Best video converting software?

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
25,761
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I simply need to convert a 4K MKV file into an MP4 while maintaining HDR and 4K resolution. I've tried a couple free options but they are not working right. What do y'all use?
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
25,761
24,108
136
Even with the rig in my sig, which is still respectable, taking 5 hours to convert just over 2 hours of 4k HDR video with no quality loss
 
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biostud

Lifer
Feb 27, 2003
19,444
6,492
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If you had an nvidia card you could speed up the process using the nvenc encoder.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
25,761
24,108
136
apparently I got really overzealous with the settings and turned a 32GB file into a 345GB file. I'm now using just slightly better than Handbrake's recommended settings while keeping full 4K and it's taking only 45 minutes to now do the entire 127min video vs over 5 hours. Much better.
 
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TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
4,027
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I simply need to convert a 4K MKV file into an MP4 while maintaining HDR and 4K resolution. I've tried a couple free options but they are not working right. What do y'all use?
Mkv is just a container for various filetypes including mp4 files... it could be that you don't even need to do any converting at all.
Check out mkvtoolnix to just splice the mp4 file out of the container.
You only need to convert if the original is h265 and the target player can only play h264 or something similar.
 
Mar 11, 2004
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5,846
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OP, I hope you know Handbrake is transcoding so you're not getting the same quality (and depending your settings you might end up with a larger file that's worse quality).

Mkv is just a container for various filetypes including mp4 files... it could be that you don't even need to do any converting at all.
Check out mkvtoolnix to just splice the mp4 file out of the container.
You only need to convert if the original is h265 and the target player can only play h264 or something similar.

Was gonna check to see what I'd been using and that's the one that worked best. Er, wait, no I think I ended up using ShanaEncoder as it seemed easier (and I could do multiple of them quicker).

Just select point A and point B and save.

Another good tool and it worked for that use well. It had some shortcomings (I seem to recall it having an issue with h265/HEVC files but I think that might have been due to size as I'd rip a Blu-ray, then I was looking to edit out bits before encoding with Handbrake and it kept locking up, but it could be due to a number of factors and I haven't played with it much in like over a year if not 2-3 so I'm sure its been updated since).

I've been holding off on doing any more as I want a new computer that can do it faster and also have been waiting for AV1 to become supported so that I'll just go that route since it seems like its gonna become the standard. Of course by then there will be 4K (maybe even 8K) versions of the movies I'm wanting to rip so I'll be starting back over anyway.