Handbrake Average Bitrate. With the average bitrate, you control the size of the output file but
With the average bitrate, you control the size of the output file but give up control over the video's quality. Constant quality mode does the opposite; you specify a quality level and HandBrake adjusts the bitrate (that is, the size) to meet it. RF encoding is the inverse of two-pass encoding. I'm just testing my first bluray, what average bitrate do I need to use with blurays. To increase video quality, adjust the quality control toward the right. For example I have a 25 fps interlaced (PAL) DVD which has an mpeg2 bitrate of about 9800kbps. It's a very wasteful process and results are poor when compared with a two-pass or constant quality RF encode of the same bitrate. Constant Quality Nov 26, 2025 · HandBrake tutorial about how to calculate Handbrake video bitrate/quality settings when ripping DVD and converting videos. Average bitrate (ABR) can be used if you need to target a specific file size. With Avatar, I encoded the mkv ripped from Blu-Ray with Handbrake. Jun 25, 2012 · A somewhat brief list of some quick-and-dirty "best" advanced settings for Handbrake, based on v0. You can observe the variance in data by watching the video in VLC and showing media info (Window menu -> Media Information -> Statistics tab) where you will see “Stream bitrate”. Quality based Encoding Quality based encoding is supported for the following codecs: AAC MP3 Vorbis Opus The scale of the quality if much less pronounced compared to the video quality slider, so changes do not have nearly as big an Let me start off by saying that I’m well aware that Constant Quality delivers better results. 9. Your call. Hi I'm using handbrake to convert my dvd's and blurays to mkv. Use HandBrake to rip DVD and convert videos easily by getting familiar with HandBrake target size, average bitrate, constant quality. What I've come to notice is that Avg Bit rate tends to provide more consistent results when it comes to the visual fidelity of a film, meanwhile results produced by Constant quality even set to 18 RF provides sub-par noisy/pixelated results in low light environments especially. Beginning with version 0. Constant Quality Jan 12, 2026 · HandBrake is a free video transcoder used to convert, compress, and optimize video files. HandBrake tutorial about how to calculate HandBrake video bitrate/quality settings when ripping DVD and converting videos. The second option encodes at a given quality level with the final bitrate determined by the source. Konstante Qualität macht genau das Gegenteil. 265 is more efficient what bitrates should I be looking to target to achieve roughly the same results as the H. A lower RF number means higher quality. I usually go with 3300 kbps for tv shows and 5500 kbps for movies. A bitrate encoding at 320kbps is a good balance. Although in general there is a good correlation between quality and bitrate, a higher bitrate is not a guarantee for quality. 10 hours ago · FAQ 5: Should I use constant quality or average bitrate encoding? Constant quality (RF value in HandBrake) is generally preferred for achieving consistent quality throughout the video. Sep 7, 2025 · Rather it is the average Bitrate per second, and the amount of data used will vary depending on the video. There are several different modes HandBrake can operate in. Nov 22, 2021 · Rule of thumb: When compressing H264 video in HandBrake, you need 50% average bitrate for your H265 10bit encode to not loose any quality when compressing with a Medium preset and 2-pass encode. Constant Quality Also, as you move to lower x264 profiles/levels, it's possible to end up bitrate constrained at lower RF values which can throw a wrench into things if you move to faster presets that tend to use higher bitrates. A 2-pass average bit rate encoding is designed to create a file of a specific final bit rate and file size. If you set a lower maximum bitrate you would in effect downgrade the quality level of every RF encode, as it would be prevented from using the required higher peak bitrates (for that RF value). For example when transcoding a existing MP4 file with a low bitrate, to an MP4 with a high bitrate is total Jan 28, 2023 · In Handbrake, I once always used 2 pass but now instead avoid using a target filesize altogether because this makes the encoder use an average bitrate, causing more scenes to be prone to artifacts like blocking. 264 video encoding, and the reasoning behind those choices. 264 file I mentioned? Constant Quality vs Average Bit Rate HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video. There're two options available under Quality, constant quality and average bitrate respectively. Level 5 is simply a 'medium' setting, creating encodes on average below 320kbps. 264 files at an average bitrate of 3000kbps…. Here, we’ve removed the Decomb deinterlacing filter, audio tracks, and Foreign Audio Search, and encoded only video in average bit rate, 2-pass mode. 6 (way back in 2012!), Handbrake decided to do away with Target Size Mode - a great feature that determined your codec's average bitrate based on how large you wanted the file to be. Aug 7, 2025 · As a free and open-source transcoder for digital video files, HandBrake offers quite wonderful solutions for you to convert video/DVD to MP4 or MKV for totally free. The overall quality setting or average bit rate will also impact encoding speed, with higher quality and bit rate settings significantly increasing the time required to complete encodes. Let our Handbrake Video Bitrate calculator do the work Using the quality control Most of HandBrake’s official Presets use the x264 video encoder and a constant quality setting between RF 18 and 24. Aug 12, 2010 · Handbrake is an amazing tool for ripping your DVDs and converting your video files, but figuring out the right settings can be a challenge. The highest peak bitrate it might use will often be significantly higher than the final average bitrate for the entire encode. HandBrake’s default settings and most of the official Presets use a constant quality encoding method. 7 GB DVD, you could encode it to specifically fit that entire space without going over. The For consistency, I'd suggest using two-pass average bit rate encodes. since H. Encoder preset go with medium. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I can then look at those resulting file sizes and bitrates to determine the average bitrate of the final encode. HandBrake will leave portions of your video at or below the peak frame rate you select unchanged, while limiting higher frame rate video to the peak frame rate you select. Nov 27, 2008 · Hi there, I have been reading up for weeks and weeks now and have converted many videos through Handbrake, I started off using Average Bitrate and did a number of really successful encodes that looked amazing. With the average bitrate, you control the size of the output file but give up control over the video’s quality. 10-bit is very very slightly better than 8-but overall, but can be more helpful when you’re having problems with banding. Image quality is potentially more variable, but given the application, you'd roughly know the final file size ahead of time. These were all 5000kbs+ Then when the new Handbrake came out I updated and Constant Quality vs Average Bit Rate HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video. In this HandBrake guide, I’ll show you how to use HandBrake step by step, explain the best HandBrake settings for common tasks, and break down presets, file size control, and advanced options in plain language. The first option is an average bit rate encoding of 320kbps. I'd recommend: Format MP4 / Preset - General Fast 720p30 / Video - Avg Bitrate 2-pass - 1500 kbps bitrate. In this post, we are going to talk about the best bit rate/quality settings for HandBrake converting. A test encode with 2-pass encoding is not an accurate assessment of the end result. Always use constant quality unless you have a specific reason not to. A 2 hour movie at 5500 kbps should be roughly 6 GB. Average Bitrate HandBrake supports average bitrate for all audio encoders except FLAC, ALAC, and TrueHD. With two-pass you set the bit rate and Handbrake reads the video on its 1st pass to work out how best to apportion the available bit rate, on its 2nd pass, depending on the complexity of each frame. Constant Quality vs Average Bit Rate HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video. Nov 17, 2016 · How to calculate Handbrake video bitrate and quality settings when ripping DVD and converting video will be shared in below article. We’ve reduced the bit rate to 3000 kb/s to better highlight the efficiency of each encoder in terms of quality related to file size. Quality based Encoding Quality based encoding is supported for the following codecs: AAC MP3 Vorbis Opus The scale of the quality if much less pronounced compared to the video quality slider, so changes do not have nearly as big an File size in MegaBytes = ( bitrate in kbps x running time in sec ) / 1024 Hence, if you want to target a size in MegaBytes, using basic algebra we can manipulate the function to get your average bitrate using this formula. Konstante Qualität vs Durchschnittliche Bitrate HandBrake unterstützt zwei Modi für die Kodierung von Video. FAQ 6: How do I embed subtitles into a movie file? Constant Quality (RF) vs Average Bitrate (kbps) These have the largest impact on quality & file size. What would be a good x264 bitrate to match it quality wise without losing details (except the minimal quality loss for re-encoding), I found that 3000kbps is nearly identical for progressive sources. Move the Constant Quality RF slider far enough to the right (or use a high enough Average Bitrate) and the video will be large, and look indistinguishable from your source. To encode to a predefined file size, use two-pass average bit rate encoding and then enter the bit rate value that will give you the encode file size you need. If i want exact output or as close as possible should i add average bitrate Average Bit rate encoding is the lowest quality. This makes your new video look consistent from start to finish. Constant Quality Dec 30, 2016 · Preferred setting in HandBrake: h264. I'm using winff video converter to convert avi to avi by using 2pass mode. So if you knew you were burning something to a 4. Constant Quality Jan 16, 2016 · I have found going for average brings down the file size more than constant will as variable can detect where higher quality is needed, and you will not see the difference quality wise for the most part, but how many of you swear by constant bitrate? Adjusting quality HandBrake’s default settings and most of the official Presets use a constant quality encoding method. Jun 12, 2024 · Description of the feature or enhancement you'd like to see in HandBrake (rephrased my question to make it clearer) It would be nice to see the bitrate of the encoding in process - when I use a con A constant quality encode lets you choose the image quality level you want and Handbrake, will encode to that level, the file size you will only know at the end. You'll know the bit rate/file size, but not how it will look, until it's finished. High bitrates do not guarantee quality but seriously impact file size. That being said if I usually encode my H. Constant Quality Jul 28, 2019 · Enter an Average Bitrate (kbps) for the video between 5,000-10,000 (choose 10,000 unless you want a much higher quality video that will take longer to upload and download — see File Size Guide for more details). Mit der Durchschnittlichen Bitrate kannst du die Größe der Ausgabedatei kontrollieren aber gibst dafür die Kontrolle über die Videoqualität auf. Moving the slider to the extreme left (or using a low enough Average Bitrate), and you can get really small file sizes Quick question on bitrate settings in Handbrake Which setting under the Video tab of Handbrake puts out a variable bitrate? Constant Quality or Average bitrate? I do understand that Average Bitrate is still somewhat variable since Handbrake tries to keep it around that bitrate. Constant Quality and Two-pass encoding are the highest and identical at the same final bit rate. Constant Quality Benefits over Average Bitrate Faster Encoding 1 - Essential yes. The 80-20 rule is a thing, and 4k video still looks really good, even if you aren't streaming it at 35000 kbps. 3. I'd suggest you use Constant quality 1080p RF20 to start. In this tutorial, we’ll explore the essentials of Adjusting Constant Quality and Average Bitrate in HandBrake In this tutorial series, we will cover the major features of HandBrake, including HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video. Kown more for HandBrake target size, average bitrate, constant quality. Then just plug the calculated bitrate in the Avg Bitrate section of the Video tab in Handbrake: Constant Quality vs Average Bit Rate HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video. Detailed notes regarding the resolutions, bitrates and settings used for high-quality H. Quality based Encoding Quality based encoding is supported for the following codecs: - AAC - MP3 - Vorbis The scale of the quality if much less pronounced compared to the video quality slider, so changes do not have nearly as big an impact on file What's a good avg bitrate? I was told 4-5000 gives a respectable image for 720p, but I'm doing 1080p, is it the same? I could not find anyone saying anything to the contrary but I wanted to ask, given I'm not terribly savvy. The video quality is the variable, and unknown till the full encode has completed. Grainy sources will sometimes need up to 20 CRF to get file sizes that are reasonable (~8-15GB), while more modern digital sources can handle as low as 17 CRF without getting too bloated. These presets typically create files much larger than most compressed sources and are not suitable for general use. Use Handbrake to optimize bitrate for Streaming Written by George Boyadzhiev Updated over 2 years ago For average bitrate it depends how large you want the final file to be. If you have time to wait while Handbrake compresses the video, choose the 2-pass encoding for better results. For sports events, to get the best results, you really need to use higher bit rates, which means larger file sizes. Constant Quality How to reduce the bitrate of your videos using Handbrake. At the same size, an average bitrate and RF targeted encode will be the same output. Average Bitrate HandBrake supports average bitrate for all audio encoders except FLAC. ) using the RF setting is blowing up the file sizes to nearly 2-3gb in size There are several different modes HandBrake can operate in. . Jan 23, 2017 · I do a lot of video encoding via Handbrake. Constant Quality There are several different modes HandBrake can operate in. fr), this sub is for information exchange and helping out, not affiliated with the developers. Do the RF targeted encode, then do an average bitrate encode at the same bitrate the RF encode came out at, and you’ll get the same thing. Quality based Encoding Quality based encoding is supported for the following codecs: - AAC - MP3 - Vorbis The scale of the quality if much less pronounced compared to the video quality slider, so changes do not have nearly as big an impact on file Here, we’ve removed the Decomb deinterlacing filter, audio tracks, and Foreign Audio Search, and encoded only video in average bit rate, 2-pass mode. Production presets HandBrake’s Production Presets create mastering grade, short GOP, constant frame rate video with high bit rate audio, suited for professional video editing workflows. To reduce video quality, adjust the quality control toward the left. Simpler sources will result in a lower bitrate. Jun 2, 2007 · So how many people out there still use Average Bitrate? I am an adopter of using the RF Setting (RF 19 for all my DVD Movies worked AWESOME!), but on my concert bootlegs (Phish, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Beck, etc. Aug 26, 2009 · I go back and re-encode the video with the same settings, except I change the constant quality setting to an average bitrate of 3000kbps and the file size drops dramatically (like, by about 500mb) and I notice no drop in quality. You can improve encoding performance by using a faster video encoder, a faster encoder preset, and lowering the video quality or average bit rate. Before you start using HandBrake to convert DVD/video with the best quality, it's necessary to figure out what's difference between constant quality and average bitrate, what's the best HandBrake RF settings for HD/4K video, DVD and Blu-ray. In Handbrake, a single pass average bitrate encode uses a bitrate window within which it adjusts the bitrate in real-time while still staying near the bitrate value you set. This is the unofficial subreddit for the handbrake video conversion software (handbrake. Constant Quality vs Average Bit Rate HandBrake supports two modes of encoding video.