Media Handbrake

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

• You want presets, not flags. HandBrake > ffmpeg for "just transcode this well."
• You're targeting a consumer device (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV).
• You need dependable auto-crop of black bars and built-in deinterlace/denoise.
• You want 2-pass encoding with sane defaults in one flag (-2).
• You're ripping DVD/Blu-ray titles (--title N) or batch-converting a library.
• Don't use HandBrake for: MXF/IMF broadcast delivery, complex ffmpeg filter_complex graphs, HLS/DASH packaging, DRM, live streaming, bitstream filters. Use ffmpeg or the matching specialized skill.

Step 1 — Install

# macOS
brew install handbrake           # provides HandBrakeCLI + HandBrake.app

# Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install handbrake-cli

# Windows / official builds
# https://handbrake.fr/downloads2.php   (CLI tarball)

# Docker
docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/data" jrottenberg/handbrake \
  -i /data/in.mkv -o /data/out.mp4 -Z "Fast 1080p30"

# Verify
HandBrakeCLI --version

Python helper:

uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py check

Step 2 — Pick a preset

List every built-in preset (categorized):

HandBrakeCLI --preset-list
uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py list-presets

Categories you will see: General (Fast / HQ / Super HQ), Web (Creator / Discord / Gmail / Vimeo / YouTube), Devices (Apple / Android / Chromecast / Fire TV / Playstation / Roku / Xbox), Matroska (H.264/H.265 MKV), Production (Standard, Max, Proxy). Preset names include the resolution and frame cap, e.g. "Fast 1080p30" caps output at 1080p30 regardless of source.

Common go-tos:

Step 3 — Run

Use a built-in preset (80% of real work):

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -Z "Fast 1080p30"

2-pass:

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -Z "HQ 1080p30 Surround" -2

Web-optimized MP4 (moov atom at head):

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -Z "Fast 1080p30" --optimize

Custom encode (x264 CRF 20, medium speed, film tune, AAC 128k, auto-crop, anamorphic, all subs, no burn-in):

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 \
  -e x264 -q 20 --encoder-preset medium --encoder-tune film \
  -B 128 -a 1 -E av_aac \
  --all-subtitles --subtitle-burned=none --subtitle-default=1 \
  --auto-anamorphic --crop-mode auto --optimize

Target bitrate instead of CRF (-b kbps):

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e x264 -b 2500 -2

Hardware encoders:

# Apple VideoToolbox (macOS)
HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e vt_h264 -q 65
HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e vt_h265 -q 65

# NVIDIA
HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e nvenc_h264 -q 22
HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e nvenc_h265 -q 22

# Intel Quick Sync
HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -e qsv_h264 -q 22

DVD rip (pick title):

HandBrakeCLI -i /Volumes/DVD --title 1 -o movie.mp4 -Z "H.264 MKV 1080p30"

Dry run (export job as JSON):

HandBrakeCLI -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -Z "Fast 1080p30" --json > job.json

Python helper covers all of the above:

uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py encode -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 -Z "Fast 1080p30" --2pass --optimize
uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py custom -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 --encoder x264 --quality 20 --preset-name medium --tune film --audio-bitrate 128
uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py apple -i in.mkv -o out.mp4 --device iphone
uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py batch --indir ./mkvs --outdir ./mp4s -Z "Fast 1080p30"
uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py inspect -i in.mkv --json

Step 4 — Verify

ffprobe -v error -show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height,r_frame_rate,bit_rate \
  -show_entries format=duration,size -of default=nk=0 out.mp4

For MP4 distribution, confirm fast-start:

ffprobe -v trace -i out.mp4 2>&1 | head -20 | grep -i moov
# "moov" should appear before "mdat"

Spot-check visually:

ffplay out.mp4

Reference docs

• references/handbrake.md — preset catalog, per-encoder flags, filter options, audio passthrough rules, JSON job spec, HandBrake-vs-ffmpeg decision matrix, recipe book (DVD, 4K-HDR→1080p-SDR, anime grain preservation, archival MKV).

Gotchas

• HandBrake is a wrapper around libx264/libx265/libvpx/libaom/ffmpeg libs with opinionated defaults. It is not raw ffmpeg — most -ffmpeg flags are ignored. Presets encode thousands of hours of community wisdom; -Z "Preset Name" handles ~80% of real-world transcoding.
• Preset names include resolution. "Fast 1080p30" caps output at 1080p30 even if the source is 4K60. For 4K use "H.265 MKV 2160p60", "Apple 2160p60 4K HEVC Surround", or "YouTube 4K 60".
• -q (CRF) scale depends on the encoder:
  • x264 / x265: 0–51, typical 18–28 (22 is default, lower = higher quality).
  • VP9 / AV1: 0–63.
  • VideoToolbox (vt_h264 / vt_h265): 0–100 (higher = higher quality, opposite of x264).
• --encoder-preset controls speed/compression tradeoff: ultrafast | superfast | veryfast | faster | fast | medium | slow | slower | veryslow | placebo. Slower = smaller/better.
• --encoder-tune options: film (live-action), grain (preserve noise/film grain), animation (cartoons/anime), psnr, ssim, fastdecode, zerolatency.
• --crop-mode auto scans black bars and crops — occasionally too aggressive (crops legitimate dark content). Override with --crop-mode custom --crop T:B:L:R or --crop-mode none.
• --comb-detect first runs detection and only deinterlaces if it sees combing. Safer than unconditional -d default on progressive sources.
• --nlmeans medium --nlmeans-tune film produces higher-quality denoise than ffmpeg's hqdn3d, but is significantly slower. Use --hqdn3d for a fast alternative.
• Audio copy:ac3 only passes through if the source is ac3. If it isn't, HandBrake falls back to the configured fallback encoder (default av_aac). --audio-copy-mask aac,ac3,eac3,dts,dtshd,mp3,truehd,flac controls which formats are allowed to pass through.
• -a 1,2,3 -E av_aac,copy:ac3,copy:dts configures per-track codecs positionally.
• DVD/Blu-ray sources: --title 0 scans all titles; --title N selects title N. --main-feature picks the longest title.
• --optimize is mandatory for Mac / web / streaming distribution — relocates the moov atom to the start so the file can play while downloading.
• Subtitles: --all-subtitles passes everything through; --subtitle-burned=1 burns the first (for open captions / hard-subs); --subtitle-default=1 marks the first as default for soft-sub playback; --subtitle-forced=1 only includes forced (foreign-language) subs.
• Chapters are preserved by default on MKV/MP4. --markers=chapters.csv imports custom chapter names.
• --json outputs the full job spec for scripting / reproducibility. Feed a modified JSON back in with --preset-import-file.
• HandBrake produces slightly larger files at equal VMAF than hand-tuned ffmpeg — the defaults favor safety (broader compatibility, better decode on low-end hardware). That's a feature, not a bug.
• Newer HandBrake (1.7+) has SVT-AV1 presets ("SVT-AV1 1080p30", "SVT-AV1 10-bit 1080p30"). Check HandBrakeCLI --version first.
• For broadcast/MXF/IMF workflows, use ffmpeg directly. HandBrake can't write MXF, do filter_complex graphs, or handle SMPTE 2110/2022.

Examples

Example 1: 4K MKV → iPhone-playable MP4

HandBrakeCLI -i movie.mkv -o movie.mp4 -Z "iPhone and iPod touch" --optimize

Result: 1080p H.264, AAC stereo, fast-start MP4, plays on every iPhone since the 6s.

Example 2: Batch convert a directory of MKVs

uv run ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/handbrake.py batch \
  --indir ~/Videos/raw --outdir ~/Videos/encoded -Z "Fast 1080p30"

Walks raw/ recursively, preserves subdirectory structure, skips already-existing outputs.

Example 3: Anime that must preserve grain

HandBrakeCLI -i episode.mkv -o episode.mp4 \
  -e x265 -q 19 --encoder-preset slow --encoder-tune animation \
  --all-subtitles --subtitle-default=1 --optimize

Example 4: 2-pass archival with 2500 kbps target

HandBrakeCLI -i master.mov -o archive.mp4 \
  -e x264 -b 2500 -2 --encoder-preset slow --optimize

Troubleshooting

Error: Unknown preset: Fast 1080p30

Cause: HandBrake too old, or typo in preset name. Solution: HandBrakeCLI --preset-list and copy the exact name. Upgrade with brew upgrade handbrake.

Error: Failed to open output file

Cause: Output directory does not exist, or insufficient permissions. Solution: mkdir -p $(dirname out.mp4) before running; check write permissions.

Output is unexpectedly small / low-quality

Cause: Preset capped resolution or framerate ("Fast 1080p30" is 1080p30, not 4K60). Solution: Use a preset matching source resolution/fps, or a Production / Super HQ preset.

Auto-crop removed content I wanted to keep

Cause: --crop-mode auto detected dark content as black bars. Solution: --crop-mode none (no crop) or --crop-mode custom --crop 0:0:0:0.

Audio passthrough silently re-encoded to AAC

Cause: Source codec not in --audio-copy-mask, or track codec doesn't match your copy:<codec> hint. Solution: --audio-copy-mask aac,ac3,eac3,dts,dtshd,mp3,truehd,flac and ensure your -E token matches source.

HDR looks washed out after encoding to SDR

Cause: HandBrake doesn't tone-map HDR→SDR well. That's an ffmpeg job. Solution: Use the ffmpeg-hdr-color skill with zscale/tonemap, or libplacebo.