: Even for 8-bit source material, encoding in x265 10-bit is a common community recommendation to reduce "banding" (ugly color gradients) in dark scenes. Community-Recommended "Gold Standard" Settings
: Use the Slow or Slower preset. This takes much longer but allows the algorithm more time to compress the video without losing detail.
Patience is a recurring theme among those who prioritize quality over speed. reddit-x265-movies
“I find that X265 can fall apart a little bit during dark scenes unless you increase the file size. I'd also like to mention that if you choose to go AV1 although Plex supports it there are many clients... that don't.” Reddit · r/handbrake · 6 months ago
The main "story" on subreddits like r/Handbrake and r/Piracy is the massive space savings x265 offers over its predecessor, x264. : Even for 8-bit source material, encoding in
“you will come out with a satisfyingly small file... You just need to be willing to spend around 20 hours on a BluRay encode with a fairly current high-end CPU.” Reddit · r/DataHoarder · 8 years ago
: There is a strong consensus that CPU encoding (software) is superior to GPU hardware encoding (NVENC/VCE) for long-term storage, as it produces smaller files with better detail preservation. Tools of the Trade Patience is a recurring theme among those who
: The most popular, user-friendly entry point for converting files.