Video compression/Handbrake settings

Cinnamint · 07-04-2014, 01:33 AM

I've been using Handbrake to compress movies and it usually works well. However I have some large files (bigger than 1gb) that always come out huge (sometimes bigger than original), and it takes forever - processing is at a couple of frames per second. I don't understand why. These are mp4 files but I've compressed mp4s successfully in the past. I usually just set the quality down to 24-26, variable frame rate and it's fine. Are there other settings I should look at? Any other good compression tools for linux (that a dummy like me an use without much trouble!)?

Tx

baldur_1 · 07-04-2014, 10:26 AM

not all mp4s are the same. mp4 is just a container not what hte file is. so the file underneath is probably the issue because it could have been encoded with ffmpeg, h.264 or whatever else and if you are trying to use a different encoder now, it would have issues. i would try switching the video encode part of handbrake. it is really one of the better encoders i have used.

i do have a ton of experience in this field but i use mainly the winsuck version of most tools. are you just trying to compress mp4s or are you working from source. another linux option might be to use makemkv.

schneidz · 07-04-2014, 10:31 AM

i use xvidenc to make xvid/ac3's wrapped up in mkv's:

Code:

schneidz@xbmc:~$ cat bin/xvidenc-ac3-mkv.ksh
#!/bin/bash
################### START OF COMMANDS ###################
dvd=`lsdvd $1 | grep "Disc Title:" | awk '{print tolower($3)}' | sed s/_/-/g`
#mkdir /home/xbmc/win/stuff/clips/$dvd
titles=`lsdvd $1 | grep ^Title: | cut -b 8-9 | tail -n 1`
i=1
if [ -n "$2" ]
then
 i=$2
 titles=$2
fi

while [ $i -le $titles ]
do

/usr/bin/mencoder "dvd://$i" -nosub -dvd-device $1 -o /dev/null -vf pp=al:c,softskip,unsharp=l5x5:.25:c5x5:.25,harddup -aid 128 -channels 6 -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3:abitrate=192 -a52drc 1 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1:turbo:me_quality=6:vhq=4:threads=2:max_bframes=2:bvhq=1:nopacked:quant_type=h263:noqpel:nogmc:trellis:nointerlacing:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:nolumi_mask:rc_reaction_delay_factor=0:rc_averaging_period=100:closed_gop:autoaspect -passlogfile "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.log"

/usr/bin/mencoder "dvd://$i" -nosub -dvd-device $1 -o "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`".avi -ffourcc XVID -vf pp=al:c,softskip,unsharp=l5x5:.25:c5x5:.25,harddup -aid 128 -channels 6 -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3:abitrate=192 -a52drc 1 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=2:bitrate=1000:me_quality=6:vhq=4:threads=2:max_bframes=2:bvhq=1:nopacked:quant_type=h263:noqpel:nogmc:trellis:nointerlacing:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:nolumi_mask:rc_reaction_delay_factor=0:rc_averaging_period=100:closed_gop:autoaspect -passlogfile "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.log"

sleep 2

/usr/bin/mkvmerge   --title "$dvd-$title-ac3" --track-name 0:"$dvd-$title-ac3" --language 1:en --track-name 1:"AC3 5.1" "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.avi"      -o "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.mkv"
sleep 2
rm "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.avi" "$dvd-`zero-pad-2.x $i`.log"
i=`expr $i + 1`
done
#################### END OF COMMANDS ####################

there is also an h264enc.