best handbrake preset for ipad 2

[AQ_OC]

I use these settings to ensure that my blu-ray rips work on both my Android and iOS devices. If I just do iPad, those usually don't run on my Android.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot you were talking iPad 2. However, all you need to do is modify the height and width setting on the screen below if you really want 720p rather than 1080p. Note that 1080p will still work, but the files will be larger. The advantage of larger is that if you get an iPad 3, you can still use the video and get the higher resolution. I do all my rips from Blu-ray at 1080p.

Note: you can do High-profile and normal, too, but these files, IME, work on fewer devices. My objective was to get mine to work on both iPads and Android (tegra 2) tablets.

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[AQ_OC]

Some times you have to experiment with the setting in Handbrake to achieve the results you want. A good tip to to select 1 chapter from the movie to use for testing purposes. This cuts down the transcoding time tremendously.

[Tech boo]

I have used your settings successfully to backup DVDs. They work great for me too. I also tried to use them recently for a bluray movie and they actually produced a movie, which I haven't tried yet, but the size of the file is more than 3GB, as opposed to 1GB outputs I get for my DVDs. I suspect it's because of the resolution? Have you tried any settings for blurary movies? Thanks

Bigcat, I havent converted any bluray, but i know from others that they will be bigger, and yes due to the HD resolution. 3 bg isnt too bad considering the size of a bluray movie. From others the average bluray movie is from 15-25bg in size, so the mp4 at 3gb is pretty small.

glad the settings worked for you, took me hours to figure them out, so saving others those hours is good to hear.

[kaki4125]

Encoding can be a particular thing, so while these presets aim for both quality and file size you may have your own preferences. Perhaps there are other applications like iFunia DVD to iPad Converter that make better conversions and provide optimized and direct presets for iPad.

[Richie69uk]

Is it possible to export/save these settings? Then we could import them into Handbrake thus eliminating any errors etc

After many attempts over the last couple of years these are my settings to achieve the best standard def DVD quality for an HDTV and for the iPad 2.

1st - Click on the Regular 'High Profile' preset. You'll change some of the settings, but this is a good starting point. Now for the step by step setting adjustments.
I Always make the extension MP4. I don't use mkv.
PICTURE: Source=720x480. Anamorphic=Strict (this keeps the original screen shape, letter box, 16:9, 3:4). Cropping=Automatic.
VIDEO FILTERS: Detelicine=Default. Decomb=Default. Delinterlace=Off. Denoise=Off. Deblock=all the way to the left (On).
VIDEO: Video Codec=H.264 (x264). Framerate (FPS)=Same as source. Variable Framerate-Constant Quality=RF:20.
AUDIO: To get the best sound output you will need to 'Add Track' 2 sound tracks. In this order add...
Source=1English (AC3)(5.1 ch), Audio Codec=AC3 Passthru, Mixdown=Automatic, Samplerate=Auto, Bitrate=Auto, DRC=0, Gain(db)=0. This track is for your HDTV to get 5.1 surround sound.
Then add Source=1English (AC3)(5.1 ch), Audio Codec=AAC (faac), Mixdown=Stereo, Samplerate=Auto, Bitrate=160, DRC=2.5, Gain(db)=0. This track is for your iPad 2. This has to be added or else the movie cannot be loaded onto your iPad 2. I add this last, so it is the top sound output listed.
SUBTITLES: This setting will vary from DVD to DVD. Usually English or foreign bitmap are the subtitles you want to Add. Is the movie a foreign movie with subtitles throughout? Then you would need to 'Add' the 1.English subtitle. If there are subtitles that only appear during a foreign language part then it usually is 2.English Subtitle. The Forced only, Burned In and Default check boxes are suppose to help figure all this out, but I've experienced variation from DVD to DVD. Forced sometimes works, burned in sometimes works. You may have to play around with these settings. Also the source of the subtitles from the original DVD can be difficult to identify. When you first load the source, you probably will need to Load the video FOLDER, not FILE to get the subtitles to work. Besides trial and error try reading up on subtitle forums for a better explanation. Be sure to remove all subtitles if you don't want any.
CHAPTERS: I never include chapter marks, it leaves a little white 'chapter x' in the bottom center of the movie.
ADVANCED: Don't change anything here unless you know what you are doing. All the setting work as is; this is why I clicked on the High Profile preset. To get this tab in particular to be preset for me.
I don't check any of the 3 boxes on the top. Large file size, web optimized, iPod 5g support. I've only had to check Large file size on home movies that are over 2gb.
Save these settings as a new Preset. Click on the +Add. Name this new preset. Choose 'Source Maximum' in the drop down tab. Check 'Save Filter Settings'. You can make this new preset your default preset if you'd like.

File sizes for me are usually between 1gb - 1.5 gb. The largest movies I've converted ended up being 2gb. This is much smaller than the typical 4.7 gb DVD so you can convert many movies and fit hundreds of them on a 500gb - 1tb hard drive.

Good Luck

[Tech boo]

Is it possible to export/save these settings? Then we could import them into Handbrake thus eliminating any errors etc

Richie, i or you can make a plist file that is suppose to save the presets so you can import to another computer. Only problem is it never works correctly. every time i do it something is not right, so i end up deleting the preset and coming to this post to reset everything from scratch. I would just follow what you can. I know that somethings change from old to new versions. for example in the audio for 5.1 surround you cannot choose mixdown=auto, it is now greyed out and is mixdown=none. however that is really moot. as long as you get the ipad 2 audio correct you can download the movie on your ipad. that seemed to be the one hangup i had to get a movie on the ipad, 5.1 prevented it from installing on it, the stereo output is what is needed.

hope that helps.