Projects / HandBrake

HandBrake

Audio & Video

A video transcoder that converts existing videos into common playback formats.

Use with conditions
Last updatedRelease 2026-06-07
Open source licenseGPL-2.0 for the overall build; some source files have other compatible licenses
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux
DeploymentDesktop

About this project

HandBrake converts existing video into another encoding and output file. Sources can include camera or phone recordings, screen recordings, and DVD or Blu-ray material without copy protection. The workflow is to open source material, choose output settings and create a new media file. Its purpose is transcoding rather than arranging multiple clips on an editing timeline.

Users can begin with a device or general preset, then adjust dimensions, cropping, quality or average bitrate. Chapter and time range selection determine which part is converted. A queue handles multiple jobs, while subtitles, chapter markers and filters such as deinterlacing or denoising configure the resulting picture and accompanying information before encoding begins.

Output containers include MP4, MKV and WebM, with versions for Windows, macOS and Linux. The documentation explicitly says that video is converted rather than passed through unchanged. HandBrake does not remove copy protection or author playable DVD and Blu-ray discs. These limits distinguish producing a converted media file from disc authoring and other video processing tasks.

Decision guide
01

Why it is worth a look

  • Device presets and batch queues
  • MP4, MKV and WebM output
02

Before you use it

  • Copy-protected DVD and Blu-ray inputs are unsupported
  • Hardware encoding is optional and availability depends on the specific hardware
  • Convert a short section first and compare picture and sound
Manual setupLow
With an AI agentLow
DeploymentDesktop
Additional requirementsNot verified

Use an officially listed operating system and architecture; Have application installation permissions and sufficient local storage; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.

03

What it can do

  • Device presets and batch queues
  • MP4, MKV and WebM output
  • Subtitle handling, previews and optional hardware encoding

Who it fits

Good for

People converting, compressing or batch-processing their own videos

Not a fit

Judgment: Users needing multitrack editing, animation or complex compositing

Getting started

  1. Download the stable graphical installer from the official website
  2. Open a video, choose an appropriate preset and select a new output path
  3. Preview or convert a short section before running the full queue

Alternatives to consider