HandBrake Documentation

Intel Quick Sync Video Advanced Configuration

Using the Advanced Options

From the command line, you can use the –encopts parameter as follows:

--encopts="option1=value1:option2=value2"

From the graphical user interface, just set the options in the dedicated text box:

option1=value1:option2=value2

Option Types

The following value types are supported (each option only accepts one value type):

• integer A number that can be written without a fractional or decimal component.

• float The finite decimal representation of a real number.

• boolean 0 means off (or disabled). 1 means on (or enabled).

Available Options

• target-usage (or tu)

  • Sets the trade-off between quality and speed, from 1 (best quality) to 7 (best speed).
  • Default: 2

• num-ref-frame (or ref)

  • Number of reference frames, from 1 to 16.
  • 0 means unspecified (set at runtime by the implementation).
  • Default: 0 (unspecified)

• gop-ref-dist

  • Distance between I or P reference frames, from 1 to 16.
  • -1 means automatic (4 in constant QP mode, 3 otherwise).
  • 0 means unspecified (set at runtime by the implementation).
  • 1 means B-frames will not be used.
  • Default: -1 (automatic)
  • Note: may be sanitized to a lower value in some cases to avoid hangs.

• gop-pic-size (or keyint)

  • Number of pictures within the current GOP (aka “keyframe interval”).
  • -1 means automatic (32 in constant QP mode, 1 second long otherwise).
  • 0 means unspecified (set at runtime by the implementation).
  • 1 means only I-frames will be used.
  • 2 means B-frames will not be used.
  • Default: -1 (automatic)

• cavlc

  • Use CAVLC instead of CABAC entropy coding. Reduces compression efficiency.
  • It may improve encoding performance slightly, especially on older hardware.
  • Note: you can also use ‘'cabac’‘ (same as ’‘cavlc’‘ with reversed meaning).
  • Default: 0 (CAVLC off, CABAC on)

• b-pyramid

  • Enables or disables “Pyramidal B-frames” which can improve compression efficiency.
  • It may be incompatible with some playback devices (such as the first generation AppleTV).
  • Note that this options modifies other parameters (gop-ref-dist, num-ref-frame, gop-pic-size).
  • -1 means automatic (on in constant QP mode, off otherwise).
  • 0 means off (disabled).
  • 1 means on (enabled).
  • Default: -1 (automatic)
  • Caveats: requires hardware support (4th gen. Intel Core processor or equivalent), and driver support for version 1.6 of the Media SDK API.

• mbbrc

  • Enables macroblock-level bitrate control that generally improves subjective visual quality.
  • It may have a negative impact on performance and objective visual quality metrics.
  • Default: 1 (on)
  • Note: not compatible with Constant QP or !LookAhead rate control methods (ignored).
  • Caveats: requires hardware support (4th gen. Intel Core processor or equivalent), and driver support for version 1.6 of the Media SDK API.

• extbrc

  • Use extended bitrate control algorithms.
  • It generally improves objective visual quality metrics and subjective visual quality,
  • but can also lead to violation of HRD conformance and may significantly reduce performance.
  • Default: 0 (off)
  • Note: not compatible with Constant QP or !LookAhead rate control methods (ignored).
  • Caveats: requires driver support for version 1.6 of the Media SDK API.

• trellis

  • Enables trellis quantization.
  • 0 means trellis is disabled.
  • 1 means trellis is enabled for I-frames only.
  • 2 means trellis is enabled for I and P-frames.
  • 3 means trellis is enabled for all frames (I, P and B).
  • Default: 0 (disabled)
  • Note: ignored if the target-usage is too low (usually, only works in combination with tu=1).
  • Caveats: requires hardware support (4th gen. Intel Core processor or equivalent), and driver support for version 1.7 of the Media SDK API.

• lookahead (or la)

  • Use the !LookAhead (LA or LA_ICQ) bitrate control algorithm.
  • Default: 1 (on)
  • Caveats: requires hardware support (4th gen. Intel Core processor or equivalent), and driver support for version 1.7 (1.8 for LA_ICQ) of the Media SDK API.

• lookahead-depth (or la-depth)

  • If !LookAhead bitrate control is enabled, number of frames that are analyzed before encoding, from 11 to 60.
  • Default: 40
  • Note: may be sanitized to a lower value in some cases to avoid hangs.
  • Caveats: requires hardware support (4th gen. Intel Core processor or equivalent), and driver support for version 1.7 of the Media SDK API.

• force-cqp

  • In Constant Quality mode, use Constant QP rate control, even if Intelligent Constant Quality is available.
  • Default: 0 (ICQ enabled if available)

• cqp-offset-i | cqp-offset-p | cqp-offset-b

  • In constant QP (CQP) bitrate control mode, specify offset from the global quality/QP value for I, P and B-frames.
  • Defaults are 0, 2 and 4, respectively.

• vbv-maxrate

  • Sets the maximum rate the VBV buffer should be assumed to refill at, in kilobits per second (Kbps).
  • Default: 0 (set at runtime by the implementation)
  • Note: not compatible with Constant QP, Intelligent Constant Quality or !LookAhead rate control methods (ignored).

• vbv-bufsize

  • Sets the size of the VBV buffer in kilobits (Kb).
  • Default: 0 (set at runtime by the implementation)
  • Note: not compatible with Constant QP, Intelligent Constant Quality or !LookAhead rate control methods (ignored).

• vbv-init

  • Sets how full the VBV Buffer must be before playback starts.
  • If it is less than 1, then the initial fill is: vbv-init * vbv-bufsize.
  • Otherwise it is interpreted as the initial fill in kilobits (Kb).
  • Default: 0 (set at runtime by the implementation)
  • Note: not compatible with Constant QP, Intelligent Constant Quality or !LookAhead rate control methods (ignored).