Alternatives to Handbrake?

[Bsmooth]

I know its probably the easiest to use and its free, but are there any alternatives that don't heat up the CPU so much for regular x264 conversions ? Maybe an apple program even. Maybe I should ask If there are any paid versions of software. Just looking for alternatives as handbrake takes quite awhile and I'm trying to setup a second PC to do the work.

[Woodstock]

Anything that uses the CPU to its maximum will heat it up. And handbrake uses it at the maximum rate. So will any other encoder, unless it is using special encoding hardware (like QSV or the various similar hardware encoders). If you're not seeing handbrake use that hardware (if you have it), you can configure it to (usually).

[Bsmooth]

The closest though to X264 without artifacts is probably QSV though isn't it ? If QSV is the way to go next to X264, what are my best options for a CPU that would get me my best image?

[Woodstock]

QSV can crank up artifacts if you ask it to compress too much, but so can x264. I've got a QSV-capable machine, and it can really crank out the video, but... I don't use it much, except for testing. I'll put up with 80-90% slower speed for fewer artifacts. But, I also have my machine for encoding blowing a LOT of air through the cooling system.

It's a question of what appeals to the individual. I have my tastes, you have yours. The most important tastes are the ones who are viewing it.

The thing to remember is that, "it's the encoder". x264 is going to be the same quality with the same parameters whether you're using handbrake's version or the actual x264 app. QSV quality is going to be the same in handbrake as it is in any other app that uses it. Do YOU like how QSV encodes video X? That's all that counts.

To some extent, "it's the filters". Handbrake has some filters that can make a difference (good and bad) that it can apply regardless of the encoder. If you have a video that was originally interlaced, the de-interlacing filters (there are more than one) can help a lot. A raw QSV encoder wouldn't have those.

[Chetwood]

I agree with Woodstock but if you still want to try (on Windows though) you could use Staxrip or X Media Recode.

[Bsmooth]

Is there a tutorial that goes thru details about the filters and what should be used where, or is it all a matter of learning thru trial and error?

[Woodstock]

I'd have said "go ask on the handbrake forum", but that doesn't exist any more. handbrake.fr takes you to documentation, but, without the forum to look through, you're limited to asking questions and trying things. Maybe, someday, someone will create a forum to support it, to replace the old one?

[Bsmooth]

Well my knowledge base is growing, but its still quite a learning curve. Thats OK, my brand new Zidoo Z9X Pro now does not do movie matching any longer. Something to do with the IMDB API. Yes its quite a learning curve indeed. Hows that saying go"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for." I think its by Oscar Wilde.

[flojo]

Try searching the doom9.org forums. Most of those filters go back over 20 years when VirtualDub + Avisynth were the go-to tools for encoding and editing. I believe Handbrake, like staxrip, depends on external tools such as Avisynth. So even if Handbrake still had documentation on this, it would almost certainly be copied and pasted from some external Avisynth filter's documentation.