How to Use Handbrake to Compress Video - Tutorial

How to Use Handbrake to Compress Video - Tutorial

Hey guys, this is Charles with Shutterstock, and in this tutorial, we're going to be taking a look at HandBrake, which is a free open-source video transcoder. We’ll explore how to use it and compare it with other applications like Adobe Media Encoder.

[Introduction Music]

What is HandBrake?

As I mentioned, HandBrake is a free open-source video transcoder that can be downloaded from handbrake.fr. It supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. It's great for transcoding videos you want to upload online because of its efficient encoder. Consequently, the file sizes are absurdly small, and the visual quality remains quite solid.

Supported Formats

While HandBrake can transcode video from nearly every format, it can only export to three formats:

• MP4: Most people are familiar with this format.
• MKV: An open-source container format.
• WebM: Another open-source format designed specifically for web browsers.

We’ll focus on the MP4 format since it's the most popular and probably the most relevant for us.

Benefits of HandBrake

HandBrake is awesome because it can encode MP4 files with the H.264 codec, utilizing an open-source encoder known as x264. Simply put, HandBrake can compress MP4 files very efficiently, often outperforming many other encoders.

Comparison with Adobe Media Encoder

Let’s compare an MP4 export between HandBrake and Adobe Media Encoder. Using an example video that's 16 seconds long and 1080p at 24 frames per second:

• Adobe Media Encoder: Used "Match Source Medium Bitrate" preset, resulting in a file size of 6.55 MB.
• HandBrake: Used the "Fast 1080p" preset, resulting in a file size of 3.67 MB.

While the HandBrake export is almost half as small, there were no noticeable visual differences during normal playback. Pixel-peeping frame by frame might reveal some compression, but this isn't visible to viewers.

Use Cases

HandBrake is ideal for:

1. Hosting videos online: Lower file sizes can reduce loading times.
2. Social media videos: Platforms prefer smaller video sizes.
3. Sending videos: Smaller file sizes can make emailing them viable, even without services like Dropbox or WeTransfer.

HandBrake Interface Walkthrough

1. Open HandBrake: You’ll be prompted to add a video file.
2. Add Video: Drag and drop the file or select it.
3. Preset Selection: Start with "Fast 1080p 30" and customize as needed.
4. Output Format: MP4 is the most relevant format.
5. Video Settings:
   • Codec: The default is H.264.
   • Frame Rate: Set to "Same as Source" to match the original.
   • Optimize Video: Consider "Very Slow" for better compression at the cost of longer encoding times.
   • Quality: Default is 22. Lower values provide better quality but bigger file sizes.

Audio Settings

• Bitrate: Increase from 160 to 320 for better audio quality.

Saving and Exporting

• File Location: Select where to save the file.
• Start Encode: Click "Start Encode" to begin the process.

Post-Processing

Note that HandBrake exports MP4s with the extension .m4v. This ensures better compatibility with QuickTime but you can change .m4v to .mp4 if preferred, and it will work fine.

Hopefully, you found this HandBrake tutorial helpful. If there's any other software you'd like us to review, let me know in the comments. Catch you next time!

[Closing Music]

Keywords

• HandBrake
• Free Open-source Video Transcoder
• MP4
• MKV
• WebM
• Adobe Media Encoder
• Video Compression
• H.264 Codec
• x264 Encoder
• Video Hosting
• Social Media Videos
• Presets
• Frame Rate
• File Size
• Audio Bitrate

FAQ

Q1: What is HandBrake? A1: HandBrake is a free open-source video transcoder that supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. It's used for efficiently compressing video files.

Q2: What file formats can HandBrake export to? A2: HandBrake can export to MP4, MKV, and WebM formats.

Q3: How does HandBrake compare to Adobe Media Encoder? A3: HandBrake often produces smaller file sizes with comparable visual quality. It uses an efficient open-source H.264 encoder known as x264.

Q4: What are the ideal use cases for HandBrake? A4: HandBrake is perfect for hosting videos online, creating social media videos, and sending videos via email due to its small file sizes.

Q5: What settings should I use for high-quality video export? A5: Use the "Fast 1080p 30" preset, set the frame rate to "Same as Source," optimize video encoding to "Very Slow," and maintain a constant quality setting around 22.

Q6: Why does HandBrake export files with the .m4v extension? A6: HandBrake uses the .m4v extension for better compatibility with QuickTime, but you can simply change .m4v to .mp4 if preferred.