Convert to MKV with no quality loss?

[Chris230291]

Hello. How can i convert my DVD's and BluRays to .MKV without quality loss? I know i can just turn everything up to max, but then i end up with a huge file for no reason. There must be a way to work out which settings are best? By this i mean where the point is that the conversion quality wont get any better (making a larger file size pointless).
I've read online that a 2 hour BluRay movie should be around 13GB when converted to .MKV. Any less and the quality has been reduced through compression. I would like to know how it's worked out. Is each movie or TV show different?

Can anyone help me out here? I really have no idea what I'm doing. We have a large-ish collection of media that i want to put on a home server, but i don't want to start converting until i have the technique mastered. The whole point behind what i'm doing is to avoid inserting disks. If the quality isn't equal to the disk then i'd rather just put a disk in each time i want to watch something.

Thanks,
Chris.

[Deleted User 13735]

Hello. How can i convert my DVD's and BluRays to .MKV without quality loss?

MakeMKV is what you are looking for.

Handbrake compresses your files, which you "obviously" don't want, so it's not the right software for you.
If you "would" want some compression while retaining optimal quality, Constant Quality mode in Handbrake gets it right, 95% of the time.
Best of luck.

[Smithcraft]

What you read online about filesize is bs. A transcoded file can be any size. I've had 1080p files where the audio stream is bigger than the video stream. Previously, you've asked about adding a target filesize feature. That's a guaranteed way to limit bits where they are needed and waste excess bits where they aren't needed.

Different movies will compress differently. No matter how hard you try some will come out larger, and in that case it's just best to go with your source rip.

Also, as I've mentioned many times, we don't have your eyes, and we don't have your media player, and we don't have your TV, so we really don't know what you will find acceptable, and what you will find noticeable.

SC

[TedJ]

Based on my own experience, x264 slow preset with the film tune and a RF of 23-21 gives me excellent results.

[BlueCrypt]

Based on my own experience, x264 slow preset with the film tune and a RF of 23-21 gives me excellent results.

I suffer with this. The CRF range that lets me satisfied is 12-15.

I tried the recommended 22 for a high definition movie (slower preset), but the result was just terrible (really terrible). Then tried 18, 17 and 16, but only at 15 things started to become "acceptable" for me.

[GregiBoy]

You must have really good eyes or "Pixel Peeping" from one meter!!!

[BlueCrypt]

You must have really good eyes or "Pixel Peeping" from one meter!!!

Well, maybe it depends on the source...

[Chris230291]

Sorry for not getting back this I have been unwell. All better now so I'm going to try MakeMKV. That sounds like what i want

Many thanks.

[jkauff]

Sorry for not getting back this I have been unwell. All better now so I'm going to try MakeMKV. That sounds like what i want

Many thanks.

It is what you want. After you've tried it, do what I did and buy it. You'll get a lifetime license when it's out of beta, and the developers do great work and deserve the financial support.