The popular open-source video transcoder HandBrake has rolled out version 1.11, adding support for encoding video to the MOV container format. The update also introduces new DNxHR and ProRes encoders, both widely used in professional video production.
The DNxHR presets support any resolution using HQX and SQ encoder profiles and include proxy presets for 2160p, 1080p, and 540p using the LB profile. Similarly, the ProRes presets offer standard, HQ, and LT encoding profiles, also with proxy variants for multiple resolutions. These presets support 24-bit PCM multi-channel audio with passthrough capability.
HandBrake 1.11 also improves AV1 support by adding a new AV1 VCN 2160p 4K preset for AMD GPUs starting with the Radeon RX 9000 series and introduces an AMD VCN AV1 10-bit encoder.
The video pipeline gains several other enhancements. The release adds MPEG-2 profile and level selection and allows muxing FFV1 video streams into the MP4 container. AV1 seeking behavior inside MP4 containers has also been improved when used with Apple software.
The audio subsystem receives updates as well. HandBrake 1.11 adds PCM encoding and passthrough support and introduces the ability to define custom channel ordering.
On the platform side, Linux users receive several interface and usability improvements. The application now uses GtkFileLauncher when opening files in sandboxed environments, improving compatibility with Flatpak and other sandboxed distributions.
The release also adds buttons to cycle through previews on the summary page, introduces an option to change the UI display language, improves the display of file sizes, and fixes disk space detection issues.
On macOS, the update introduces a notification sound when encoding finishes while the application is in the foreground. File names displayed in the queue are now truncated in the middle, matching Finder’s behavior. Several minor fixes and localization updates are also included.
Windows users should note an important runtime change. The HandBrake UI now requires Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0.x, replacing the previously required .NET 8 runtime. The release also removes support for Intel HyperEncode, which has been deprecated upstream.
Under the hood, HandBrake 1.11 updates a wide range of third-party libraries. These include FFmpeg 8.0.1, SVT-AV1 4.0.1, libdav1d 1.5.3, libvpx 1.16.0, x265 r13309, and oneVPL 2.16.0 for Intel QSV support, among others. The build system has also been updated, including newer mingw-w64 and macOS toolchain components.
For more information, refer to the changelog. HandBrake 1.11 is available now for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
As with previous releases, users are advised to ensure there are no pending encoding jobs before upgrading. It is also recommended to back up custom presets and application preferences, as they may not always remain compatible between major versions.
