We’ll start at the more complicated part, and work backwards. I’ll use some images this time around to help make things quick & easy. Note that since v0.10 is very similar to v0.9.9, I’ve simply updated this guide with v0.10-specific additions in orange (like this!).
Though if you want/need to for whatever reason, the old rundown of Handbrake settings (0.9.6) guide should help explain all those options for you in great detail (note that in v0.10 you may need to enable the x264 advanced options panel in the Handbrake settings/preferences located in the drop-down menu). The “x264 presets” are now in Handbrake, and 99% of the time, that should mean that you don’t have to dabble in the “x264 Advanced Options Panel”.
Getting something that amounts to the “best settings” is a whole lot easier in v0.9.9 and v0.10. So Handbrake 0.10 has been out for a while now (and 0.9.9 for even longer), and if you’ve looked through my previous multi-page guide that explained all the advanced settings in 0.9.6, I’ve got some good news: