[Rejected] Video passthrough support

[infi]

Hi, I'd like to request that you consider adding video passthrough support.

Searching the forums on Google, I see this has been suggested before, so I'm sorry if I'm bothering anyone, but as there doesn't seem to have been much of a reply to the past requests, hopefully I can explain a bit better why I think this feature would be worth implementing.

Handbrake includes fantastic support for audio conversion and downmixing, which is simply unrivaled at least on the Mac, but whenever one wants to convert a movie with video that's already in H.264, the video has to be completely reencoded which takes a lot of processing power and also reduces the video quality. Video passthrough would enable conversion of audio format - for purposes such as XBox360 or iTunes compatibility - using what I believe to be the best available audio conversion software, and without the need for complicated workflows including demuxers and muxers.

In addition, as Handbrake already supports AC3 audio passthrough, having video passthrough too would make it very useful as a remuxer, especially on platforms such as Mac where options are limited.

I hope this explains why I think there could be great utility in having video passthrough support in Handrake, and maybe you'd consider giving it a second chance to make its way onto a planned feature list.

Thanks for your time, and keep up the great work.

[jamiemlaw]

I think the main reason for video passthrough not being implemented is that it would begin to turn HandBrake, as you even suggested, into a remuxer, which is beyond its scope. For that sort of thing, there's Subler.

On a Mac, the current workflow to re-encode audio is as follows:

• Re-encode the current version of the movie with the correct audio settings, but the worst video settings (advanced settings at their lowest, RF at 51, resolution at 64x64, filters off)
• Open your original file in Subler, and delete the audio track
• Import the new file and choose only the audio
• Save and you're done.

All in all, it's not that taxing. Despite that, though, this could be greatly simplified if HandBrake did have an H.264 passthrough option.

• Re-encode the movie again choosing passthrough and the correct audio settings
• Done

The downside to that, though, is that it probably wouldn't preserve any of the original file's metadata. The steps you'd have to go through to re-add it probably outweighs just using the current solution.

[CrazyLexx]

I think the main reason for video passthrough not being implemented is that it would begin to turn HandBrake, as you even suggested, into a remuxer, which is beyond its scope. For that sort of thing, there's Subler.

Because of the lack of proper alternatives on the mac plattform, I'd really like to see this feature to be implemented as well. While I can see why they want to shy away from turning handbrake into an all-purpose remuxer tool, why not add this feature just as a simple checkbox somewhere deep down in the options of a custom preset without promoting the fact that the option is even there in the first place? Or as some kind of unsupported feature for the small percentage of 360 users who know what they are looking for?

[s55]

I think the main reason for video passthrough not being implemented is that it would begin to turn HandBrake, as you even suggested, into a remuxer, which is beyond its scope. For that sort of thing, there's Subler.

Is correct. There are no plans to implement it. It's outside the project scope.

[jbrjake]

I think the main reason for video passthrough not being implemented is that it would begin to turn HandBrake, as you even suggested, into a remuxer, which is beyond its scope. For that sort of thing, there's Subler.

While I can see why they want to shy away from turning handbrake into an all-purpose remuxer tool, why not add this feature just as a simple checkbox somewhere deep down in the options of a custom preset without promoting the fact that the option is even there in the first place? Or as some kind of unsupported feature for the small percentage of 360 users who know what they are looking for?

Sure, that's how creep begins, but it's not how it ends. We have to draw a line in the sand somewhere, and that line currently is "HandBrake is a video transcoder."

[Deleted User 11865]

It's too bad ffmpeg doesn't exist.

[CiceroS]

I am a user of Handbrake since I became a Mac user, five, six years ago. Today for the first time I needed a video passthrough option. Too bad. If Handbrake is (just) a video transcoding, it should not be a tool for audio transcoding or subtitles.

Sure, that's how a mere and mortal user start to finish to be... a user.

Regards.

[LonestarOrison]

I am a user of Handbrake since I became a Mac user, five, six years ago. Today for the first time I needed a video passthrough option. Too bad. If Handbrake is (just) a video transcoding, it should not be a tool for audio transcoding or subtitles.

Sure, that's how a mere and mortal user start to finish to be... a user.

Regards.

I think their intent is to provide a program that mimics the functionality of the H.264 for Apple Devices encoder pane of Apple Compressor. I guess if that's the case, though, the one feature they're missing is chapter images (which would be very nice to see implemented).

It would be cool to see -profile and -preset support, too, just to simplify the process of creating a suitable preset for yourself.

[mduell]

I am a user of Handbrake since I became a Mac user, five, six years ago. Today for the first time I needed a video passthrough option. Too bad. If Handbrake is (just) a video transcoding, it should not be a tool for audio transcoding or subtitles.

HandBrake is for user friendly video transcoding, which means including audio/subtitles/chapters/etc in a way that is convenient and compatible with many devices. If you don't want any of that, use a remuxer. If you want all of that convenience along with video passthrough, use HB and then remux.

I think their intent is to provide a program that mimics the functionality of the H.264 for Apple Devices encoder pane of Apple Compressor.

You are, of course, completely wrong. There's no intent to be targeted at iDevices, nor any limitations that make the output unsuitable for other devices. The relatively large number of iDevice presets are due to the developers owning those devices and being able to support an up to date preset for them.

[LonestarOrison]

You are, of course, completely wrong. There's no intent to be targeted at iDevices, nor any limitations that make the output unsuitable for other devices. The relatively large number of iDevice presets are due to the developers owning those devices and being able to support an up to date preset for them.

Well, yeah, but it is a big feature that most people use HandBrake for. And naturally, due to it's flexibility, it can be used for a much wider variety of video transcoding, too. Anyways.

[CiceroS]

I am a user of Handbrake since I became a Mac user, five, six years ago. Today for the first time I needed a video passthrough option. Too bad. If Handbrake is (just) a video transcoding, it should not be a tool for audio transcoding or subtitles.

HandBrake is for user friendly video transcoding, which means including audio/subtitles/chapters/etc in a way that is convenient and compatible with many devices. If you don't want any of that, use a remuxer. If you want all of that convenience along with video passthrough, use HB and then remux.

Friendly means having choices. And certainly they exist in Handbrake for "audio/subtitles/chapters/etc." But... But I'm a dummy, and options for dummies mean one click, just one click. But dummies are also loyal and I am faithful to the choices I made (including the Handbrake). I mean, to some extent.

(But that just happened, there was no premeditation, I just happened to come across an unusual device and I had not transcode the video in question. I thought about Handbrake and thought, "Wow, if there was this option, this would save my day!")

Anyway, thanks for listening.

[mduell]

I am a user of Handbrake since I became a Mac user, five, six years ago. Today for the first time I needed a video passthrough option. Too bad. If Handbrake is (just) a video transcoding, it should not be a tool for audio transcoding or subtitles.

HandBrake is for user friendly video transcoding, which means including audio/subtitles/chapters/etc in a way that is convenient and compatible with many devices. If you don't want any of that, use a remuxer. If you want all of that convenience along with video passthrough, use HB and then remux.

Friendly means having choices.

And transcoding means transcoding.

[fiftyfour123]

If anyone's still interested, I made a simple bash script for Remuxing an MKV file with H.264 video and AC3 5.1 audio to an MP4 with H.264 video and an AC3 5.1 audio track and an AAC 2 channel audio track. Here it is: http://bit.ly/dwSE8A

Usage is "sh Remuxer.sh /path/to/folder/of/mkv's"

The script will ignore any file in the folder that isn't an mkv, so don't worry if there's anything else in the folder.

For this to work you need to have ffmpeg, mp4box, mkvextract, and mp4track (part of mp4v2). It also assumes that the audio track in the MKV file has a track id of 2. You can change this if you need to on line 9 of the bash script.

[TheShredBox]

Long time user, first time poster.
All this talk about scopecreep makes me wonder whose been running things over here. I've watched this program go through tough times as people squabbled and forked and unforked, but splitting hairs about muxing? It seems kind of small coming from programmers that have done so much. Sure it transcodes, but to the layuser it also remuxes as seen when it transcodes the video/audio then muxes in the original ac3 (though only the code would tell).

Simply put, you guys (and your predecessors) have made a phenomenal product that: transcodes both video and audio, transcodes video and passes through audio, but will not pass through video and transcode audio.

This suggestion has been around for years because it would be extremely useful, and I hope that someday someone with more expertise than myself will realize that enabling Handbrake to pass through video as it transcodes audio will not make Handbrake a remuxer.

Keep up the great work. I'm looking forward to Nov 23rd.

[nightstrm]

Long time user, first time poster.
All this talk about scopecreep makes me wonder whose been running things over here. I've watched this program go through tough times as people squabbled and forked and unforked, but splitting hairs about muxing? It seems kind of small coming from programmers that have done so much. Sure it transcodes, but to the layuser it also remuxes as seen when it transcodes the video/audio then muxes in the original ac3 (though only the code would tell).

Simply put, you guys (and your predecessors) have made a phenomenal product that: transcodes both video and audio, transcodes video and passes through audio, but will not pass through video and transcode audio.

This suggestion has been around for years because it would be extremely useful, and I hope that someday someone with more expertise than myself will realize that enabling Handbrake to pass through video as it transcodes audio will not make Handbrake a remuxer.

Keep up the great work. I'm looking forward to Nov 23rd.

All it would take is a developer, either current or new, deciding that this functionality is important enough to them to develop AND maintain the code. None of the current devs have shown any interest in this feature, and no one else has stepped up to the plate.

[RayDon]

Hello, we could really use a video stream copy option in windows. I use handbrake on windows where Subler isn't available and TSMuxer doesn't do mkv files. I haven't found a decent windows mkv remuxer. Anyone have suggestions?

I like the new ac3 encoder and I would like to recode some of the DTS moves I made with handbrake into AC3 for better size and compatibility.

It seems like you are one step away from having a remuxer, and the step is just telling it not to process the video. So why not consider expanding the scope. I'm sure that would make it the most popular video program for windows and macs.

[s55]

So why not consider expanding the scope

defeats the purpose of having a scope. There are plenty of good muxing tools around. HandBrake will not be one of them. End of story.

It seems like you are one step away from having a remuxer, and the step is just telling it not to process the video

Not quite. It's not that simple.


At the end of the day, there isn't any developer interest in this, and theres defiantly an interest in avoiding scope creed. Features are never implemented on a demand basis, only developer interest contributes features.

[mduell]

Hello, we could really use a video stream copy option in windows. I use handbrake on windows where Subler isn't available and TSMuxer doesn't do mkv files. I haven't found a decent windows mkv remuxer. Anyone have suggestions?

mkvtoolnix would be an obvious choice.

It seems like you are one step away from having a remuxer, and the step is just telling it not to process the video.

I eagerly await your patch and continued development support.

[JohnAStebbins]

Just an FYI, video passthru (and audio passthru for that matter) is not a simple matter of "just passing through the data". There are container settings that must be set for each codec type that you want to passthru. So there would be additional unique code that would need to be added for each flavour of video you want to pass. In addition, you can not simply pass video without regard for synchronization. You have to look at the timestamps for each frame and make sure they align properly with the timestamps of audio and subtitles. If they don't, you can't simply drop or duplicate video frames. The way video is encoded, one frame is dependent of data encoded in earlier and latter frames (B and P frames). So to correct sync, you would have to drop audio or insert audio silence.

Is this sounding ugly enough for you yet?

[eddyg]

I've often wanted this feature in HB, and am capable of doing it. However as noted it is non trivial, and required too much effort vs reward, so I gave up.

It was mainly the pain of synchronization that causes the difficulty, and then all the special caressing as burnt in subs that would need to be disabled in all the GUIs. Implying effort on the part of other developers not interested in the feature.

Cheers Ed.

[zimon]

I'd also would like if there would be both "copy" and "null" video and audio codecs available for transcoding.
Would use "null" video codec to turn my MTV MPEG-TS files to Vorbis-files.
Would use "copy" audio codec to transcode MPEG-TS files to a temporary storage.

Also, the feature request to support Ogg and MPEG cointainers is mostly likely rejected, so above example of taking audio out of MTV videos would be difficult anyway.

I have used mencoder before for these, and maybe need to in the future also.
I just like VERY MUCH HandBrake's GUI and that is seems to get audio and video in sync where mencoder and ffmpeg fails often. (Well, I haven't tried MPEG-TS files yet which have commercials in the middle which have different resolution as the movie which I want to transcode. That is a hard case where mencoder fails always.)

(I tried to start new thread about "null" codec before I found this, where "copy" codec is requested.)

[s55]

Thread locked. This isn't up for debate.

Also, the feature request to support Ogg and MPEG cointainers is mostly likely rejected,

Correct. Ogm was removed almost 2 years ago now.