Having a problem related to Handbrake

[TrevorS]

Not sure where to ask this question, so here's hoping.

I'm trying to prepare a BD-R/AVCHD of a ~4GB 720p video Mkv file (running time ~2hr 45min.) That's a pretty small file and I've found that running Handbrake at a relatively low quantization number can modestly improve SDVD image quality, so it seems worth a shot. As part of the project I'm also replacing the original 128Kb/s AAC track with an AC3 640Kb/s track (PCM derived).

My process is first re-render the original video file with Handbrake set for "high profile" "film" with "fast" rendering (file growth is OK) and quantization 16. The resulting file plays perfectly via VLC.

I then replace the re-rendered file AAC with the AC3 track using MkvMerge. This file also plays perfectly via VLC.

I then run MultiAVCHD set to either strict DVD/AVCHD (DVD-R target) or BD (BD-R target). The resulting stream files play perfectly via VLC.

I then burn the folder to the media using ImageBurn with verify. The resulting AVCHD or BD plays perfectly from the burner drive via VLC.

But when I try to play the disc (either format) on my Panasonic DMT110 BD player, the video freezes and audio stops a few seconds after they start, though the time count on the BD player display continues as though all was normal -- no error messages displayed. However, if I don't re-render the original video, otherwise following the same procedure, then the resulting disc plays normally on the Panasonic. The re-rendered file is near twice the size of the original -- final size on disc is ~8.2GB.

What's happening? Is Handbrake output in some fashion incompatible with retail BD players? Is there a workaround setting in Handbrake for this issue?

[TrevorS]

I know Handbrake is a popular tool in the HTPC world, has no-one here used it to improve the PQ of a file before burning to disc? If you have, how did it go, any issues?

[Groucho2004]

There are a bunch of restrictions for the Blu-ray format (see here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=154533)) that your re-encoding with Handbrake probably did not take into account.
Handbrake may have a BR-compatible profile. If so, use that.

[TrevorS]

Thanks! It was suggested I take a look at Hybrid and so I installed that yesterday (including the various auxiliary programs/libraries/binaries) and am exploring it right now. I find under the x264 tab a restriction section including a reference to hardware and the hover-help echoes what you're saying. At my first entry, the hardware check box was grayed and I'm not sure what I did to enable it, but I've now checked it and am able to select Blu-Ray/AVCHD. (I also see I can select OpenCL for use with my AMD HD7850 GPU, excellent :)!) I'll have to look for such a switch in Handbrake, but could be the best solution is to change horses.

Thanks again, it very much had the feel of hardware incompatibility and I was hoping it wasn't specific to my player!

[TrevorS]

Selecting the BD/AVCHD compatibility mode in Hybrid appears to solve the problem. Unfortunately, I don't see anything comparable in Handbrake, so I'll stick to Hybrid for rendering for disc. Am trying its noise filtering as well, but always a hit to the depth/detail :(. Seems a very powerful program!

[vid.user]

You're completely using the wrong tool for the job, I don't know why you chose HandBrake? HandBrake of course is, IMHO, amazing, but it's not the tool you need for what you want to do which it seems you've just realised.

[TrevorS]

You're completely using the wrong tool for the job, I don't know why you chose HandBrake? HandBrake of course is, IMHO, amazing, but it's not the tool you need for what you want to do which it seems you've just realised.
I chose it because I had learned of it and used it, but I wasn't aware of that limitation, to me it was just a rendering tool. Fortunately, I've now learned of a tool more suitable for the task. Perhaps some people are perfect, but I'm not, I spend plenty of time trying things and often have failures.