Handbrake encoding

[Mac User 8295]

Hi guys just a quick query on the presets.

I was wondering if there was much to be gained in encoding a standard DVD with anything above the iPad preset. It appears to be pretty similar to some others and the source quality isn't brilliant anyway. Is it worth going for a higher preset, waiting longer and potentially yeilding much bigger files for not that superior quality.

Thanks in advance for any response!

 

[mabaty]

I typically run the Apple TV2 preset, with video slider @ 18.5, it will keep 5.1 audio that way.

 

[dynaflash]

Is it worth going for a higher preset, waiting longer and potentially yeilding much bigger files for not that superior quality.

Thanks in advance for any response!

A "Higher Preset" assuming you are meaning higher encoding options ( like the High Profile preset) will typically produce the same or maybe a bit better quality at a lower file size ... and yes at the expense of longer encoding time.

That said as previously mentioned ... the video quality slider will up the visual quality at the expense of file size presuming nothing else is changed on the preset. For SD dvd it is my own opinion that an rf value ( on the quality slider) of 19.25 - 19 is as close to visually transparent as you will get. I have tested above that and in general there is little to gain with a fairly decent balloon in file size. Remember the scale is not linear ... it is logarithmic which means as you go up in quality (lower in rf, its like golf, a lower score is better 'quality') the file size will go up exponentially.

In general the built in presets rf value of 20 is considered a reasonable tradeoff in file size vs. retaining visual quality.

Try using the iPad preset and bumping the quality slider to 19. Look at the comparable visual quality (using the exact same source) to the stock iPad preset at rf 20 (don't change anything else). See if the file size tradeoff is worth the visual quality change (if you can detect it).

 

[Mac User 8295]

Many thanks for the responses!