documentation

repository·master·Indexed 42 days ago

https://github.com/handbrake/handbrake-docs

A layperson's guide to using HandBrake, focusing on common workflows and plain language. Includes detailed guides on features, controls, and a comprehensive command-line reference for HandBrakeCLI, covering video encoding options (x264, x265, VP9, etc.), audio track configuration, and subtitle management.

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What's inside HandBrake

  1. Getting started with HandBrake

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    HandBrake is a video transcoder used to convert video from one format to another. For new users, the workflow typically involves:

    1. Installation: Downloading and installing the officially supported version for your operating system.
    2. Basic Workflow: Opening a video source, selecting a preset (tailored settings for device compatibility), adjusting quality settings, previewing the output, and starting the encoding process.
    3. Advanced Workflows: Using the queue to manage multiple jobs, creating custom presets, resizing video, or managing audio and subtitle tracks.

    For technical users, HandBrake provides a Command Line Interface (CLI) for automation and extensive technical documentation regarding codecs, hardware encoders (AMD VCE, Apple VideoToolbox, Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC), and container formats.

  2. Overview of HandBrake workflows and documentation

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    HandBrake is a video transcoder used to convert video from one format to another. The documentation is organized into several key areas for users:

    • Getting Started: Includes quick start guides, installation instructions, and how to check for updates.
    • Making Videos: Covers the standard encoding workflow: opening a source, selecting presets, adjusting quality, previewing settings, and starting the encode.
    • Advanced Workflows: Provides guidance on using the job queue, creating custom presets, managing audio/subtitles, resizing video, and adding chapter markers.
    • CLI Documentation: Contains the command line reference and a full list of CLI options for headless or scripted encoding.
    • Technical Documentation: Deep dives into video codecs, hardware encoders (AMD VCN, Apple VideoToolbox, Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC, Media Foundation), audio quality, container formats, and system requirements.
    • Developer Documentation: Instructions for building HandBrake from source on various platforms including BSD, Linux (multiple distributions), macOS, and Windows.

  3. Understand the HandBrake Documentation License (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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    The HandBrake documentation is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

    This license allows you to:

    • Reproduce and Share: Copy and distribute the material in whole or in part.
    • Adapt: Produce, reproduce, and share modified versions of the material.

    However, you must comply with the following conditions:

    1. Attribution

    If you share the material (including modified versions), you must:

    • Retain identification of the creator(s) and any others designated for attribution.
    • Retain any copyright notices.
    • Retain a notice referring to this Public License.
    • Retain a notice referring to the disclaimer of warranties.
    • Provide a URI or hyperlink to the Licensed Material where reasonably practicable.
    • Indicate if you modified the material and retain indications of previous modifications.
    • Indicate that the material is licensed under this Public License and include the text or a link to the license.

    2. ShareAlike

    If you share Adapted Material (material derived from or based upon the original), you must:

    • Apply an Adapter's License that is a Creative Commons license with the same License Elements (Attribution and ShareAlike), this version or later, or a BY-SA Compatible License.
    • Include the text or a link to the Adapter's License you applied.
    • Not impose additional terms or Effective Technological Measures that restrict the rights granted under your Adapter's License.

  4. Access HandBrake Documentation

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    HandBrake documentation is available in two formats:

    1. Official Published Documentation: The primary resource for learning how to use HandBrake. It is designed for laypersons and uses plain language and visual guides. Use this for all standard usage needs.
    2. Source Files: The raw documentation files are hosted on GitHub for developers or contributors interested in the documentation project itself.

  5. Handle SSA subtitle styling and limitations

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    SSA subtitles support both pass-through and hard burn methods:

    • Hard Burn: All styling (fonts, colors, etc.) is preserved. However, animated effects (e.g., fade in/out, karaoke) are not supported; HandBrake will only use the middle frame of the animation.
    • Pass-through (Text): Only bold, italic, and underline styles are preserved. Note that some playback software may not support displaying multiple passed-through SSA tracks simultaneously.

  7. How HandBrake Presets work

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    A Preset is a predefined group of settings tailored for specific software, devices, or use cases (e.g., Web, Devices, Matroska). Selecting a Preset ensures compatibility by enforcing specific constraints on the output video.

    Key behaviors of Presets:

    • Downscaling: If the source resolution is higher than the preset's maximum, the video is downscaled (e.g., a 1080p60 source becomes 720p30 when using a 720p30 preset).
    • Frame Rate Limiting: If the source frame rate is higher than the preset's maximum, the frame rate is peak limited (e.g., 60 fps becomes 30 fps).
    • Audio Enforcement: Presets may enforce specific audio configurations. For example, a preset without surround sound will encode only stereo audio and drop discrete surround channels. Conversely, a surround sound preset will encode stereo and attempt to "pass through" or encode surround audio to a compatible format.

    Recommendation for beginners: Use the Fast 1080p30 preset. It is designed to be fast and compatible across most software and devices.

  8. Use HandBrake advanced workflows

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    For more complex video processing tasks, HandBrake supports several advanced features:

    • Queueing: Set up and manage multiple encoding jobs simultaneously.
    • Custom Presets: Create and save your own specific encoding configurations.
    • Subtitles and Chapters: Add subtitle tracks and chapter markers to your output files.
    • Video Resizing: Manually adjust the dimensions of your video.
    • Audio Management: Configure audio defaults and preserve surround sound settings.

  9. Understand subtitle output methods: Hard Burn vs. Soft Subtitles

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    HandBrake provides two primary ways to include subtitles in your output file:

    1. Hard Burn: Subtitles are permanently rendered onto the video frames. They become part of the image and cannot be toggled on or off during playback.
    2. Soft Subtitles: Subtitles are included as separate, selectable tracks within the container. This allows the user to enable or disable them using compatible playback software.

    Note: Soft subtitles are currently unsupported in the WebM container.

  10. Understand Macroblock alignment and its impact on aspect ratios

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    MPEG encoders (MPEG-2, MPEG-4) process video in $16 \times 16$ pixel grids called macroblocks. To avoid encoding 'garbage' data at the edges of a frame, dimensions should ideally be multiples of 16.

    This requirement often forces aspect ratios to be approximate. For example, if a $2.35:1$ movie requires a height of 360 pixels after cropping, but 360 is not divisible by 16, the encoder might use 352 or 368, slightly altering the aspect ratio.

    HandBrake handles this in two ways:

    1. Strict Anamorphic: Ignores macroblock requirements to prioritize exact aspect ratio preservation.
    2. Loose Anamorphic: Uses dimensions divisible by 16 (or a user-specified divisor) to optimize encoding quality and file size.

  12. What happens when Anamorphic is disabled

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    When Anamorphic is disabled, HandBrake corrects the aspect ratio by maintaining the width and squishing the height to match the target aspect ratio.

    For an NTSC source (720x480), if you attempt to correct the aspect ratio without anamorphic support, HandBrake will divide the 720 width by the aspect ratio, resulting in output dimensions like 720x404. This reduces the vertical line count from 480p to 404p, which is a significant reduction in picture quality.