HandBrake - the "perfect" choice for Linux?

[GLUBSCH]

Greetings to you, folks!

Many people have recommended HandBrake as a very good choice for Linux systems.
I´m using OpenSuse (because it abolutely rocks!) and have been recommended to use HandBrake for ripping and encoding as well.
Of course I did try several other good console based tools like h264enc to achive an excellent quality rip, but I somehow got addicted to HandBrake (hopefully developers will include a feature to directly back up VOBs to hard disc)...

To find my PERSONAL "perfect solution" I´m looking for other applications to try: Which other rippers/encoders are around that are cnsidered/proven to be further ahaed ("better") in quality and maintanance than HandBrake?

[microchip8]

Quality depends on the encoder options you use. Since HB uses libavcodec which comes from ffmpeg and libx264, it can't really outperform other encoders that use it too. If you use *exactly* the same options, once in HB and once in ffmpeg or mencoder, you'll get *very* similar result (if virtually the same)

you will find your "perfect solution" and quality after you do tests on your own and determine what looks good to *you*. There's no magical setting that will give a quality that looks "perfect" to all

[Dark Shikari]

Originally Posted by froggy1

Quality depends on the encoder options you use. Since HB uses libavcodec which comes from ffmpeg and libx264

No it doesn't, it uses x264 directly.

[microchip8]

Originally Posted by Dark Shikari

No it doesn't, it uses x264 directly.

Still, the result is the same, no?

[GLUBSCH]

Thanks for pointing this out. I´m still looking forward for HB to support Blu-Ray and HD-TV encoding one day.
If you are the owner of the repository in your signature, you´re the allmighty microchip8 of OpenSuse. Other opinions are welcome.

[microchip8]

Yes, I'm microchip8 on openSUSE forum

Bluray support will come to MPlayer soon. There's currently a guy implementing it and asking a lot of questions, both on the mailing list and on #mplayerdev IRC channel. I'm not sure how it'll get implemented (built-in for MPlayer only or if he'll move some important stuff to a library one can use for other players/encoders)

[GLUBSCH]

Interesting point. Sadly HandBrake only uses the x264 it brings with it and not the external one. This might be due to the developers so they know that the internal x264 works with HandBrake. They couldn´t provide support for any extern verion. Which one of those two would you expect to be the more advanced tool in the future? As for me, it certainly seems like HandBrake is more ahaed in its development than MEncoder...

[nm]

MEncoder has many video and audio filters that HandBrake still lacks, and it's somewhat more tweakable through the command line. MPlayer/MEncoder has gained a lot of functionality during a decade of development and many talented people have worked on it, along with FFmpeg. However, MEncoder is built for AVI output and it would probably need to be redesigned to fully support modern containers. I expect MEncoder to be replaced by ffmpeg and other libav* frontends as soon as libavfilter gets committed to mainline FFmpeg and some useful MEncoder or AviSynth filters are ported to it. HandBrake(CLI) has lots of potential too, and it's delightfully easy to use.

[microchip8]

Originally Posted by nm

I expect MEncoder to be replaced by ffmpeg and other libav* frontends as soon as libavfilter gets committed to mainline FFmpeg and some useful MEncoder or AviSynth filters are ported to it. HandBrake(CLI) has lots of potential too, and it's delightfully easy to use.

ffmpeg still lacks direct reading from DVD and decryption of them which is the biggest issue I have with it. And don't get me started on the stupid way one passes options to it... -option -value +option2 -value2 +option3 +value1+value2+value3 ...

[GLUBSCH]

Originally Posted by froggy1

ffmpeg still lacks direct reading from DVD and decryption of them which is the biggest issue I have with it. And don't get me started on the stupid way one passes options to it... -option -value +option2 -value2 +option3 +value1+value2+value3 ...

Just a small hint here: HandBrake uses libdvdcss to access an encrypted DVD if it is installed on your system (please gather further information about the legality in your country BEFORE using it). As for me, HandBrake clearly lacks ONE thing: The possibility to back up VOBs to the hard drive. Many other encoders are able to do so - but why the hell not HandBrake?

Anyhow, which tool do you recommend for Linux to back up those VOBs in the first place? See, I prefer to back up the VOBs completely, merge them and then encode as HandBrake doesn´t have to access the DVD drive all the time and scratch around on the DVDs.
Hey, a simple command to accomplish this task via console would do.

[multimediaman]

Originally Posted by GLUBSCH

Anyhow, which tool do you recommend for Linux to back up those VOBs in the first place? See, I prefer to back up the VOBs completely, merge them and then encode as HandBrake doesn´t have to access the DVD drive all the time and scratch around on the DVDs.
Hey, a simple command to accomplish this task via console would do.

How about vobcopy (further information in stickies)

[nm]

Originally Posted by GLUBSCH

Anyhow, which tool do you recommend for Linux to back up those VOBs in the first place? See, I prefer to back up the VOBs completely, merge them and then encode as HandBrake doesn´t have to access the DVD drive all the time and scratch around on the DVDs.

If the disc doesn't have additional copy protection schemes (ARccOS, RipGuard, ...), you can simply copy the VIDEO_TS directory to a hard drive. Or dump the whole disc image with "dd if=/dev/dvd of=image.iso". HandBrake handles both as DVD input.

If a copy protection scheme prevents this, you'll need to run some Windows-based DVD ripping tool with Wine.

[microchip8]

Originally Posted by GLUBSCH

Just a small hint here: HandBrake uses libdvdcss to access an encrypted DVD if it is installed on your system

And so does MEncoder and MPlayer, albeit internally so no need to install libdvdcss for it. I don't know what's your point here

[microchip8]

Originally Posted by GLUBSCH

Interesting point. Sadly HandBrake only uses the x264 it brings with it and not the external one. This might be due to the developers so they know that the internal x264 works with HandBrake. They couldn´t provide support for any extern verion. Which one of those two would you expect to be the more advanced tool in the future? As for me, it certainly seems like HandBrake is more ahaed in its development than MEncoder...

MEncoder's development is virtually dead and unless someone rewrites it and brings it into the 21st century, it has a poor future ahead which is really really sad. HB itself is (more of) a frontend than a encoder, eg it does not itself do the encoding but uses libavcodec and x264 for that, which do the real work so it cannot be "more advanced" than them as it depends on what they offer

[Selur]

yup, ffmpegs lack of filters and DVD input really is the main bummer for me too.

[GLUBSCH]

For example... (please insert applications here).

[JohnAStebbins]

HandBrake has one feature that few (if any) other open source transcoders have. It creates variable frame rate video. Most DVD sources (especially those with CGI sequences) are innately VFR. "Babylon 5" is a prime example. Producing a video that plays smoothly and maintains audio sync from such sources seems to be challenging for other encoders.

Regarding copying VOBS, that's not planned for HandBrake. HandBrake has a pretty small number of developers. We make a conscious effort to keep the feature set focused and prune out the cruft that would add maintenance overhead.

[microchip8]

Originally Posted by JohnAStebbins

HandBrake has one feature that few (if any) other open source transcoders have. It creates variable frame rate video. Most DVD sources (especially those with CGI sequences) are innately VFR. "Babylon 5" is a prime example. Producing a video that plays smoothly and maintains audio sync from such sources seems to be challenging for other encoders.

Regarding copying VOBS, that's not planned for HandBrake. HandBrake has a pretty small number of developers. We make a conscious effort to keep the feature set focused and prune out the cruft that would add maintenance overhead.

You a HB dev?

if so, may I ask why HB devs refuse to add quality-based Vorbis encoding?

About VFR, yes its tough to do it but personally I don't care for VFR so if an encoder doesn't offer it, it doesn't really matter to me.

PS: the decomb filter is pretty sweet though. I wish MEncoder had it too

[JohnAStebbins]

Originally Posted by froggy1

You a HB dev?
if so, may I ask why HB devs refuse to add quality-based Vorbis encoding?

You make it sound like we have an obligation to jump at every feature request that users dream up. I feel no such obligation. Speaking for myself, I code things that I have a personal interest in. I'm sure it's much the same for the other developers. None of the regular developers has been interested enough to spend the time on quality based vorbis encoding. An interested user started working on a patch and I spent a good bit of time coaching him through it: HandBrake forum thred. But then they vanished without a trace.

[Major_Kong]

Originally Posted by GLUBSCH

For example... (please insert applications here).

Something like MeGui or, as we're talking about copying dvds, something like DVDdecrypter would be useful... basically stuff to make things a little bit easier.
I could be completely wrong here, as i'm not an old linux user, but linux devs and most linux users strike me as having too high of a tolerance to solutions that in a way suffice but in another way are somewhat lacking.