HandBrake

HandBrake is a powerful open-source video transcoder that has been helping users convert and optimize videos for over 15 years. Built by volunteers and available completely free, this versatile tool transforms videos from nearly any format into modern, widely-supported codecs that work seamlessly across all your devices.

Whether you're working with videos from consumer cameras, professional recording equipment, mobile devices, screen recordings, or DVD and Blu-ray discs, HandBrake handles them all with ease. The software leverages industry-leading tools like Libav, x264, and x265 to create high-quality MP4 or MKV video files that play perfectly on mobile phones, tablets, TV media players, game consoles, computers, and web browsers.

HandBrake excels as a post-production tool designed specifically for video conversion and optimization. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible to beginners, while its extensive advanced options satisfy professional users who need precise control over encoding parameters. The software includes built-in device presets that let you start converting videos in seconds—simply choose a profile optimized for your target device or select a universal profile for standard or high-quality conversions.

The transcoder supports an impressive range of output options, including multiple video encoders (AV1, H.265, H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VP8, and VP9) and audio encoders (AAC/HE-AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC3, E-AC3, Opus, and Vorbis). It can output to MP4, MKV, and WebM containers, with optional hardware-accelerated encoding for faster processing on compatible systems.

Beyond basic conversion, HandBrake offers powerful video enhancement capabilities. You can crop and resize videos, restore old and low-quality footage, remove combing artifacts from interlaced content, and apply various filters including deinterlacing, denoise, detelecine, deblock, and color space adjustments. The software supports HDR pass-through, preserving high dynamic range content for compatible displays.

HandBrake's batch processing capabilities allow you to queue multiple videos for conversion, saving time when working with large media libraries. The point-to-point encoding feature lets you trim videos by selecting specific chapters, time ranges, or frame numbers, perfect for extracting clips or reducing file sizes further.

For audio, HandBrake can pass-through existing audio tracks without re-encoding, downmix surround sound to stereo, adjust volume levels, and manage dynamic range. It handles subtitles comprehensively, supporting VobSub, closed captions (CEA-608), SSA, and SRT formats, allowing you to preserve existing subtitles or add new ones.

The software provides both constant quality and average bitrate encoding modes, supports variable and constant frame rates, and includes live preview functionality so you can see exactly how your output will look before committing to a full encode. Chapter markers from DVD and Blu-ray sources are automatically detected and can be preserved in your output files.

Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, HandBrake is truly cross-platform, offering the same powerful features regardless of your operating system. The active development community ensures regular updates, bug fixes, and new features, while comprehensive documentation and an engaged user community provide support when needed.

Whether you're archiving your DVD collection, optimizing videos for mobile viewing, preparing content for web publishing, or simply need to convert videos to a compatible format, HandBrake delivers professional-grade results without the professional price tag.