I'm taking on the project of (finally) converting my 400 DVDs to mkv files for playback to a 47" HDTV. I'm playing back the files on a Windows computer using CoreAVC.
I've been trying out MeGUI, StaxRip, Handbrake, etc. I noticed that Handbrake encodes very fast in comparison to other x264 profiles. Specifically, I'm comparing Handbrake CRF @ 66% to CQ-ASP_Q2_eq(crf) (18) profile.
On my Windows OC E4400 box, I get roughly 30fps vs 8fps.
Can anyone tell me what I'm giving up by using an encoder that's almost 4x faster? I'm not concerned about features (Handbrake can't make MKV, etc. Simple solution solves that
) I'm only concerned about video size/quality.
I know that Handbrake encodes QT compatible files, meaning not high profile. But even if I change the CQ profile to Main Profile, Handbrake is still much faster.
I'm also testing filesizes right now. Handbrake does appear to produce larger file sizes (more bitrate) on average, but I'm encoding a movie using both right now to see if that's true or not.
On my 47" TV with CoreAVC, sitting roughly 5-6 feet away, x264 and Handbrake both produce excellent quality rips.
Are there any other downsides I'm not aware of? For example, why people should choose High Profile or Main Profile? (There had to be a newbie question).
Thanks!