I've recently been investing in 3D film library for my Plex after getting a VR headset and I'm stuck on a handbrake H.265 re-coding problem.
After lots of testing and experimenting I've finally worked out a process to get great looking content through VR, but with one problem using content via Plex which is where I'm stuck.
To create the content, I'm using MakeMKV to extract the 3D film(s) and then using BD3D2MK3D to take the extract and remux it into a Full-SBS .mkv file: 3840x1080
Following trial and effort I found the best quality came form setting a CRF value:10 and Preset: Faster
Over an hour or so it'll create a big 'ol file about 70-100mb/s and then I pass it through Handbrake to make a h.265 35-40mb/s version.
Comparing against a CRF: 14-16 + Preset: Slower (~40mb/s h.264) file from BD3D2MK3D I can see that version is slightly fuzzier. I think partially due to the h.264 file using 6 ref frames when created.
It also takes 4+hrs to make the h.264 file this way, so the CRF10+Handbrake process is < 1/2 the time for a better quality result in the headset (imo).
With a Quest VR I've tested the Skybox app and can browse the h.265 content of our NAS via SBS and can playback films no problem. It can take the Full-SBS image and there's a setting for Full-SBS to automatically change it to Input Source Full-SBS, Output to screen Half-SBS. (SMPlayer can also do this by setting the Video Stereo Filter manually)
But BigscreenVR is our preferred app for content due to the large number of virtual environments as well as much better viewing angle options + the live social/sharing with friends sometime soon.
BigScreen can't view either h.265 content or h.264 files created with h.264 level > 4.1, so the way we use it is to wire to a PC with passthrough to get the desktop on the screen and use Plex to playback the film that way.
So here's where we're a bit stuck.
In Plex, we can playback the Full-SBS file from BD3D2MK3D and Plex will automatically convert the view the same as Skybox. Input: Full-SBS, Display: Half-SBS
But if I pass the file through Handbrake to make the h.265 version, Plex doesn't do the Input/Display conversion anymore and I don't know what setting to apply in Handbrake for Plex to detect and display it the same as the native file.
I've tried "Summary: Passthrough Common Metadata" as well as unchecking everything in Dimensions, but nothing I've done seems to change the outcome in Plex.
HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):
1.7.2 (2023122400)
Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Windows 10 Creators Update):
Windows 10 Pro : 22H2 build: 19045.3803
HandBrake Activity Log ***required*** (see How-to get an activity log)
Code: Select all
HandBrake 1.7.2 (2023122400)
OS: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core Processor
Ram: 32682 MB,
GPU Information:
Meta Virtual Monitor - 17.12.55.198
Virtual Desktop Monitor - 10.54.50.446
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti - 31.0.15.3623
Screen: 2560x1440
Temp Dir: R:\Temp\
Install Dir: C:\Program Files\HandBrake\
Data Dir: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\HandBrake
-------------------------------------------
[11:39:07] hb_init: starting libhb thread
# Starting Scan ...
[11:39:07] CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core Processor
[11:39:07] - logical processor count: 24
[11:39:07] Intel Quick Sync Video support: no
[11:39:07] hb_scan: path=S:\Video\RIP\Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (2019) 3D-Full-SBS.mkv, title_index=0
Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'S:\Video\RIP\Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (2019) 3D-Full-SBS.mkv':
Metadata:
creation_time : 2024-02-01T11:26:58.000000Z
AUTHOR : BD3D2MK3D 1.33
TITLE : Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
ENCODER : x264_x64.exe
: x264 0.164.3106 eaa68fa
: (libswscale 5.9.100)
: (libavformat 58.76.100)
: (lsmash 2.16.1)
: built on Jan 28 2023, gcc: 10-win32 20210110
: x264 configuration: --chroma-format=all
: libx264 configuration: --chroma-format=all
: x264 license: GPL version 2 or later
: libswscale/libavformat license: GPL version 2 or later
ENCODER_SETTINGS: --crf 10 --preset faster --level 5.0 --vbv-bufsize 168750 --vbv-maxrate 168750 --sar 1:1 --range tv --colormatrix bt709 --frame-packing 3
DATE_ENCODED : 2024-02-01
ORIGINAL_MEDIA_TYPE: Blu-ray 3D
Duration: 02:21:52.85, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 91276 kb/s
Chapters:
Chapter #0:0: start 0.000000, end 9.009000
Metadata:
title : 1 - 0:00:00
Chapter #0:1: start 9.009000, end 100.933000
Metadata:
title : 2 - 0:00:09
Chapter #0:2: start 100.933000, end 227.810000
Metadata:
title : 3 - 0:01:41
Chapter #0:3: start 227.810000, end 402.944000
Metadata:
title : 4 - 0:03:48
Chapter #0:4: start 402.944000, end 506.713000
Metadata:
title : 5 - 0:06:43
Chapter #0:5: start 506.713000, end 604.687000
Metadata:
title : 6 - 0:08:27
Chapter #0:6: start 604.687000, end 768.142000
Metadata:
title : 7 - 0:10:05
Chapter #0:7: start 768.142000, end 833.999000
Metadata:
title : 8 - 0:12:48
Chapter #0:8: start 833.999000, end 917.416000
Metadata:
title : 9 - 0:13:54
Chapter #0:9: start 917.416000, end 1033.156000
Metadata:
title : 10 - 0:15:17
Chapter #0:10: start 1033.156000, end 1165.413000
Metadata:
title : 11 - 0:17:13
Chapter #0:11: start 1165.413000, end 1288.577000
Metadata:
title : 12 - 0:19:25
Chapter #0:12: start 1288.577000, end 1527.692000
Metadata:
title : 13 - 0:21:29
Chapter #0:13: start 1527.692000, end 1634.883000
Metadata:
title : 14 - 0:25:28
Chapter #0:14: start 1634.883000, end 1841.548000
Metadata:
title : 15 - 0:27:15
Chapter #0:15: start 1841.548000, end 2149.230000
Metadata:
title : 16 - 0:30:42
Chapter #0:16: start 2149.230000, end 2497.577000
Metadata:
title : 17 - 0:35:49
Chapter #0:17: start 2497.577000, end 2595.259000
Metadata:
title : 18 - 0:41:38
Chapter #0:18: start 2595.259000, end 2728.349000
Metadata:
title : 19 - 0:43:15
Chapter #0:19: start 2728.349000, end 2904.192000
Metadata:
title : 20 - 0:45:28
Chapter #0:20: start 2904.192000, end 3277.565000
Metadata:
title : 21 - 0:48:24
Chapter #0:21: start 3277.565000, end 3529.192000
Metadata:
title : 22 - 0:54:38
Chapter #0:22: start 3529.192000, end 3774.771000
Metadata:
title : 23 - 0:58:49
Chapter #0:23: start 3774.771000, end 3982.894000
Metadata:
title : 24 - 1:02:55
Chapter #0:24: start 3982.894000, end 4194.606000
Metadata:
title : 25 - 1:06:23
Chapter #0:25: start 4194.606000, end 4387.381000
Metadata:
title : 26 - 1:09:55
Chapter #0:26: start 4387.381000, end 4703.614000
Metadata:
title : 27 - 1:13:07
Chapter #0:27: start 4703.614000, end 5021.224000
Metadata:
title : 28 - 1:18:24
Chapter #0:28: start 5021.224000, end 5223.301000
Metadata:
title : 29 - 1:23:41
Chapter #0:29: start 5223.301000, end 5423.126000
Metadata:
title : 30 - 1:27:03
Chapter #0:30: start 5423.126000, end 5700.819000
Metadata:
title : 31 - 1:30:23
Chapter #0:31: start 5700.819000, end 5927.880000
Metadata:
title : 32 - 1:35:01
Chapter #0:32: start 5927.880000, end 6036.195000
Metadata:
title : 33 - 1:38:48
Chapter #0:33: start 6036.195000, end 6183.135000
Metadata:
title : 34 - 1:40:36
Chapter #0:34: start 6183.135000, end 6327.863000
Metadata:
title : 35 - 1:43:03
Chapter #0:35: start 6327.863000, end 6528.479000
Metadata:
title : 36 - 1:45:28
Chapter #0:36: start 6528.479000, end 6807.634000
Metadata:
title : 37 - 1:48:48
Chapter #0:37: start 6807.634000, end 6930.756000
Metadata:
title : 38 - 1:53:28
Chapter #0:38: start 6930.756000, end 7142.760000
Metadata:
title : 39 - 1:55:31
Chapter #0:39: start 7142.760000, end 7297.747000
Metadata:
title : 40 - 1:59:03
Chapter #0:40: start 7297.747000, end 7520.429000
Metadata:
title : 41 - 2:01:38
Chapter #0:41: start 7520.429000, end 7783.149000
Metadata:
title : 42 - 2:05:20
Chapter #0:42: start 7783.149000, end 7945.895000
Metadata:
title : 43 - 2:09:43
Chapter #0:43: start 7945.895000, end 8512.854000
Metadata:
title : 44 - 2:12:26
Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(tv, bt709/unknown/unknown, progressive), 3840x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 32:9], 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn (default)
Metadata:
title : 3D Full-SBS (x264 high@L5.0 CRF 10 preset faster)
stereo_mode : left_right
Side data:
stereo3d: side by side
Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: dts (DTS), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 1536 kb/s (default)
Metadata:
title : English (Original DTS)
Stream #0:2(eng): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle (default)
Metadata:
title : English 3D (BD SUP)
Stream #0:3(eng): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle
Metadata:
title : English 3D (BD SUP)
Stream #0:4: Attachment: none
Metadata:
filename : __ENCODE_3D_MOVIE.avs
mimetype : text/plain
Stream #0:5: Attachment: none
Metadata:
filename : __ENCODE_3D.cmd
mimetype : text/x-msdos-batch
Stream #0:6: Attachment: none
Metadata:
filename : BD3D2MK3D.log
mimetype : text/plain
Stream #0:7: Attachment: none
Metadata:
filename : 3D-Planes.zip
mimetype : application/zip
[11:39:07] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[11:39:08] scan: audio 0x1: dca, rate=48000Hz, bitrate=1536000 English (DTS, 5.1 ch, 1536 kbps)
[11:39:08] using container PAR 1:1
[11:39:08] scan: 10 previews, 3840x1080, 23.976 fps, autocrop = 138/138/0/0, aspect 3.56:1, PAR 1:1, color profile: 1-1-1, chroma location: left
[11:39:08] scan: supported video decoders: avcodec hwaccel
[11:39:08] libhb: scan thread found 1 valid title(s)
# Scan Finished ...