Handbrake: Quality setting is being overridden some how? help please

[stringpickin]

Hey and good day.. I use Handbrake 0.10.1.6962 64bit. I have been using it to recode some MKV files that when played back through my Oplay streamer the fast forward function would stick and never be able to play again.

So, I have been converting them to mp4/m4v with great success until now.. I have experimented using the Quality setting and found that 16 with a slow decode rate gave me a good size file and good quality.

I have changed nothing and yet now every time I recode the same size and source of MKV file the quality setting is changed to 20.. Even though the slider is at 16, I am getting file sizes 1/3 of what I was getting.. Previous recode size was about 600 meg, now 200. I have re-tried this at least 7 or 8 times now and still keep getting the same problem.. I know it is not the source file problem because I had recoded them before and got quality (17) results, but wanted to try to improve the quality of them a bit so I re-ran them at "16" setting as I had a bunch of the others...

When I check the log on these weird results sure enough it says "20" as the quality output setting..

I have uninstalled the program and reinstalled and I am still getting the same results. Any ideas and help greatly appreciated.. thank you

[Baldrick]

Try upgrade to latest nightly beta
https://handbrake.fr/nightly.php

Or switch to VidCoder (based on Handbrake). I like it better.

[stringpickin]

Thank you for the tip.. I downloaded it and used the "file size" option and had great success.. I still scratchin my head over why HB went on the fritz.. so strange.. No matter what i did I could not get it to mux a file with the same results I had just hours before.. from 600mb files down to 220mb and with apparent quality issues as well. haven't tried it since because Vidcoder works so reliably.. so thanks again.. I guess until I have a reason to leave Vidcoder I won't be messing with HB for a while..

What is your main reasons for using Vidcoder??

thanks again..

stringpickin

[johns0]

Vidcoder has more options like batch encoding and setting different resizes plus it's based on the handbrake engine.

[redwudz]

I find VidCoder easier to use than HandBrake. I do multiple backups from DVDs and I can easily batch them with VC. Not so easy with HB.
I convert the DVDs to ~2GB MKV (H.264 with AC3 audio.)