HandBrake is an open-source media converter and video transcoding application designed to process digital video and audio files. It functions as a desktop utility that converts media from nearly any format into widely supported codecs, facilitating video format conversion and the optimization of files for specific playback requirements.
The software serves as a tool for digital media archiving, allowing users to compress and preserve high-quality video into manageable formats. It also functions as a DVD and Blu-ray ripper, enabling the extraction and conversion of content from physical optical discs into digital files for storage and playback.
The application utilizes a modular filter graph architecture to perform image and audio transformations, such as scaling and deinterlacing, prior to encoding. It manages these processes through a preset-driven configuration system that maps output profiles to specific encoding parameters. The software is available as a cross-platform utility with documentation localized into multiple languages.
