Noob seeking to convert video and specify output size

[gaikokujinkyofusho]

Hi Previously I was using Handbrake to convert video and the OCD in me loved the option of being able to specify the output file size. Now the new handbrake is out with many improvements but one WTF moment was when I noticed that size could no longer be specified. So, I wanted to check and see if there are any conversion programs out there that support AVC/264-mkv/mp4 that have the option to specify (with 2 passes) the output file size. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Cheers,

-Gaiko

[jagabo]

file size = bitrate * running time

Just use a bitrate calculator to determine what bitrate will give you the size you want, then encode with that bitrate.

[Hoser Rob]

If you're absolutely wedded to target file size mode try VidCoder ... it uses the handbrake engine with a different interface that's a bit easier for newbies.

It doesn't use the latest handbrake version (yet) so it still supports target file size.

Most serious video geeks (I'm only a middling geek re. digital video) here don't use target size as far as I can see. They use constant quality mode (constant rate factor, technically). Most people don't convert to disc anymore so they don't have to fit it into a cd, and external drives are fairly cheap.

I use constant quality nowadays because it's a one pass mode (which can give you as good quality as 3 pass), and if you get into advanced h.264 options 2 pass just takes too damn long. All that advanced encoding seriously increases encode times. At least 3 times as long.

And you could probably really indugle your ocd with h.264 advanced settings. With much, much better video. In the time it takes to do it in 2 pass high profile, no tweaks, I can do in the same time with tweaks in crf mode with way better results.

[hello_hello]

MeGUI

[dragonkeeper]

I was using Handbrake to convert video and the OCD in me loved the option of being able to specify the output file size.

Odd my friends say that i'm OCD because I prefer quality as opposed to file size (ie 1 pass CRF at 18 or maybe 20 on noisy source, over 2 pass to hit target size). To me size was beneficial when hard drives were expensive, and burn to DVD was the preferred method of backup. But now I just buy a 1TB 2TB hard drive to store my files and be done with it.

[Hoser Rob]

... now I just buy a 1TB 2TB hard drive to store my files and be done with it.

I'm pretty much with you there. Go for quality above all else.

Especially considering how many of my movies I actually want to watch that many times.