Official presets
A Preset is a group of settings specifically tailored for the software or device
you want your videos to play on. Selecting a Preset can go a long way
toward ensuring your video works where you want it to.
HandBrake includes a number of official Presets that select specific settings
to ensure compatibility for specific devices, the web, and for general use.
When selecting one of these Presets, higher resolution video will be
downscaled to a maximum resolution, and higher frame rates will be peak
limited to a maximum frame rate. Audio and other settings may also be
enforced.
Here are some examples of how Presets work in practice:
When selecting one of the 720p30 Presets, a Source with 1080p video at 60
frames per second will be downscaled to 720p resolution and peak limited
to 30 frames per second
When selecting one of the 720p30 Presets, a Source with 480p video at 30
frames per second will not be scaled or peak limited
When selecting a Preset that does not include surround sound, only stereo
audio is encoded; the discrete surround audio is dropped
When selecting a Preset that includes surround sound, stereo audio is
encoded and surround audio is “passed through” if possible (or encoded to
a compatible format)
Select a Preset and explore which settings have changed. These settings
will be used to make your new video.
The default Fast 1080p30 preset is a good choice if you’re just getting
started. It’s fast and compatible across a wide range of software and
devices.
General presets
HandBrake’s General Presets use the MP4 container and are intended to be
broadly compatible across a wide range of software and devices.1
Each General Preset is named according to the quality or speed, maximum
resolution, and maximum frame rate it produces.
Picture Encoding
Preset Type Video Audio File Size
Quality Speed
Very Fast
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Average Very fast Small
1080p30
Very Fast 720p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Average Very fast Small
Very Fast 576p25 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Average Very fast Small
Very Fast 480p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Average Very fast Small
Fast 1080p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Standard Fast Average
Fast 720p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Standard Fast Average
Fast 576p25 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Standard Fast Average
Fast 480p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Standard Fast Average
HQ 1080p30 AAC stereo; Dolby
MP4 H.264 High Slow Large
Surround Digital (AC-3)
HQ 720p30 AAC stereo; Dolby
MP4 H.264 High Slow Large
Surround Digital (AC-3)
HQ 576p25 AAC stereo; Dolby
MP4 H.264 High Slow Large
Surround Digital (AC-3)
HQ 480p30 AAC stereo; Dolby
MP4 H.264 High Slow Large
Surround Digital (AC-3)
Super HQ AAC stereo; Dolby Very
MP4 H.264 Super high Very slow
1080p30 Surround Digital (AC-3) large
Super HQ 720p30 AAC stereo; Dolby Very
MP4 H.264 Super high Very slow
Surround Digital (AC-3) large
Super HQ 576p25 AAC stereo; Dolby Very
MP4 H.264 Super high Very slow
Surround Digital (AC-3) large
Super HQ 480p30 AAC stereo; Dolby Very
MP4 H.264 Super high Very slow
Surround Digital (AC-3) large
Web presets
HandBrake’s Web Presets use the broadly compatible MP4 container and
are tailored for sharing videos on the Internet.
Discord Nitro Presets are designed to guarantee video up to a certain
duration will produce a file less than 50 MB for use with Discord Nitro
Classic or 100 MB for use with Discord Nitro. Likewise, Discord Presets are
designed to guarantee video up to a certain duration will produce a file less
than 8 MB for use with Discord free accounts. The maximum duration is
part of each Preset name. Audio quality is slightly reduced, and visually
noisy/grainy or high motion scenes may show a reduction in quality in order
to achieve the target file size.
Gmail Presets are designed to guarantee video up to a certain duration will
produce a file less than 25 MB for attaching to an email.2 The maximum
duration is part of each Preset name. Audio quality is slightly reduced, and
visually noisy/grainy or high motion scenes may show a reduction in quality
in order to achieve the target file size.
Vimeo YouTube Presets produce videos suitable for uploading to popular
video hosting services.3 Presets marked HQ are designed to deliver higher
quality while encoding in a resonable amount of time.
Picture Encoding
Preset Type Video Audio File Size
Quality Speed
Discord Nitro Large 3-6 AAC Depends on 50/100 MB
MP4 H.264 Fast
Minutes 1080p30 stereo source or less
Discord Nitro Medium 5- AAC Depends on 50/100 MB
MP4 H.264 Fast
10 Minutes 720p30 stereo source or less
Discord Nitro Small 10- AAC Depends on 50/100 MB
MP4 H.264 Fast
20 Minutes 480p30 stereo source or less
Discord Small 2 Minutes AAC Depends on
MP4 H.264 Very Fast 8 MB or less
360p30 mono source
Discord Tiny 5 Minutes AAC Depends on
MP4 H.264 Very Fast 8 MB or less
240p30 mono source
Gmail Large 3 Minutes AAC Depends on 25 MB or
MP4 H.264 Fast
720p30 stereo source less
Gmail Medium 5 AAC Depends on 25 MB or
MP4 H.264 Fast
Minutes 480p30 stereo source less
Gmail Small 10 Minutes AAC Depends on 25 MB or
MP4 H.264 Fast
288p30 mono source less
Vimeo YouTube HQ AAC
MP4 H.264 High Medium Large
2160p60 4K stereo
Vimeo YouTube HQ AAC
MP4 H.264 High Medium Large
1440p60 2.5K stereo
Vimeo YouTube HQ AAC
MP4 H.264 High Medium Large
1080p60 stereo
Vimeo YouTube HQ AAC
MP4 H.264 High Medium Large
720p60 stereo
AAC
Vimeo YouTube 720p30 MP4 H.264 Standard Medium Average
stereo
Devices presets
HandBrake’s Devices Presets target specific devices and classes of
devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, TV media players, and game
consoles.
Most Devices Presets use the broadly compatible MP4 container, while a
select few use the Matroska Multimedia Container to support advanced
features such as Ultra HD 4K resolution and additional audio types
compatible with target devices.
Each Devices Preset is named according to the device name or class,
maximum resolution, and maximum frame rate it produces.
Encoding
Preset Type Video Audio
Speed
Amazon Fire 2160p60 4K
MP4 H.265 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Very slow
HEVC Surround
Amazon Fire 1080p30
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Surround
Amazon Fire 720p30
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Surround
Android 1080p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Android 720p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Android 576p25 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Android 480p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Apple 2160p60 4K HEVC
MP4 H.265 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Very slow
Surround
Apple 1080p60 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Apple 1080p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Apple 720p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Apple 540p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Chromecast 2160p60 4K
MP4 H.265 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Very slow
HEVC Surround
Chromecast 1080p60
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Surround
Chromecast 1080p30
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Surround
Playstation 2160p60 4K
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Slow
Surround
Playstation 1080p30
MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Surround
Encoding
Preset Type Video Audio
Speed
Playstation 720p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Playstation 540p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Roku 2160p60 4K HEVC AAC stereo; AAC, Dolby Digital (AC-3),
MKV H.265 Very slow
Surround Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), DTS, or MP3
Roku 1080p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Roku 720p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Roku 576p25 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Roku 480p30 MP4 H.264 AAC stereo Medium
Xbox 1080p30 Surround MP4 H.264 AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3) Medium
Matroska presets
HandBrake’s Matroska Presets target software and devices supporting
the Matroska Multimedia Container. MKV files support virtually all video and
audio types, including many that the MP4 container does not.
Each Matroska Preset is named according to the video type, maximum
resolution, and maximum frame rate it produces.
Preset Type Video Audio Encoding Speed
H.265 MKV 2160p60 MKV H.265 AAC stereo Very slow
H.265 MKV 1080p30 MKV H.265 AAC stereo Very slow
H.265 MKV 720p30 MKV H.265 AAC stereo Very slow
H.265 MKV 576p25 MKV H.265 AAC stereo Very slow
H.265 MKV 480p30 MKV H.265 AAC stereo Very slow
H.264 MKV 2160p60 MKV H.264 AAC stereo Standard
H.264 MKV 1080p30 MKV H.264 AAC stereo Standard
H.264 MKV 720p30 MKV H.264 AAC stereo Standard
H.264 MKV 576p25 MKV H.264 AAC stereo Standard
H.264 MKV 480p30 MKV H.264 AAC stereo Standard
VP9 MKV 2160p60 MKV VP9 Opus stereo Ultra slow
VP9 MKV 1080p30 MKV VP9 Opus stereo Ultra slow
VP9 MKV 720p30 MKV VP9 Opus stereo Ultra slow
Preset Type Video Audio Encoding Speed
VP9 MKV 576p25 MKV VP9 Opus stereo Ultra slow
VP9 MKV 480p30 MKV VP9 Opus stereo Ultra slow
VP8 MKV 1080p30 MKV VP8 Vorbis stereo Ultra slow
VP8 MKV 720p30 MKV VP8 Vorbis stereo Ultra slow
VP8 MKV 576p25 MKV VP8 Vorbis stereo Ultra slow
VP8 MKV 480p30 MKV VP8 Vorbis stereo Ultra slow
Production presets
HandBrake’s Production Presets create mastering grade, short GOP,
constant frame rate video with high bit rate audio, suited for professional
video editing workflows. These presets typically create files much larger
than most compressed sources and are not suitable for general use.
Production Proxy Presets create fast to encode, Intra-only video limited to
one-quarter the desired editing resolution.
Fram
Max GO
Typ Vide Audi Picture e Encodin File
Preset Resolutio P
e o o Quality Type g Speed Size
n Size
s
AAC Depends
Productio H.26 Max Giganti
MP4 stere Unlimited I/P 1-12 on
n Max 4 Master c
o source
Productio AAC Standar Depends
H.26
n MP4 stere Unlimited d I/P 1-12 on Huge
4
Standard o Master source
Productio AAC
H.26 ¼ 2160p Intra- Averag
n Proxy MP4 stere Proxy 1 Fast
4 4K only e
1080p o
Productio AAC
H.26 ¼ 1080p Intra- Very
n Proxy MP4 stere Proxy 1 Small
4 HD only Fast
540p o
Compatible replacements for deprecated or removed
presets
From time to time, official Presets may be deprecated or removed.
Compatible replacements are listed here.
Legacy Devices presets
Preset Compatible Preset Notes
Apple 240p30 None Obsolete.
Windows Mobile General > Fast Later Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices, and
1080p30 1080p30 Windows 10 Mobile devices.
Windows Mobile Add vbv-bufsize=10000:vbv-maxrate=10000 to the
General > Fast 720p30
720p30 additional encoder options for older devices.
Windows Mobile Add vbv-bufsize=4000:vbv-maxrate=4000 to the
General > Fast 480p30
540p30 additional encoder options for older devices.
Windows Mobile Add vbv-bufsize=2000:vbv-maxrate=2000 to the
General > Fast 480p30
480p30 additional encoder options for older devices.
Xbox Legacy Devices > Apple Disable anamorphic, dimensions must be evenly divisible
1080p30 Surround 1080p30 Surround by 8, video must be H.264 Main Profile.
Legacy 0.10.x presets
Preset Compatible Preset Notes
General > Fast Decomb filter, peak limited to 30 FPS, slightly decreased video
Normal
1080p30 bit rate, improved motion quality, foreign audio search.
General > HQ 1080p30 Peak limited to 30 FPS, reduced video bit rate spikes, foreign
High Profile
Surround audio search.
General > Fast 576p25/480p30 may be suitable replacements
Universal None where compatibility with ancient devices and surround sound
are not required.
iPod None Obsolete.
iPhone & Devices > Apple Decomb filter, slightly increased video bit rate, surround sound,
iPod touch 540p30 Surround foreign audio search.
Devices > Apple Decomb filter, slightly decreased video bit rate, surround sound,
iPad
720p30 Surround foreign audio search.
Devices > Apple
AppleTV Decomb filter, foreign audio search.
540p30 Surround
Devices > Apple Decomb filter, slightly decreased video bit rate, foreign audio
AppleTV 2
720p30 Surround search.
Devices > Apple Decomb filter, slightly decreased video bit rate, foreign audio
AppleTV 3
1080p30 Surround search.
Decomb filter, peak limited to 25 FPS (Android 576p25 only),
Devices > Android
Android slightly increased video bit rate, foreign audio search, chapter
576p25/480p30
markers.
Android Devices > Android Decomb filter, slightly increased video bit rate, foreign audio
Tablet 720p30 search, chapter markers.
Windows
None Obsolete.
Phone 8
1. Higher quality General Presets may include settings that are incompatible with older
or slower devices.↩
2. The 25 MB per message size limit for email attachments is specific to
the Gmail service and may change in the future. Other email services may set
different limits. It is generally recommended to use a file hosting service when
sharing large or long videos.↩
3. The Vimeo YouTube presets are designed and tested to meet these specific
services' video guidelines. Compatibility with other services is possible, but neither
tested nor guaranteed.↩
This article is part of the HandBrake Documentation and was written by
Bradley Sepos (BradleyS). Join us on GitHub to contribute your thoughts and ideas, and to
suggest any corrections.
