Handbrake issue?

[LevMac]

Sorry guys, wasn't sure whether to post this in another Handbrake thread or not.

The issue im having is, im converting MKV files through Handbrake using the Apple TV 3 preset, and lets say the MKV is about 8GB or 9GB, my Handbrake conversion comes out at 4.5GB ? Even if the MKV is about 5GB, the Handbrake conversion comes out at almost 4GB?

From memory, my Handbrake conversions from an 8GB MKV used to come out at around 6GB or so? Has anything changed in the latest update to Handbrake?

I guess what im trying to get at is that Handbrake might be lowering the quality on my MKV's ? I do know it compresses these files but didn't know it lowered the file size that much

 

[priitv8]

I'm not sure what's your reference to compare with, but recent HB-s default to constant quality (as opposed to constant bitrate) setting, which effectively creates a VBR compression. You can test with various CQ slider settings to see the effects.
IMHO, HB (in essence the free x264 coder) does the best job on achieving picture quality from least bitrate.

 

[LevMac]

I'm not sure what's your reference to compare with, but recent HB-s default to constant quality (as opposed to constant bitrate) setting, which effectively creates a VBR compression. You can test with various CQ slider settings to see the effects.
IMHO, HB (in essence the free x264 coder) does the best job on achieving picture quality from least bitrate.

Thanks for the reply 🙂

So would I need to adjust the Constant Quality setting to the left or right ?

Also, does changing the H.264 Level higher than 4.0 make things better?

Sorry I have no idea lol

 

[priitv8]

So would I need to adjust the Constant Quality setting to the left or right ?

Also, does changing the H.264 Level higher than 4.0 make things better?

Yes, but pay attention that the scale is logarithmic! And larger figure gives you less quality. I've left mine at default 20 for 720p encodings and reduced to 22.5 for 1080p encodings.
The H.264 level has no direct impact on bitrate, but depending on your playback device, there might be a limit. E.g. Apple TV 3 can't play back any profile above High 4.0!
A primer to H.264 levels and profiles

 

[mic j]

I would also like to add that the transcoded file size is heavily dependent on the source. For instance, films with a lot of grain get compressed a lot less than films with minimal/no grain. Similar thing goes on with dark scenes, amount of action, etc. So file size may/may not be an indication of transcode quality depending on source material. I tend to ignore file size, trusting in HB to give me the best possible quality regardless of the source.

 

[LevMac]

Thanks for the replies guys 🙂

I have decided to set my CQ setting at 16 and the quality is fantastic 🙂