HandBrake only inputs DvD source, which is fine. However, I'm one of the minority actually using it for file inputs, such as .mpg, .avi, etc. Mostly stuff from my PVR, and older VHS converted content, that I edit and clip (music videos, highlights, news archives, etc). In order to get HB to accept these clips I create a disc image with them, or a VIDEO_TS folder on my hard drive, using ConvertXtoDvD (HB didn't seem to like what Nero creates though.).
I do however go through this extra step because HandBrake gives me the results I want, better than any other app.
Request:
Is there any way it can accept files, now or in a future version, other than DvD source? It's not a big deal, the "disc" I create is really a small extra step that I drag and drop and batch up and completes while I'm cooking, reading, or whatever, but of course, it would be nice if it wasn't necessary.
Ok, there's always Nero Recode. It's Ateme-based, not x264 based, but both are very good and comparible implementations of the H.264 standard.
However, Nero Recode is the only GUI for Ateme AFAIK, and although very good, and accepts file inputs, has weak features. It does not bring out the best in the Ateme codec, and even though it keeps improving with every new version, it still sucks for anything other than 2-pass and is rather slow.
If accepting file formats is a change in philosophy for HandBrake, and is way off the objective, then I understand. It's just that here in Windows-land, GUIs for x264 (or H.264 in general) are, in my opinion, too complicated, unstable, slow, buggy, crappy or provide output that doesn't have good compatibility. We don't have a wonderful app like ffmpegX available to Mac Nation, a Unix-based tool that Windows users would drool for, hence the reason for my posting this topic.
HandBrake is by far the best H.264 encoder for Windows in my opinion, even if I have to do an extra initial step for it. It's so worth it.
Thanks for reading. I adore HB the way it is even without changes.
Note: I'm not sure if something like this was already posted. Doing a search on "file inputs", or such, won't exactly give you accurate search results.