100% quality options

[Asciiguy]

I had been using 9.4 and enjoying it for quite some time.

I'm now using 9.5, when using the container "MP4" and the video codec "MP4" where did the 100% option go ? it was there in 9.4

[JohnAStebbins]

0.9.5 eliminated the % designation for the quality slider because it was misleading. We now display the CRF or QP value that is used by the underlying encoder. A CRF value of 0 for the x264 encoder is the same as 100%. Unless you have some very special needs, you should not be using a value of 0 (100%), as it will generate output files that are larger than your input file under most circumstances.

[jamiemlaw]

It hasn't moved: you still drag that slider all the way to the right. It just says "RF: 0" instead of "100%". The reason they dropped the percentage label is to stop people from being tempted to slide it all the way to 100% and think that was normal.

[Asciiguy]

0.9.5 eliminated the % designation for the quality slider because it was misleading. We now display the CRF or QP value that is used by the underlying encoder. A CRF value of 0 for the x264 encoder is the same as 100%. Unless you have some very special needs, you should not be using a value of 0 (100%), as it will generate output files that are larger than your input file under most circumstances.

What's a good setting to use then that isn't twice the file size but isn't grainy, I want crisp picture but doesn't need to be lossless obviously.

[thompson]

For standard def material, start at RF18. Anything substantially lower than that and you're just wasting bits.

Are you pixel peeping or actually watching the movie play?

[match]

I find 18.5 to be the sweet spot for my viewing pleasure. The files are a little large, but not too bad. Of course, size and other things also depends on the advanced settings you use.

[Asciiguy]

I'm encoding in the MP4 codec and container for the purpose of an iPod Touch.

I'm actually avidly watching movies rather that just listening to them and I tend to be picky, some are award winning movies and I want crisp sound and video.

100% of my encodes are of already encoded material.

Half of my encodes are of 720p HD BluRay movies already encoded into H.264 with a Matroska container/wrapper with soft subs that can be enabled or disabled.

The rest are Anime of various containers/formats *Mainly 720p HD*, 90% of the anime is in a Matroska container/wrapper with soft subs that can be enabled or disabled, I'm aware Handbrake 9.5 finally gives the ability to not have to demux subs and save them to an srt them add them in with HB.

[Tree Dude]

I have been using CQ 19 for quite some time and I cannot see a difference in quality from the original DVD on my 42" 1080P TV. So do not think You will see a huge difference on your iPod.

I assume your using the iPhone 4 (assuming your Touch is current gen) preset and just changing the CQ slider?

Also I would like to point out that film has grain. If you are ripping a movie shot on real film (or shot digitally and had grain added for effect) then you are not going to get an image with no grain. Nor should you want to strip that grain out, as the film maker intended for it to be there.