Media Handbrake

Context: $ARGUMENTS

HandBrake is an opinionated wrapper around libx264 / libx265 / libvpx / libaom / ffmpeg libs. Its value is preset quality — names like "Fast 1080p30" or "Apple 2160p60 4K HEVC Surround" encode thousands of hours of community tuning. Reach for HandBrake when you want a reliable, opinionated encode with minimal flags. Reach for raw ffmpeg when you need MXF, complex filtergraphs, or something HandBrake doesn't speak.

Quick start

• Just convert something: → Step 2 → Step 3, preset "Fast 1080p30".
• For Apple devices: → Step 3, preset "Apple 1080p60 Surround" or "Apple 2160p60 4K HEVC Surround".
• For Discord upload: → Step 3, preset "Discord Nitro Small 540p30".
• Archival master: → Step 3, preset "Super HQ 1080p30 Surround" with -2 (2-pass).
• Batch a folder: → Examples → Batch.
• Custom CRF encode: → Step 3, custom subcommand.

When to use