This article is for an older version of HandBrake. All versions.
Dieser Artikel ist für eine ältere Version von HandBrake. Alle Versionen.
H.264 profiles
Define the features / capabilities that the encoder can use.
HandBrake exposes 3 profiles for H.264 Encodes. You can think of the profile asthe level of complexity required in encode / decode. The higher the complexity,the more CPU power is needed to encode/decode. Setting a profile, constrains theencode to using settings that are allowed for that profile level.
Typically, devices will advertise that they are compatible for a particularprofile and level, so you can simply set the option that matches your device forthe best chance of compatibility.
- Auto (Recommended)
- This will automatically set the profile based on all the options thathave been selected.
- It is recommended that you use this option unless you need to set aprofile to ensure compatibility for a particular device.
- Baseline
- Baseline encodes are the most basic form of encoding. While decoding ismuch easier, it may also require much higher bit-rates to maintain thesame level of quality.
- Main
- The middle ground. Most modern / current devices will support thisprofile.
- High Profile
- For best quality and filesize at the expense of CPU time in both decodeand encode.
Note that setting a profile does not mean your encoded file will end up beingthat profile. It simply prevents options being used that would breach thatprofile constraint.
H.264 Levels
The levels are another form of constraints that define things like maximumbitrates, framerates and resolution etc. The wikipedia article lists therelevant information for each level.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC#Levels
Most devices (and sometimes, software decoders) support a “maximum” level. Whenthe video’s specifications exceed that level’s constraints, the decoder won’t beable to decode the video properly (it may simply refuse to play the file).
HandBrake’s H.264 encoder, x264, sets the appropriate level automatically basedon all the other settings. To make sure your video doesn’t exceed a specificlevel, you simply have to make sure the other parameters fit within theconstraints imposed by the level.
It is recommended that you leave this setting on “Auto” unless you require toset it for device compatibility.
