It’s common practice for apps to launch first in beta-test format for a few weeks or months, to allow early users to provide feedback before the official release. Video conversion utility HandBrake must, though, have set a new record: after 13 years in beta, the app has finally officially launched as version 1.0.0…

Originally created for ripping DVDs, HandBrake is the go-to tool for those who want to convert existing video footage into space-efficient formats for watching on iOS devices, with presets for everything from iPhone to Apple TV. It’s free, multi-platform – running on Mac, Windows and Linux – and open-source.

In version 1, the presets have been updated to support later devices, a whole bunch of third-party libraries have been updated and the Mac app has a number of improvements, many of them designed to make the app more convenient to use.

  • Updated all tooltips
  • Added undo/redo support to the graphical interface
  • Improved drag and drop support
  • Added Open Recent to the File menu
  • Added Add Titles to Queue… to the File menu (batch queueing)
  • Preview prompts to open in an external application when the internal player does not support the format
  • Preview now displays volume and audio/subtitles language selection during playback
  • Picture and Filters settings are now part of the main window
  • Settings are preserved when selecting a new title (instead of reloading the last selected preset)
  • Improved support for importing/exporting comma-separated (.csv) chapter markers
  • Queue is now automatically paused when available disk space is low
  • When Done action can now be changed directly from the Queue window
  • When Done notification is now interactive (reveals the encoded file in Finder)
  • Activity Log window is now searchable (press “?”+”f” to activate)
  • XQuartz is no longer required for subtitle burn-in
  • Updated Sparkle software update library
  • Enabled DSA signature checking for improved security
  • Usability improvements
  • Miscellaneous bug fixes

You should always download HandBrake directly from the source site.