qvs VS staxrip

First thing I use is qvs, this one can take the mkv files apart (demux) and get you workable files(I recommend the mkvextract option). It also can transcode the video, and has a whole bunch of other encoding features I haven't figured out yet. After you get the video out I would recommend encoding it at 8-bit, CRF 17.0, slower/veryslow and either the film or grain preset depending on how grainy the original video is. Qvs can also do x265 which is more efficient at encoding, but I'm not sure what the recommended settings for relatively lossless for that one are. Qvs also has limited re-assembling features (remuxing), but for remuxing you're probably better off using mkvtoolnix. After you re-encode the video just add them into mkvtoolnix as source files, set the output and start multiplexing it, it will put the video back together.

Its literally a feature of all the underlying encoders. And you can do it even with exotic ffmpeg/vapoursynth filter chains. So I can't imagine why.

TBH I would just recommend Staxrip if you are on Windows: https://github.com/staxrip/staxrip

There is a linux equivalent, I can't remember what its called.

Or maybe some av1an GUI for Mac/Linux. All of these things support a target file size with many more features.

Since ffmpeg CLI still makes me pull ny hair out, I am going to plug vapoursynth:

https://www.vapoursynth.com/

Its Pythonic video filters... But also so much more: https://vsdb.top/

And Staxrip, which makes such good use of ffmpeg, vapoursynth, and dozens of other encoders and tools that I reboot from linux to Windows just to use it: https://github.com/staxrip/staxrip

https://github.com/staxrip/staxrip GUI But av1 outdated a bit which could be replaced/rebuild https://github.com/m-ab-s/media-autobuild_suite

2-4: I use StaxRip to encode the video because it includes the QTGMC deinterlacer, which is from my research a very good deinterlacer that produces less artifacts in the video than other deinterlacers like the one included in HandBrake.

But I actually got through it and found a great solution for myself using StaxRip and an updated QSVEnc by Rigaya. Replace StaxRip's outdated QSVEnc with the updated Rigaya QSVEnc.