Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Handbrake, aTV2 & Blurays
- Thread starter Ste-ve
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Hi,
When converting Blu rays to the aTV2, Do you guys just use the Apple TV Preset? I want to get 720p and I'm not sure if I need to set Anamorphic to None and then enter a custom resolution of 1280x720?
Yes, you should set anamorphic to custom 1280 x 720. See here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/10880399/
Hi,
When converting Blu rays to the aTV2, Do you guys just use the Apple TV Preset? I want to get 720p and I'm not sure if I need to set Anamorphic to None and then enter a custom resolution of 1280x720?
Don't worry about setting anything. Just make sure you have the latest (0.9.5) version of Handbrake and use the new ATV2 preset.
Actually, the ATV2 preset is best. Remember, the standard is 1280 x 720....but a lot of movies are like 1280 x 544 (technically still 720 setting)....the ATV2 preset is also guided by the 1280 of the 1280x720 standard.
At least thats how I read it.
At least thats how I read it.
A 1280x720 encode with a custom anamorphic setting keeping the aspect ratio the same will play fine on the ATV2. However, you will not get as much bang for your buck as you would get playing the same file on the original ATV or on a Mac. Those devices can output 1080p and can take advantage of the extra resolution.
The ATV2 is limited to 720p output. So even if you have 720 horizontal lines on a wide screen movie the ATV2 is going to have to scale it back down to 555p or whatever to maintain the aspect ratio. So, it can play the 720 line encode just fine, it just cannot take advantage of the extra resolution yet.
Assuming ATV2 is never capable of ever outputting 1080p and is always limited to 720p, and you never plan on viewing the same encode on any other higher resolution device, the there might be an advantage in using the preset in that the lower resolution can result in smaller files sizes and save HD space.
However, that is a big assumption. The original ATV could not output 1080p initially, but that feature was added latter through a software upgrade. The ATV2 is even more capable hardware, and same thing could happen with 1080p being added by a software upgrade.
I use the 1280x720p custom anamorphic setting because I still have an original ATV that I use regularly. The files play fine on both versions and the higher resolution is definitely visible with the original ATV.
The ATV2 is limited to 720p output. So even if you have 720 horizontal lines on a wide screen movie the ATV2 is going to have to scale it back down to 555p or whatever to maintain the aspect ratio. So, it can play the 720 line encode just fine, it just cannot take advantage of the extra resolution yet.
Assuming ATV2 is never capable of ever outputting 1080p and is always limited to 720p, and you never plan on viewing the same encode on any other higher resolution device, the there might be an advantage in using the preset in that the lower resolution can result in smaller files sizes and save HD space.
However, that is a big assumption. The original ATV could not output 1080p initially, but that feature was added latter through a software upgrade. The ATV2 is even more capable hardware, and same thing could happen with 1080p being added by a software upgrade.
I use the 1280x720p custom anamorphic setting because I still have an original ATV that I use regularly. The files play fine on both versions and the higher resolution is definitely visible with the original ATV.
Thanks Guys, ill go with setting it manually as the atv2 preset isn't 720 it's alot lower
Put the disk in. That movie might technically be HD but the aspect ratio requires black bars at the top and bottom and you'll see that. What I understand the ATV2 preset does is not encode the black bars which is why it isn't reporting 720 in handbrake. Without attempting to go into technical details, basically you get the same result.
If you have a movie that does follow the aspect ratio of 16:9 TVs (the ones that fill up your HDTV without black bars at top and bottom) then you will see Handbrake reporting it as 1280x720 with the ATV2 preset.
Moral of the story, just use the ATV2 preset and forget about it. Trust me, the Handbrake developers know what they are doing. Far more than you or I.
Trust me, the Handbrake developers know what they are doing. Far more than you or I.
Actually, they make trade offs between quality and file size. Furthermore, as discussed above, it might make sense to deviate from the pre-set if you plan to view the encode on other devices including the original ATV or a Mac Mini HTPC. The pre-set will definitely get you acceptable results, but depending on your situation, you can do better. That is why handbrake gives you all the tools to tweak your encodes and is such a cool program.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.