Handbrake 0.9.4 adds 64-bit support

Handbrake, the open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, has updated to 0.9.4. With over a year passing since their last update, Handbrake has titled this update, "Not Dead, Just Pining for the Fjords." The update boasts over one thousand changes with the crown jewel being 64-bit support.

Handbrake is claiming a 10% performance boost in the 64-bit environment, a claim tested (and approved) by The Unofficial Apple Weblog's Chris Rawson:

That 10% performance improvement estimate appears to be very close to the mark, at least on my MacBook Pro. Using 0.9.3, Handbrake encodes would average around 27 - 29 frames per second when transcoding a VIDEO_TS folder to H.264. In 0.9.4, using the same settings, I'm seeing encoding rates of closer to 30 - 34 frames per second. This means that on my Mac, Handbrake is now transcoding DVDs in real time or faster thanks to the improvements in the new version.

The Handbrake update also includes Soft Subtitles, which allow subtitle tracks to be toggled instead of being included on the video track as before. Live Preview is also new, allowing users to render a small portion of their DVD instead of the entire project so they may see what their product will look like--a real time saver. Read more about Handbrake and download it here.

All-n-all Handbrake is one of those utilities that is always great to have handy. Are you a fan of Handbrake? Is there another similar utility that performs better? Let us know in the comments.

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