Best Optimal Handbrake Settings to convert 1080 BluRay to H.265 HEVC on Mac Windows Linux MARCH 2023

Convert BLURAY to H.265 HEVC with Handbrake
Convert BLURAY to H.265 HEVC with Handbrake

Convert BLURAY to H.265 HEVC with Handbrake without having to know or understand all of the settings. Just copy my settings and you’re done!

H.264 Vs H.265 – Which one should I use?
If you have a 1080 HD TV and an older media player you will want to use H.264 – See THIS ARTICLE for instructions.
If you have a 4K Television and a newer media player H.265 is best, so use these instructions below.

*Whilst your user interface may appear slightly different than shown here (depending on if you are using Windows, Mac or Linux), the settings and results will be the same across all platforms.

**NOTE** – These settings are for 1080P BLURAY to H.265 HEVC Video
Use these settings if you have a recent 4K UHD Television and newer media player like the Apple TV 
4K.
To convert 1080P BLURAY to H.264 – CLICK HERE!
To convert DVD to H.265 – CLICK HERE!
To convert DVD to H.264 – CLICK HERE!
To convert 4K BLURAY to H.265 – CLICK HERE!

THE SHORT VERSION

1 Open source file in Handbrake and make sure you are on the “Summary” tab
2 Set file format to “MKV’ and deselect “Passthru Common Metadata”
3 Click “Dimensions” tab and set Resolution Limit to 1080p and leave Anamorphic as Automatic, leave cropping “Automatic” and borders “None”
4 Click the “Filters” tab
5 Leave Interlace Detection set to Default, De-interlace set to Decomb, and Preset at “Default”
6 Click the “Video” tab
7 Select “H.265 10-Bit (x265)” from the Video Codec drop down
8 Select “Same As Source” in “Framerate”
9 Check the “Constant Framerate” button
10 Set “Encoder Preset” slider to “Slow”
11 Set “Encoder Tune” to “None”
12 Set “Encoder Profile” to “Main 10”
13 Set “Encoder Level” to “5.1” – If this wont play on your system drop it back to “4.1”
14 Set the “Constant Quality” slider to “24”
15 In the “Additional Options” box add strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0:aq-mode=1:rd=4:psy-rd=0.75:psy-rdoq=4.0:rdoq-level=1:rskip=2
16 Click the “Audio” tab
17 Select the preferred 7.1 or 5.1 channel soundtrack
18 Set “Codec” to “AC3” and the Bitrate to 448kb
19 Set Mixdown to “5.1 Channels” and Samplerate to “48”
20 Click the “Subtitles” tab
21 Click the “X” in the circle at the right side to remove the subtitles track on Windows, or select “None” from dropdown on Mac
22 Click the “Chapters” tab
23 Uncheck the “Create Chapter Markers” option if you don’t want them or leave it checked if you do
24 Give your output file a unique name and save it somewhere easy to fid
25 Make a preset to save the settings and Press the Green “Start Encode” button

THE LONG VERSION

Continue reading “Best Optimal Handbrake Settings to convert 1080 BluRay to H.265 HEVC on Mac Windows Linux MARCH 2023”

Best Optimal Settings for Handbrake convert DVD to H265 HEVC Mac Windows Linux 2023

Convert DVD to H265 with HandbrakeConvert DVD to H265

Convert DVD to H265 HEVC with Handbrake without having to know or understand all of the settings. Just copy my settings and you’re done!

H.264 Vs H.265 – Which one should I use?
If you have a 1080 HD TV and an older media player you will want to use H.264 – See THIS ARTICLE for instructions.
If you have a 4K Television and a newer media player H.265 is best, so use these instructions below.

*Whilst your user interface may appear slightly different than shown here (depending on if you are using Windows, Mac or Linux), the settings and results will be the same across all platforms.

**NOTE** – These settings are for DVD to H265 HEVC Video
Use these settings if you have a recent 4K UHD Television and newer media player like the Apple TV 
4K.
To convert DVD to H.264 – CLICK HERE!
To convert 1080P BLURAY to H.264 – CLICK HERE!
To convert 1080P BLURAY to H.265 – CLICK HERE!
To convert 4K BLURAY to H.265 – CLICK HERE!

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO COMING SOON!

THE SHORT VERSION

IMPORTANTBefore you begin, drop your source DVD file into Mediainfo and identify if the video stream is 480 or 576 size! (Different countries use different sizes)

1 Open source file in Handbrake and make sure you are on the “Summary” tab
2 Set file format to “MKV’ and deselect “Passthru Common Metadata”
3 Click “Dimensions” tab and set Resolution Limit to 480p or 576p (depending on your source file) and leave Anamorphic as Automatic, leave cropping “Automatic” and borders “None”
4 Click the “Filters” tab
5 Leave Interlace Detection set to Default, De-interlace set to Decomb, and Preset at “Default”
6 Click the “Video” tab
7 Select “H.265 10-Bit (x265)” from the Video Codec drop down
8 Select “Same As Source” in “Framerate”
9 Check the “Constant Framerate” button
10 Set “Encoder Preset” slider to “Slow”
11 Set “Encoder Tune” to “None”
12 Set “Encoder Profile” to “Main 10”
13 Set “Encoder Level” to “4.1”
14 Set the “Constant Quality” slider to “22”
15 In the “Additional Options” box ad strong-intra-smoothing=0:rect=0:aq-mode=1:rd=4:psy-rd=0.75:psy-rdoq=4.0:rdoq-level=1:rskip=2
16 Click the “Audio” tab
17 Select the preferred 5.1 channel soundtrack – If it is AC-3/Dolby Digital 5.1 click pass thru and go to step 20
18 Set “Codec” to “AC3” and the Bitrate to 448kb
19 Set Mixdown to “5.1 Channels” and Samplerate to “48”
20 Click the “Subtitles” tab
21 Click the “X” in the circle at the right side to remove the subtitles track on Windows, or select “None” from dropdown on Mac
22 Click the “Chapters” tab
23 Uncheck the “Create Chapter Markers” option if you don’t want them, or leave it checked if you do
24 Give your output file a unique name and save it somewhere easy to find
25 Make a preset to save the settings and Press the Green “Start Encode” button

THE LONG VERSION

Continue reading “Best Optimal Settings for Handbrake convert DVD to H265 HEVC Mac Windows Linux 2023”

Quick and Easy Convert DTS 5.1 or AAC 5.1 to Dolby Digital AC3 on Mac with MKV Tools

MKV Tools can convert AAC and DTS to Dolby Digital!
MKV Tools Logo

A lot of new TV’s these days do not support the DTS Soundtrack found in BluRay and DVD discs. I learned this the hard way when I got my new 65 Inch Samsung 4K TV. A lot of older audio equipment can not play AAC 5.1 either. I have ripped a lot of my Blu Rays to a network drive and it seems a large number of them have DTS. Usually, us Mac users are left out, but in this case we have an awesome tool available to us to fix this easily called MKV Tools. It works very quickly as it allows the video to “Pass Through” without having to be re-encoded. Only the audio is touched. As you can see in the below screen capture of my source file in Media Info below, the video file I am starting with has a DTS sound track.

DTS Video File

To convert it to a more compatible AC3 format download and install MKV Tools HERE. Once you have opened MKV Tools you will need to choose “Open” to import your video file, as drag’n’drop is not supported in the unregistered version. At this point you will receive another “Nag” window. Just wait a few seconds and you will be able to select “Register Later”, then you can choose your video file. Once the file is imported you will see the main window.

 

MKV-Tools-Window-1

At this point you need to select the video and audio streams you need to work on, then you can start making adjustments.

MKV-Tools-Window-2

Once you have selected the Audio and Video channels, make sure video is set to “Pass Thru”. In the audio options, select AC3 (5.1) and deselect “Pass Thru”. Then set your desired bit rate. I prefer 640kb, but you can go down to 384kb comfortably without any real noticeable quality loss. Then, press the “Convert” but and MKV Tools will start converting your audio stream. A new tab will fold out underneath the main window where you can view the progress.

MKV-Tools-Window-3

 

Whilst MKV Tools is not technically free, it is a bargain at $5.99. You can use it without paying to re-encode as many videos as you like, but given how powerful and convenient it is, and how little it costs, its well worth buying/registering in my opinion. I did!

Easily Stop Folders Opening Automatically when Hovering Cursor Over Them on Mac

Stop Folders Opening Automatically when Hovering Cursor Over Them

I really hate how folders open automatically when you hover your mouse cursor over them on Mac. Sometimes I need to place a number of files into different folders, and having them open automatically when I just want to drop something in there is a real pain. It slows me down, and is just plain annoying. Thankfully, it is easy to stop this behavior. Open Preferences, and look for the accessibility option.

Preferences TabOnce you have the accessibility tab open, look for mouse & trackpad options in the left pane, and then click it to open.

accessibilityNow you will be able to see the source of the problem. Spring loaded folders.

Springy Folders

To slow down the time it takes for folders to pop open when you are hovering over them, slide the slider towards “long” delay. To stop folders from springing open automatically completely, uncheck the “spring-loading delay” option.

Springy DelayProblem Solved!

Normalize Audio Volume Levels in Video on Mac with Sound Normalizer

Sound Normalizer IconDifferent volume levels in videos can be a real pain. I have a folder with dozens of music videos that I like to watch from time to time, and often one song will be very quiet and I need to raise the volume to hear it, then the next song will blow the speakers apart because it is so loud.

Sound Normailzer fixes all of that by adjusting the volume of each video to be the same – so you can set your volume once then sit back and enjoy your videos.

Sound Normalizer Default ScreenThe program seems to be built on, or at the very least modeled after MP3Gain Express For Mac, so for those of us who have normalized our music collection, the interface and simple usability will be very familiar.

Just drag and drop your video files into Sound Normalizer, and it will start analyzing the volume levels.

Sound Normalizer Analyzing Video FilesOnce analysis has finished, you will see the results listed. It shows you the current dB rating of the track, and the amount of gain it needs to apply or subtract to achieve the desired dB level. The desired level is set by default 89dB which is pretty much the standard most people will want. You can adjust this if you want to, but I advise leaving it alone.

Sound Normalizer Results

If you are happy to proceed and make the changes to your videos, press “Apply Gain” in the bottom right hand corner, and Sound Normalizer will start fixing up your videos.

The good thing is that it doesn’t actually adjust your original video, it adjusts a copy, and saves it to a new location which can be selected in the preferences. The new copy’s file name is appended with the normalization target dB, which in most cases will be 89dB.

Sound Normalizer OutputSound Normalizer works with all of the most popular Video AND Audio file types.
Video formats such as MP4, MKV, FLV, AVI, RMVB, WebM, 3GP, TS, M2TS, MTS, MOV, WMV, MPG, DivX, etc.
Audio formats such as MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3, AU, M4A, MMF, OGG, FLAC, WAV, MP2, etc.

File Types

Sound Normalizer is not free however, but it is well worth the $7.99 price tag. Grab your copy today in the app store, or find out more on Sound Normalizers Preview Page HERE.

How to easily create a group and send a SMS Text Message to everyone in it on iPhone

connect-contact-managerMy boss at work asked me if there was an easy way to create a group of contacts, and send a message to everyone in the group on her iPhone, and with a little digging I turned up this free GEM app called Connect Contact Manager for iPhone. An example of its use would be if you were a coach of a team, and you need to let all the players know practice is cancelled, you just select the group, type “Practice is cancelled” as a text message, and when you press send, the same message is sent to the entire team automatically (Assuming you have all of their mobile/cell numbers on your phone).

Go to the app store and download the free app. Find it by searching for Connect Contact Manager, or go HERE.

Connect Contact Manager Download

Once downloaded, open it up.Contact Screen

Create A New Group

You can scroll through the groups you have already made by swipping left and right on the group names, and if you want to create a new group click the plus icon in the top right corner. If you have already created the group you want to message, skip down to the “Send A Message To The Group” section

Add Group

Give your new group a name

New GroupSelect the contacts that you want to be in your group

Confirm Create

When you have selected all of the contacts you want in your group, confirm your selections by clicking create in the top right cornerconfirm-createSend A Message To The Group

Now, select the group you want to message by scrolling left and right, and hold down/press the groups name for a few seconds

Select GroupThen select “Message”

Select Message

Now you can type your message

Send Message

When you are done typing, simply press “Send”, and everyone in the group will get your message