Handbrake settings - DVD

[olivier renault]

Hi chaps, starting ripping my DVDs, wondering about what settings to use as they aren't quite perfect.

Target file size : around 1-1.5GB for 90 mins.

It's basically 'High Profile' with Constant Quality = 19, and Constant Framerate = 23.976.

So again, any way to improve would be good. I found the picture a bit too sharp a bit saturated comapred to the original DVD, like some sort of high pass filter is on. It's not too bad, but I'm sure it can be improved at little cost (file size).

Handbrake 0.9.8 (2012071700)

Output Settings
Container = MP4
Large File = yes
Web Optimised = yes
iPod 5G support = no

picture
width = 720 x 576
Anamorphic = loose
Modulus = 16
Cropping = automatic

Video Filters
Detelecine = off
Decomb = default
Deinterlace = off
Denoise = off
Deblock = off
Grayscale Encoding = off

Video
Video Codec = H.264(x264)
FrameRate = 23.976
Constant FrameRate = on
Peak Framerate (VFR) = off
Constant Quality = off
Avg Bitrate (kbps) = 1536
2-Pass encoding = on
Turbo First Pass = on

Audio (typically)
1 - English AC3 (5.1ch) - AAC - Dolby Pro Logic II - Auto - 160
2 - English AC3 (5.1ch) - AC3 Passthru - None - Auto - Auto

Subtitles (typically)
1 - English (VobSub) - No - No - No

Chapters
Create chapter markers = yes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
...

Advanced
Encoding
Reference Frame = Default (3)
Maximu B-frames = Default (3)
CABAC Entropy Coding = yes
8x8 transform = yes
Weighted P-frames = yes
Pyramidal B-frames = Default (normal)
Psychovisuals
No DTC-decimate = false
Adaptive Quantization Strength = 1.00
Psychovisual Rate Distortion = 1.00,0.00
Psychovisual Trellis = 1.00,0.00
Deblocking = Default (0) / Default (0)
Analysis
Adaptive B-Frames = Optimal
Adaptive Direct Mode = Default (spatial)
Motion Estimation Method = Default (Hexagon)
Subpixel ME & Mode Decision = Default (7)
Partition Type = Default (Most)
Trellis = Default (Encode Original?)


Result Speed : 25 mins transcoding for a 90 minute video.

Plan is to see if I can get some improvements over the visuals, and correct the OP with the best settings I found.

 

[olivier renault]

You say your ripping DVDs but the profile you're using seems suited to 720p (sub-HD) content. Which are you actually doing?

Anyway, by the looks of it your doing a single pass which means that the video is encoded with no frame prediction. 2-pass will improve the quality at the same average birate by doing a first pass that analyses the video and then is able to know when a frame that requires more bandwidth comes up.

The final quality of video also depends on how it's being decoded. Some software will natively apply filters that adjust the appearance, even between different formats.

Thanks. For the resolution, it's suppose to be using the best available. AFAIK, BluRay is 1080p, DVDs are 720p.

I'll give two-pass encoding a shot. Maybe a turbo first pass?

I may have to re-scan my Alien DVD's, which seem to suffer the most. The result is not actually that bad with Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland.

I'm also using the VLC DLL (libdvdcss.dll) to allow handbrake to read the DVDs.

 

[olivier renault]

Yeah, I mean 720 x 576.

Anyways, I'll play around with dual pass this evening.

 

[olivier renault]

Changing RF:19 to 1536 kbps two pass + turbo. Gives slightly smoother results, as well as smaller file size (Aliens Special Edition, 2 hours 28 minutes, 2.3GB versus 2.9GB). Hard to tell the difference, but the smaller file size is welcomed.

 

[olivier renault]

And that's it Dual Pass takes about twice the time (obviously), the quality is marginally better than high profile RF:19 with better or equal file size (Alien wasn't that much smaller).

So RF:19 for cheap and dirty encoding for movies I don't care about, and a nice high bitrate with two-pass encoding for the good stuff.

Cool, now only 200 DVDs to go... That's, hmm 300, 400 hours of encoding? Thank **** for my 2700K. What a champ!