HandBrake, a widely used open-source video transcoder, has just released version 1.8.1, bringing several important fixes and updates. For those unfamiliar, it is a powerful tool that allows users to convert video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
What’s New in HandBrake 1.8.1
The HandBrake team has focused on fixing numerous bugs and issues from the previous 1.8.0 release, ensuring a smoother and more reliable user experience. Here they are.
For all platforms, key fixes include resolving a warning and misconfiguration issue with the x265 encoder’s repeat-headers feature and ensuring the NVEnc encoder correctly respects the level option.
An issue causing DVD subtitles to be corrupted during rendering has also been fixed, along with correcting the eedi2 filter that previously caused video artifacts. The update includes newer versions of FFmpeg (7.0.1) for decoding and filters and libdav1d (1.4.3) for AV1 video decoding.
Mac users will notice that a stall in the queue, which could occur if the encoding process crashes during job configuration, has been resolved. Additionally, the “Show” button has been removed from notifications when there is nothing to show.
For Windows users, hardware decoding is now disabled by default for new installations, though users can opt-in after ensuring their drivers are up-to-date.
Moreover, an issue where hardware decoding was erroneously used for previews has been fixed, and the auto-name feature has been adjusted to be less aggressive. An erroneous error message that appeared when dragging files with subtitles onto the main window has also been removed.
Lastly, before updating to HandBrake 1.8.1, users are advised to ensure there are no pending encodes in their queue. Additionally, it’s important to back up any custom presets and app preferences, as they may not be compatible with the new version.
To avoid compatibility issues, Windows users should also install Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime version 8.0.x, specifically the DESKTOP runtime.
For more information about all the changes in the new version, refer to the changelog or visit the official announcement.
