Hardcoding subtitles with Handbrake

[stevenspasperg]

Hello,

I am currently trying to permanently attach a subtitle file (.srt) to an amateur documentary that I created (full hd, mp4, size 12gb) using Handbrake.

To "hardcode" the subtitles I select the "Burn in" option in Handbrake and then it creates the new file. However, the new file has a size of 2gb, and while the resolution of the video is still full hd (as far as I know) the quality of it seems to have deteriorated.

My question is: how can I keep the quality of the video and still burn the subtitles permanently on it?

I am truly sorry if my question seems terribly ignorant. Thank you for your time.

[Downgraded286]

Try choosing a higher (lower) quality level. Default is 20, try 16? You can also slow down the encoding for better results
Default preset is very fast, should try at least medium. You might want to select auto passthru in the audio tab as well so it doesn't re-encode the audio.