Archives For media converter

HandBrake video transcoder reached 1.1.0 release a few days ago. Now you can install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 16.04, and Ubuntu 14.04 via the official PPA repository.

HandBrake 1.1.0 is a big release with redesigned main window for consistency and usability, new and improved official presets. Other changes include:

  • Add new preset controls directly in main workflow
  • Add new summary tab for overview of settings at a glance
  • Updated interface icons to support high resolution displays
  • Add new presets for Vimeo and YouTube
  • Add new 2160p/4K device presets for Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku
  • Add additional 2160p/4K Matroska presets
  • Add new Production presets for post-production video editing workflows
  • Improve Intel QuickSync Video support
    • Add Linux support (experimental)
    • Add 10-bit H.265/HEVC encoding support for Kaby Lake and newer CPUs
    • Add support for multiple GPUs via D3D11 encode path
  • And many bug fixes and improvements. See release page for details.

How to Install HandBrake 1.1.0 in Ubuntu:

The official HandBrake PPA built the new release packages earlier today.

All current Ubuntu releases and derivatives can install HandBrake 1.1.0 via following steps:

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching “terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

Input your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2. Then use Synaptic package manager or run following commands to install the video transcoder:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

Note: If you installed the distribution build of HandBrake from Ubuntu Software, you need to remove it before installing the new release from PPA.

Uninstall:

To remove the software, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

And launch “Software & Updates -> Other Software” to remove PPAs.

The open source Selene media converter got a new release a few days ago with enhancements, translation updates, and updated installers.

Selene is an audio/video converter for Linux that supports almost every file format that you are likely to come across and can encode them to popular output formats like MKV, MP4, etc. It aims to provide a simple GUI for converting files to popular formats along with powerful command-line options for automated/unattended encoding.

Selene 17.7 features:

  • Added support for OPUS in WEBM, MKV and OGG containers
  • Added audio tag support for Fraunhoffer AAC encoding
  • Use VLC for playing media instead of internal player
  • MediaPlayer: Center screen and show file name in header bar
  • Updated installers and translations.

How to Install Selene 17.7 in Ubuntu:

The project offers the .deb and .run installers in its release page.

To upgrade the software easily via system Software Updater utility, you can install Selene from the developer’s PPA repository:

1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:teejee2008/ppa

Type in your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) when prompts and hit Enter. Supports for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10

2. To install the media encoder for first time, run commands to check updates and install it:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install selene

To upgrade it from an existing release, simply launch Software Updater and install the updates.

Uninstall:

To remove selene media converter, run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove selene

And remove the PPA repository via Software & Udpates utility under Other Software tab.

The open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.0.7 was released hours ago. It’s official PPA now provides the latest packages for Ubuntu 17.04 Zesty.

By releasing version 1.0.4, 1.0.5, and 1.0.6 within a few hours, the developer finally announced HandBrake 1.0.7 to supersede previous releases.

HandBrake 1.0.7 changelog:

  • Video:
    • Fixed decoding of raw video in Matroska/MKV
    • Fixed time stamp handling for containerless raw video
    • Fixed memory leaks in OpenCL
    • Fixed x265 2-pass encoding where video frame rate is altered by filters
    • Improved handling of very small amounts of sync jitter (~1 tick)
    • Improved handling of AVI files with broken indices
  • Audio: Further refined fix for Libav crash encoding AAC at very high bitrates
  • Subtitles
    • Removed fontconfig dependency on Mac and Windows; libass now uses CoreText/DirectWrite
    • Improved subtitle font selection when burning in SRT/SSA subtitles
  • Command line interface: Fixed preset subtitle burn defaults override
  • Build system: Updated MinGW-w64 build script for improved compatibility with hardened GCC
  • Linux:
    • Fixed video preset control not updating
    • Fixed audio passthru masks not updating until preset save
    • Fixed application of SRT subtitles offset
    • Updated translations: af, cs, ja_JP, ru, sk, sv
  • Windows; Fixed When Done option not updating/resetting correctly

How to Install HandBrake via PPA in Ubuntu:

The official HandBrake PPA provides the new 1.0.4 release at the moment for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, Ubuntu 17.04, and derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint 17, 18, and Elementary OS Loki.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “Terminal” from start menu. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

Type in your password (no visual feedback due to security reason) and hit Enter.

2. Then check updates and install the new release via commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

If you have a previous released installed, you may also upgrade it using Software Updater:

How to Remove:

The PPA repository can be removed or disabled by launching Software & Updates utility and navigate to Other Software tab. And handbrake can be removed via command:

sudo apt-get remove handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli && sudo apt-get autoremove

handbrake_icon2

After 13 years of development, the open-source handbrake video transcoder finally reached the 1.0.0 release with many new features, miscellaneous improvements and fixes.

The HandBrake Team announced the 1.0.0 release on Christmas Eve 2016. It features:

  • New online documentation at https://handbrake.fr/docs
  • Completely overhauled the official presets
  • New JSON-based preset system including command line support
  • New JSON-based API for interacting with libhb
  • Improvements to audio/video sync engine
  • VP9 video encoding via libvpx
  • Intel QuickSync Video H.265/HEVC encoder
  • Ultra HD / 4K color pass through
  • Opus audio encoding/decoding via libopus
  • Passthru now supports E-AC-3, FLAC, and TrueHD audio formats
  • Other improvements and fixes. See here for details.

handbrake-1-0

How to Install HandBrake 1.0.0 in Ubuntu / Linux Mint:

The official PPA repository has made the new release for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10, Linux Mint 17 and 18.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

handbrake-ppa

2. For those who have installed handbrake from Ubuntu’s main repository archive, remove it either via Ubuntu Software Center or using the command:

sudo apt remove handbrake && sudo apt autoremove

3. Finally install the 1.0.0 release via commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli

For those who have installed a previous gtk build from the handbrake PPA, upgrade it via Software Updater:

upgrade-handbrake-ubuntu

How to Uninstall:

To remove the PPA build of Handbrake video transcoder, run command:

sudo apt remove handbrake-gtk handbrake-cli && sudo apt autoremove

And the PPA can be removed via Other Software tab of Software & Updates utility.

Curlew Multimedia Converter

Curlew is a free multimedia converter for Ubuntu Linux that features small package size, few library dependencies, 100+ output formats, easy to use UI, and more.

Curlew is written in Python and GTK+ 3, and uses FFMPEG (or Libav-tools) to transcode media files. The main features are:

  • Easy to use user interface (New GTK3 Header bar).
  • Hide the advanced options with the ability to show them.
  • More than 100 output formats.
  • Allow to edit formats.
  • Shutdown or suspend PC afer a conversion process.
  • Show file informations, file details using mediainfo.
  • Allow to skip or remove file during conversion process.
  • Preview file before conversion in its context menu.
  • Show video thumbnail.
  • Convert a specified portion of file.
  • Combine subtitle with video.
  • Allow to crop and pad video.
  • Show error details if exist.
  • And more …
Curlew 100+ output formats

Curlew 100+ output formats

Curlew Advanced Settings

Curlew Advanced Settings

Curlew show file info

Curlew show file info

How to Install Curlew transcoder in Ubuntu:

Pre-compiled Ubuntu .deb is available in the link below:

Download Curlew (.deb)

So far, the latest is “curlew_0.2.2-1_all.deb”, just download and install it via either Ubuntu Software or terminal command (Ctrl+Alt+T):

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/curlew_*.deb; sudo apt -f install

Works for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 15.10, and their derivatives. Once installed, launch Curlew from Unity Dash, or your desktop app launcher.