Tutorial-How To Convert 4K To 1080P With HandBrake - WinXDVD

Part 1. How to Downscale 4K (2160p) to 1080p with Free HandBrake?

If you haven't installed HandBrake on your computer, firstly you should download the setup file from HandBrake.fr - the only official place where HandBrake can be downloaded from and then install it following the on-screen instruction. Once installed, let's follow the steps below to downscale 4K to 1080p on HandBrake.

Step 1. Launch HandBrake and load the 4K video you want to compress.

Click "File" under "Source Selection", and then you can open target 4K video in MP4/MKV/MXF encoded with H.264, H.265, VP9 or other formats. Alternatively, input source 4K video via drag-and-drop. Then, just wait for it to scan the file. It normally takes a few seconds. Once done, you will see the file information in "Source" section.

Step 2. Choose output preset and modify output settings.

Click the right arrow of "Presets", and then you should see dozens of presets that HandBrake offers. In the table below, we list the native 1080p presets and other information to help you decide which preset you should choose.

Preset	Container	Video	Audio	Picture Quality	Encoding Speed	File Size
Very Fast 1080p30	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo	Average	Very Fast	Small
Fast 1080p30	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo	Standard	Fast	Average
HQ 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	High	Slow	Large
Super HQ 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	Super high	Very slow	Very large
Android 1080p30	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo	/	Medium	/
Apple 1080p60 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Apple 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Chromecast 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Fire TV 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Playstation 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Roku 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Windows Mobile 1080p30	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo	/	Medium	/
Xbox 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
Xbox Legacy 1080p30 Surround	MP4	H.264	AAC stereo; Dolby Digital (AC-3)	/	Medium	/
H.264 MKV 1080p30	MKV	H.264	AAC stereo	/	Standard	/
H.265 MKV 1080p30	MKV	H.265	AAC stereo	/	Very slow	/
VP8 MKV 1080p30	MKV	VP8	Vorbis stereo	/	Ultra slow	/
VP9 MKV 1080p30	MKV	VP9	Opus (libopus) stereo	/	Ultra slow	/

If you still can't find a desired 1080p preset, you can click "Save New Preset" button in the bottom to create 1080p preset manually based on your own needs.

Next, adjust output settings (such as container format, video/audio codec, anamorphic, framerate and bitrate) if necessary and if you know well about those terminologies.

Tips to boost 4K to 1080p compression:

1. Choosing "H.264 (Intel QSV)" as the video codec is a feasible way to speed up compression and take a big weight off CPU, because it will activate Intel QSV (Quick Sync Video) hardware acceleration. Please be noted that Intel QSV is only available on Windows.

Note: Since version 1.2.2, Handbrake is built with x265 encoder for transcoding videos to HEVC with Intel QSV, Nvidia Nvenc or AMD GPU acceleration as well.

2. Disabling "2-Pass Encoding" in Video tab can also quicken the compression process greatly (nearly twice faster), but it will degrade your output quality.

Step 3. Click "Browse" to specify the save path and file name for the output 1080p video.

Step 4. Hit "Start Encode" (the green round button) in the top bar. Then, HandBrake will begin compressing your 4K videos from iPhone, GoPro, DJI or other devices to 1080p immediately.

The followings are the 4K to 1080p tests we made on HandBrake.

Equipment for testing: Windows 10 Pro; Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4460 CPU @ 3.20GHz; 8GB RAM; 64-bit OS

Source file: 4K (3840x2160) @ 30fps; bitrate: 33297kbps; WebM (VP9+Vorbis); length: 00:06:24; size: 833 MB

HandBrake preset we choose: Fast 1080p30 [MP4 (H.264 + AAC)]

Test results:

Situation 1. 2-Pass Encoding: checked; Intel QSV: unchecked

• Output file:
• Bitrate: 10624kbps
• File size: 486 MB
• Compression ratio: 41.66%

• CPU usage: 95%-100%
• Avg FPS: 10
• Time elapsed: 20.55 min

Situation 2. Intel QSV: checked

• Output file:
• Bitrate: 17528kbps
• File size: 802 MB
• Compression ratio: 3.72%

• CPU usage: 87%-100%
• Avg FPS: 15
• Time elapsed: 13.47 min

Is there much quality loss after compressing 4K to 1080p?

Yes, technically, the video quality will be degraded after compression. However, if the resolution of your player device can only reach 1080p or lower, you won't see much difference between 4K and 1080p video. After our testing, we played the original 4K video and the 1080p video compressed from 4K on a 1050p display. As a result, we didn't see much quality loss.