HandBrakeBatch for Mac

Used HandBrakeBatch for Mac?

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffDecember 26, 2014

HandBrakeBatch for Mac works efficiently with the popular DVD ripping program HandBrake to allow batch conversions, which is not a function available by default in the program, itself. The application is easy to use, free, and can speed video conversions considerably.

Even though it's a popular DVD ripping program, available on a number of platforms, HandBrake doesn't allow for batch jobs, a detriment to users who need a number of files and discs converted. The application downloads easily, but the user must have HandBrake installed for it to function. While there are no graphics in the application's menu, it is intuitive and easy to decipher, especially for the more advanced target users. The left side is set up like a notebook where the video files can be dragged and dropped. A small button can also remove items from the list. There is also a drop-down menu to select the preset the user wants to apply to the entire batch, which lists most of those available in HandBrake. A clearly labeled section also allows for changing and renaming the output location. Dropping files into the program worked well, and the overall conversion process functioned as intended, with the test batch all finishing properly.

For those looking for a way to speed up processing of video files, HandBrakeBatch for Mac is a clean and functional application that won't disappoint HandBrake users.

What’s new in version 2.24

A couple of hours of layover during my flight to Italy gave me just enough time to fix the issue with custom presets, which appeared recently in HandBrakeBatch. The problem was due to some changes in the preset file format, introduced with HandBrake 0.10.0. I am not on my main computer, so I do not have many sample files (neither preset files, nor sample movies), but the new version loads my custom presets correctly.The issue was related to the way preset folders are encoded in the file: it used to be a boolean and it is now an integer. I do not really understand the reason for this change, but it was relatively easy to fix once found. I have only changed the script which translates the preset file in command line options for the HandBrake CLI, so the risk of regressions is small. That said, there might be other changes in the format of the preset file which I missed, so if you have problems let me know.