Download notes: Alternatively you can download the latest Windows version of this software.

Is HandBrake a video editor?

HandBrake can crop and resize videos as well as restore old and low-quality videos, but for more powerful tools you can use DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut or VSDC Free Video Editor, which are great free options.

Can you use HandBrake to rip DVDs?

Yes, HandBrake can rip any DVD or Blu-Ray discs that aren't copy protected.

Can HandBrake compress 4K videos?

Yes, HandBrake can compress any 4K video to reduce video size while converting the video format at the same time.

Is Handbrake better than FFmpeg?

Both HandBrake and FFmpeg are free and open source, both are compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, and both can convert video files. The difference is that Handbrake uses a GUI (graphical user interface) to convert media files, while FFmpeg uses the command line to encode or decode video files. Another difference is that Handbrake supports DVD and Blu-Ray video as input, while FFmpeg does not. Also, Handbrake only offers MKV and MP4 output, while FFmpeg supports many video output formats.

Features

  • Can encode directly from DVDs (even encrypted ones) or from VIDEO_TS folders
  • Supports AC3, LPCM and MPEG audio tracks
  • Outputs MP4, AVI or OGM files
  • Outputs AAC, MP3 or Vorbis audio
  • Supports 2*pass encoding
  • Supports encoding of two audio tracks
  • Includes a bitrate calculator
  • Supports picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling

What's New

Before updating HandBrake, please make sure there are no pending encodes in the queue, and be sure to make a backup of any custom presets and app preferences you have, as they may not be compatible with newer versions.

Windows users, please make sure to install Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime version 8.0.x. Read carefully: you need the DESKTOP runtime.

HandBrake 1.8.0

All platforms

General

  • Allowed muxing VP9 and FLAC in the MP4 container
  • Removed timestamp jitters when using a constant NTSC frame rate in the MP4 container
  • Removed support for importing legacy plist based presets from much older versions of HandBrake
  • Updated iso639 language codes list

Video

  • Added support for the FFV1 encoder, including a new preset "Preservation FFV1" under the Professional category
  • Added support for multi-pass CQ with VP9
  • Added support for VP9 tunes
  • Added Dolby Vision dynamic metadata pass through for SVT-AV1
  • Improved Decomb speed by removing unneeded frame copies
  • Improved Framerate Shaper metrics for high depth frames

Command line interface

  • Fixed subtitle "scan" when not first in --subtitle list
  • Fixed override of subtitle settings
  • Fixed processing audio overrides to preset

Audio

  • Added TrueHD encoder
  • Added 88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz sample rates for TrueHD and FLAC encoders
  • Improved audio tracks selection by tracking "linked" audio tracks
  • Fixed incorrect channel layout when encoding a 6.1 track to Opus

Subtitles

  • Fixed passthru of VobSub tracks that contains empty of fully transparent subtitles samples
  • Fixed an issue that prevented decoding VobSub tracks stored inside MP4
  • Fixed burn-in of SSA/ASS subtitles inside MKV that have duplicated Read Orders

Build system

  • Reviewed and improved compiler optimization options for the third-party libraries
  • Improved libdovi package to make it possible to ship it in Flathub flatpak version

Third-party libraries

Updated libraries

  • AMF 1.4.33 (AMD VCN video encoding)
  • FFmpeg 7.0 (decoding and filters)
  • HarfBuzz 8.4.0 (subtitles)
  • libass 0.17.2 (subtitles)
  • libdav1d 1.4.1 (AV1 video decoding)
  • libdovi 3.3.0 (Dolby Vision dynamic metadata)
  • libopus 1.5.2 (Opus audio encoding)
  • libjpeg-turbo 3.0.3 (preview image compression)
  • libvpx 1.14.0 (VP8/VP9 video encoding)
  • oneVPL 2.10.1 (Intel QSV video encoding/decoding)
  • SVT-AV1 2.1.0 (AV1 video encoding)
  • x264 164 r3186 (H.264/AVC video encoding)
  • x265 3.6 (H.265/HEVC video encoding)
  • zlib 1.3.1 (general)
  • Removed libraries
  • libxml2

Linux

  • Migrated the UI to GTK 4
  • Added support for resursive file scan
  • Added support for drag/drop/multi-file scanning. (Including subtitle files)
  • Added --clear-queue and --auto-start-queue flags to the linux ui app.
  • Update the "Open Source" button to make the folder/batch mode more discoverable.
  • Refreshed app icons
  • Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements
  • Updated existing translations

Mac

  • Added Dolby Vision and HDR10+ dynamic metadata pass through for VideoToolbox H.265 10-bit
  • Added Metal accelerated Comb Detect and Framerate Shaper filters
  • Added ability to drag and drop SRT and ASS subtitles files onto the main window
  • Added support for excluding file extensions when opening files in batch mode
  • Default exclusions are common image, subtitles, and text file extensions; edit list in Preferences > Advanced
  • Added new preference to pause encodes when switching to battery
  • Added new preference to clear completed jobs at launch option
  • Reworked notification options to allow per encode or per queue control
  • Reworked toolbar to follow macOS UI style
  • Improved performance of the Activity Log window
  • Improved UI performances by avoiding uneeded window resizes and slow AppKit controls
  • Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements
  • Updated existing translations
  • Added new translations
  • Ukrainian

Windows

  • Requires Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 8.0.x
  • Added Invert Queue option to the Add to Queue Window (#5741)
  • Drag/Drop now supports resursive folder scan mode.
  • Miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements
  • Updated existing translations
  • Added new translations
  • Catalan (Català)