the idea is lower the quality (raise crf value) to increase blending thus removing static, noise, & artifacts (while attempting to retain as much detail as possible). also with little to no artifacts when blown up to large size). sources with less grain/noise can have more detail by raising quality (lower crf value). these settings gives good blending when needed but not too much (like sao) thus preserving detail for high detail/high res encodes. there is also less random flickering and smoother playback, and color banding almost gone.
placebo is sometimes placebo, depends on the individual setting, some are the same as very slow setting, those are not not placebo. i toned down anything that went into the placebo range as it is only a waste of time, after extensive testing to ensure which preset placebo settings were really placebo.
there are many new settings/options/flags are not yet been considered for adding to the Presets, but may still be "best" setting, i have chosen some of these in the custom settings listed here.
i believe in one setting for all videos, or zones. however tweaking individual scenes/zones is time consuming and amazon/vudo/netflix isn't paying me to spend all day on a video. until video technology improves, some tweaking will always help, but eventually, in the future, an app will do it all for you. until then, use these settings :)...
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12bits profile for slightly better pic, worth it.
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frame rate=same as source.
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resolution=same as source.
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Preset=very slow (technically all settings are overwritten, but new settings may come out)
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profile=auto
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level=auto
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tune=none
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these settings conforms to the hevc standard/specification, (thus the setting no-allow-non-conformance).
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handbrake settings--\/
log-level=3::constrained-intra::interlace=0::gop-lookahead=0::min-keyint=0::keyint=345::ipratio=1.4::pbratio=1.3::psy-rd=0.35::psy-rdoq=14.65::deblock=0,-3::qcomp=0.54::rdoq-level=1::rdpenalty=0::no-tskip::no-splitrd-skip::no-allow-non-conformance::ref=5::weightp::weightb::scenecut-window=1000::scenecut-aware-qp::strong-intra-smoothing::rect::amp::no-cutree::hist-scenecut::hist-threshold=0.01::slices=1::frame-threads=1::no-wpp::pmode::no-pme::open-gop::bframes=8::b-adapt=2::b-pyramid::b-intra::rc-lookahead=46::lookahead-slices=0::opt-qp-pps::opt-cu-delta-qp::ctu=64::min-cu-size=8::qg-size=32::max-tu-size=32::tu-inter-depth=4::tu-intra-depth=4::limit-tu=3::nr-intra=0::nr-inter=0::no-intra-refresh::limit-refs=0::opt-ref-list-length-pps::no-limit-modes::me=3::subme=4::merange=58::max-merge=5::no-temporal-mvp::temporal-layers::analyze-src-pics::no-sao::qpstep=4::qpmax=69::qpmin=0::rd=6::rskip=2::no-early-skip::no-fast-intra::no-hme::no-frame-dup::no-fades::no-rc-grain::signhide::radl=0::info::copy-pic=1::level-idc=0::high-tier=1::rd-refine::no-dynamic-refine::selective-sao=0::sao-non-deblock::hevc-aq::no-aq-motion::aq-mode=3::aq-strength=1.00
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[EDIT: settings are for x265 3.4 (released 29th May, 2020)]
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Code:
presets 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 mine
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ctu 32 32 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 64 gives overall best pic at smaller size
min-cu-size 16 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
bframes 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 8 8 8 8
b-adapt 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 trellis of corse
rc-lookahead 5 10 15 15 15 20 25 40 40 60 45
lookahead-slices 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 1 1 1 0 never use higher
scenecut 0 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
ref 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 5 5
limit-refs 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 1 0 0 0 limit-refs for lower quality...
me 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 be a star
merange 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 92 58 because hex's are bad
subme 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 4
rect 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 best with amp
amp 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 needs rect
limit-modes 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 no limit here
max-merge 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 5 5 5
early-skip 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 meh, why? for lower quality guessing...
recursion-skip 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2
fast-intra 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1=lowers detail)
b-intra 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
sao 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 why? (gives nice blended picture for loss of detail)
signhide 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
weightp 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
weightb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
aq-mode 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 hevc-aq ((hevc-aq+no-cutree=best))
cuTree 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 loss of detail with cutree low res search
rdLevel 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 6 6 6 6 --rd on documentation.
rdoq-level 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 1 allows psy-rdoq to be effective
tu-intra 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 4 tiny better. (no speed difference then 3)
tu-inter 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 4 tiny better. (no speed difference then 3)
limit-tu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 3 for speed... (3 is sometimes better pic then 0)
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presets 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 mine
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b-frames=8 any higher distorts picture + gives better compression, so use 8. less then 8 gives less compression and lower quility picture
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Code:
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opus audio transparent reproduction--\/
dolby trueHD/dtsHD | dts1553/ac3 640k
1c = 80k | 64k
2c = 160k | 128k
5.1c = 384k | 320k
6.1c = 448k | 384k
7.1c = 512k | 448k
8.1c = 576k | 512k
========================================
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Code:
Video Audio
Q || CRF || Opus 2.0 | Opus 5.1 | Opus 6.1 | Opus 7.1 || Source Quality
-------++-------++----------+----------+----------+-----------++----------------
Q0 || 16 || 160 kbps | 400 kbps | 480 kbps | 560 kbps || T0 Blu movies (reference)
Q0.5 || 16.5 || 152 kbps | 380 kbps | 456 kbps | 532 kbps || T0 Blu movies (reference)
Q1 || 17 || 144 kbps | 360 kbps | 432 kbps | 504 kbps || T1 Gold movies
Q1.25 || 17.5 || 136 kbps | 340 kbps | 408 kbps | 476 kbps ||
Q1.5 || 18 || 128 kbps | 320 kbps | 384 kbps | 448 kbps ||
Q1.75 || 18.5 || 120 kbps | 300 kbps | 360 kbps | 420 kbps ||
Q2 || 19 || 112 kbps | 280 kbps | 336 kbps | 392 kbps || T2 Silver movies | T1 Gold series
Q2.25 || 19.5 || 104 kbps | 260 kbps | 312 kbps | 364 kbps ||
Q2.5 || 20 || 96 kbps | 240 kbps | 288 kbps | 336 kbps ||
Q2.75 || 20.5 || 88 kbps | 220 kbps | 264 kbps | 308 kbps ||
Q3 || 21 || 80 kbps | 200 kbps | 240 kbps | 280 kbps || T3 Bronze movies | T2 Silver series
Q3.25 || 21.5 || 76 kbps | 190 kbps | 228 kbps | 266 kbps ||
Q3.5 || 22 || 72 kbps | 180 kbps | 216 kbps | 252 kbps ||
Q3.75 || 22.5 || 68 kbps | 170 kbps | 204 kbps | 238 kbps ||
Q4 || 23 || 64 kbps | 160 kbps | 192 kbps | 224 kbps || T4 Copper movies | T3 Bronze series
Q4.5 || 23.5 || 60 kbps | 150 kbps | 180 kbps | 210 kbps ||
Q5 || 24 || 56 kbps | 140 kbps | 168 kbps | 196 kbps || T5 Coal movies | T4 Copper series
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heres what media info spit out--\/
frame-threads=1 / no-wpp / pmode / no-pme / no-psnr / no-ssim / log-level=3 / csv / csv-log-level=0 / input-csp=1 / input-res=480x720 / interlace=0 / total-frames=0 / level-idc=0 / high-tier=1 / uhd-bd=0 / ref=5 / no-allow-non-conformance / no-repeat-headers / annexb / no-aud / no-hrd / info / hash=0 / temporal-layers / open-gop / min-keyint=19 / keyint=345 / gop-lookahead=0 / bframes=8 / b-adapt=2 / b-pyramid / bframe-bias=0 / rc-lookahead=46 / lookahead-slices=0 / scenecut=0 / hist-scenecut=1 / radl=0 / no-splice / no-intra-refresh / ctu=64 / min-cu-size=8 / rect / amp / max-tu-size=32 / tu-inter-depth=4 / tu-intra-depth=4 / limit-tu=3 / rdoq-level=1 / dynamic-rd=0.00 / no-ssim-rd / signhide / no-tskip / nr-intra=0 / nr-inter=0 / constrained-intra / strong-intra-smoothing / max-merge=5 / limit-refs=0 / no-limit-modes / me=3 / subme=4 / merange=58 / no-temporal-mvp / no-frame-dup / no-hme / weightp / weightb / analyze-src-pics / deblock=0:-3 / no-sao / no-sao-non-deblock / rd=6 / selective-sao=0 / no-early-skip / rskip / rskip-edge-threshold=0.050000 / no-fast-intra / no-tskip-fast / no-cu-lossless / b-intra / no-splitrd-skip / rdpenalty=0 / psy-rd=0.35 / psy-rdoq=14.65 / rd-refine / no-lossless / cbqpoffs=0 / crqpoffs=0 / rc=crf / crf=27.2 / qcomp=0.54 / qpstep=4 / stats-write=0 / stats-read=0 / ipratio=1.40 / pbratio=1.30 / aq-mode=3 / aq-strength=1.00 / no-cutree / zone-count=0 / no-strict-cbr / qg-size=32 / no-rc-grain / qpmax=69 / qpmin=0 / no-const-vbv / sar=1 / overscan=0 / videoformat=5 / range=0 / colorprim=6 / transfer=1 / colormatrix=6 / chromaloc=0 / display-window=0 / cll=0,0 / min-luma=0 / max-luma=4095 / log2-max-poc-lsb=8 / vui-timing-info / vui-hrd-info / slices=1 / opt-qp-pps / opt-ref-list-length-pps / no-multi-pass-opt-rps / scenecut-bias=0.05 / hist-threshold=0.01 / opt-cu-delta-qp / no-aq-motion / no-hdr10 / no-hdr10-opt / no-dhdr10-opt / no-idr-recovery-sei / analysis-reuse-level=0 / analysis-save-reuse-level=0 / analysis-load-reuse-level=0 / scale-factor=0 / refine-intra=0 / refine-inter=0 / refine-mv=1 / refine-ctu-distortion=0 / no-limit-sao / ctu-info=0 / no-lowpass-dct / refine-analysis-type=0 / copy-pic=1 / max-ausize-factor=1.0 / no-dynamic-refine / no-single-sei / hevc-aq / no-svt / no-field / qp-adaptation-range=1.00 / scenecut-aware-qp / scenecut-window=1000 / max-qp-delta=5conformance-window-offsets / right=0 / bottom=0 / decoder-max-rate=0