I had my list of rate factors that I was going to post here, but I lost those files when I built my server. The reason is 2.35:1 videos are cropped with lower resolution and need less bitrate to achieve that quality. I started looking at mine and I noticed many of my 2.35:1 encodes did fantastic, with many QPs under 20 (This was using Don's settings with 8,000 kpbs). Query-handbrake-log ratefactor '/path/to/Logs directory/' If you use Don's scripts and you house all your logs in one folder, you can run this command: You can check your log and see what your 'score' was. So a QP of 20 sort of means that's what the encode would have looked like had you simply used a CRF of 20 and not used any bitrate restrictions. Generally speaking, the rate factor for QP equals that of CRF. What I didn't know was, when using Don's settings, you can check the log to see what the QP Ratefactor was. I've found his setting to be the best of both worlds. Don's settings say 'Use this CRF, but if if gets crazy, stay within these bitrate guidelines'.

The problem with CRF for most people is, you can't 'set and forget' CRF because a CRF of 20 on Toy Story will yield a bitrate of around 5,000 kpbs or so, and a CRF on Sin City will probably yield something closer to 25,000 kpbs.

Anything lower than this is generally considered to be placebo. Handbrake defaults to p, their new presets default at 22, they have a HQ version at 20, and they recently added a 'Super HQ' version at 18. CRF will use whatever bitrate is necessary to obtain the quality it's set to. The lower the number, the better the quality and higher the bitrate. Most of the time when you encode with x264 and Handbrake, you choose a CRF (RF) or 'Constant Quality'. I used to only evaluate the transcodes visually, and while this is still the best way to do so, I added some math to the equation to help.

The main thing that changed for me recently was how I evaluated a transcode. I held off a bit on posting this about transcoding because I was honestly taking the time to understand it better.

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