Handbrake Encoding Issues

[Apollonian]

Hello everyone,
I've read this forum regularly to educate myself on the whole ripping and encoding process as it is something completely new to me. I was able to follow the automation walkthrough without issue but now that its working I have a couple questions I can't seem to find an exact answer to. These probably seem common sense to most of you but as I said it's new to me.
On the batch encode automator screen, lets say I chose to encode it in all the available formats SD, Apple TV, 1080p will it actually encode for all or choose the highest or lowest?
Do most people who use this process delete their batch rip files? My goal is to get rid of my actual DVDs, I have large external drives and could hang on to them, is there any advantage to this? Such as encoding them differently in the future?
I appreciate the help!

 

[wysinawyg]

I think the Automator script will do all formats assuming you're feeding it an HD source. If you're using DVDs though I think all you get is the DVD option.

Do note that the encoding options box in the script doesn't work if you try to put in special options to override the defaults.

I'm going to try not to delete the batch rips. Will see how I go.

Two advantages (well only one advantage in that you don't have to stick all the DVDs in again, but two uses...):

1. As you say it means if you decide in the future "actually I'm not very happy with my encodes and given I've now got that shiny new 200TB hard drive and my i99 processor I may as well stick the files through and get a higher version copy of my library sorted whilst I make myself a cup of tea" then you aren't stuck putting dozens (hundreds?) of DVDs and BRDs back through your computer.

2. Depending on where we end up over the next couple of years you may decide that actually you don't want to use encodes at all and just want a HTPC to catalogue the DVDs and play them as original DVDs off the hard drive.

 

[Apollonian]

Great! That helps a lot, I'm going to hang on to the original batch rip files just so I have flexibility in the future and can actually get rid of some of the hard copies, it'll be nice to have access to them on most every device including my appleTV. Thanks!