0.17.2

This version was originally tagged and released on the date below. These notes were added on GitHub much later so the creation date won't match.

Monday, April 3, 2017

• Fix failure of version detection for recent HandBrake nightly builds. Thanks, @kvanh! Via #139.
• Modify detect-crop to escape preview commands for Z shells. Thanks, @jjathman! Via #138.

0.17.1

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

• Modify transcode-video to use binary file mode when reading and writing console and log output from HandBrakeCLI. This eliminates redundant information and "console spew" on Windows by suppressing the EOL <-> CRLF conversion. Thanks, @samhutchins! Via #130.

0.17.0

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

• Remove all dependencies on mplayer, via #120 and #123:
  • Modify detect-crop and transcode-video to use ffmpeg for crop detection instead of mplayer.
  • Modify detect-crop to use mpv, a free cross-platform media player, for optional crop preview instead of mplayer.
  • Add a --player option to detect-crop so mplayer can still be used for crop preview commands. Warning: this feature will be deprecated soon.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Remove any mention of mplayer and list mpv as an optional package.
  • Fix typo in version 0.16.0 release information. Thanks, @samhutchins!

0.16.0

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Friday, January 20, 2017

• Add a --cvbr option to transcode-video. This is essentially the same as the experimental option of the same name which was removed on February 25, 2016, but now it doesn't have a bitrate argument. It enables a simple constrained variable bitrate (CVBR) ratecontrol system, less constrained than the default, producing a more predictable output size while avoiding VBV underflow warnings. Use it with --target big for the best results.
• Modify the --abr option in transcode-video to no longer use a bitrate argument. Instead, it relies on the --target option to control bitrate, just like the default ratecontrol system and the new --cvbr option. So, passing a bitrate argument is now an error. But you should consider using --cvbr instead of --abr anyway since the former is almost always higher quality.
• Remove the deprecated --no-constrain option from detect-crop and the --no-constrain-crop option from transcode-video.
• Modify convert-video to allow HEVC format video along with H.264.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Revise and simplify the Windows installation instructions to point users at the fine work by @samhutchins and @JMoVS on documenting their two methods. Via #115.
  • Revise the "Using transcode-video" section to correct out-of-date performance data about the --quick option.
  • Revise the H.265 answer in the "FAQ" section with up-to-date information about the x265 video encoder. Via #118.

0.15.0

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Sunday, January 15, 2017

• Modify convert-video, via #114, to:
  • Add support for text-based and DVD-style image-based subtitles. Please note that Blu-ray Disc-style image-based subtitles are not supported due to MP4 format restrictions.
  • Add a --no-double option which no longer assumes input files might contain two main audio tracks whose order needs to be swapped, or that a "missing" stereo AAC audio track needs to be added to MP4 output.
  • Change the algoritm deciding when a "missing" stereo AAC audio track is added. Previously that only happened when the first track of the input MKV file was in surround format and there were no other audio tracks. Now it won't matter how many audio tracks are in the input.
  • Use ffmpeg and mkvpropedit for conversion to MKV format instead of just mkvmerge which could not convert subtitle formats.
  • Remove the dependency on mkvmerge and add a dependency on mkvpropedit.
  • No longer pass the -strict experimental arguments to ffmpeg when using the built-in, native AAC encoder.
• Fix a bug preventing the detection of whether an audio track had the "default" flag set when parsing scan output from HandBrakeCLI versions 1.0.0 and later. This was caused by the integration of Libav version 12.0 in HandBrake on December 17, 2016.
• Fix a long-standing bug preventing the detection of all subtitles and disambiguation with chapter information in MP4 files when parsing scan output from mp4track.
• Remove support for the Freeware Advanced Audio Coder (FAAC) from the "FFmpeg" module since it's no longer included with ffmpeg.
• Remove the "mkvmerge.rb" source file and any references to the "MKVmerge" module since convert-video no longer needs it.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Remove mkvmerge from the "Requirements" section.
  • Clarify subtitle support in the "Using convert-video" section.

0.14.0

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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

• Add a --prefer-ac3 option to transcode-video. This prefers Dolby Digital AC-3 over AAC format when encoding or copying audio, even when the original track channel layout is stereo or mono. It also sets the audio output "width" for all tracks to surround. Via #112.
• Fix a bug in the parsing of audio and subtitle track names that was introduced by the integration of Libav version 12.0 in HandBrake on December 17, 2016, affecting HandBrakeCLI versions 1.0.0 and later. This caused transcode-video to substitute any commas with underscores in added audio track names when used with those versions of HandBrakeCLI.

0.13.0

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Monday, January 2, 2017

• Modify the --quick option in transcode-video to remove the x264 mixed-refs=0 setting because it's unnecessary when the ref=1 setting is also applied. Via #108.
• Add a --veryquick option to transcode-video for encoding 90-125% faster than the default setting with little easily perceptible loss in video quality. Unlike --quick, its output size is larger than the default. Via #108.
• Remove the deprecated --small and --small-video options from transcode-video.
• Update all copyright notices to the year 2017.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Revise the installation instructions to reflect that HandBrakeCLI has been removed from Homebrew Cask (thanks to @vitorgalvao) and is now part of Homebrew Core (thanks to @JMoVS). Via #106 from @vitorgalvao.
  • Revise the version of HandBrakeCLI required for HEVC transcoding to 1.0.0 or later in the "FAQ" section.
  • Clarify Enhanced AC-3 audio support in the "FAQ" section.

0.12.3

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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

• Increase the speed and quality of the --quick option. Encoding is now 70-80% faster than the default setting with no easily perceptible loss in video quality. The improvement is so good that I no longer recommend using x264 presets to speed things up. Via #104.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Revise the "Understanding the x264 preset system" section to suggest using --quick or --target big instead of faster or slower presets.
  • Add Docker virtualization software installation instructions. Via #98 from @ntodd.

0.12.2

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Sunday, November 6, 2016

• Modify transcode-video to use HandBrake's new "auto-anamorphic" API, if available, instead of "strict-anamorphic". The HandBrake team removed the "strict-anamorphic" API on October 31, 2016, breaking transcode-video when it's used with the latest nightly builds. Via #67 from @iokui.
• Add "auto-anamorphic" and "non-anamorphic" to the list of HandBrake APIs disabled when the --pixel-aspect option is used with transcode-video.
• Re-enable the x264 video encoder when the --quick option is used with transcode-video.

0.12.1

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Friday, November 4, 2016

• Modify transcode-video to enable the --quick option only for the x264 video encoder and enable my special ratecontrol system only for the x264 and x265 encoders.
• Update the "README" document to:
  • Revise the H.265 answer in the "FAQ" section to show how you can try experimental HEVC transcoding now.
  • Use new canonical "macOS" name.
  • Add "Explanation" section describing how my special ratecontrol system works.