What is ISO File
For those who don’t know them the easiest way to describe ISO files is as “virtual discs”. An ISO file is a representation of everything a regular disc has saved. And as such, they can be loaded on a virtual disc unit and played as you would any regular CD, DVD, or BD.
Why Convert ISO File to MP4
For most users, however, an MP4 file will be more practical than an ISO image. ISOs usually require specialized programs to load where virtually anything lays MP4 nowadays. So today we’ll take a look at how to handle Handbrake ISO to MP4 conversion.
How to Convert a BD/DVD ISO to MP4 using Handbrake
If you want to convert ISO to MP4 Handbrake is a good option due to its simplicity. Handbrake is a free video converter that can directly load ISO files, which means you’ll be saving time when using it.
To begin with, make sure to install the program. Handbrake is both free and rather light so this shouldn’t take too long. Once you open Handbrake it will directly ask you what file you want to convert. You can select the entire folder or individual files, as well as drag and drop instead of browsing. Let’s keep things simple and click on File. This will let you browse for the ISO you want to convert.
For now, Handbrake will scan the file. The heavier the file is the more time it’ll take, but it shouldn’t be too long overall.
In this case, we’ll leave most of the options alone and focus on the main things we need to modify. Look on the Summary tab for the Format option, we will go with MP4 as most devices load it with no issue. Below all these options we can find the Save As an option, this will help us choose the location of the converted file. Pick a folder you’ll remember and click on Start Encode at the top of the window.
Handbrake will start the conversion and while it might take a while it’ll make sure to notify you as soon as the process is done. Once the conversion is complete you can just go to the folder you chose and you’ll find your new MP4 file.
Batch ISO to MP4 Conversion
An advantage to Handbrake is that you can queue multiple conversions and allow Handbrake to continue running in the background. To do this all you have to do is load multiple files and once you have started the first conversion pick a new file from the drop-down list and click on “Add to queue”. The program will take care of the saved location and name, allowing you to convert in bulk without any further input.
What to Do If Unexpected Errors Occur?
ISO files are undeniably complicated so Handbrake can have issues with them at times. If quality issues come up with the final product or subtitles don’t show, you will need to convert the ISO again. All of these options are handled on the Summary tab. However some times Handbrake will be unable to load the ISO file directly, and when this happens we need to use an alternative.
An Alternative Way to Convert ISO to MP4
Leawo Prof. Media is a BD/DVD converter that has the advantage of being able to load ISOs directly, and this makes it the best alternative to fall back on. The process is very similar to using Handbrake as well ensuring it’s a simple transition.
Once again make sure to install Leawo Prof. Media and open it to start. Click on the Load CD button and browse for your ISO. Leawo will load it as if it were a physical BD/DVD and once that is done we’ll be repeating the same motions.
On the bottom, you can find the Profile and Location options. The profile is basically the Format option, so look for Windows Profile on it and choose MP4. Location just allows us to pick a folder, so make sure to choose your preferred one. Once that is handled all you have to do is press on Convert and wait for the conversion to finish. The result will also be a fully compatible MP4 file, so even if Handbrake has an unexpected error you’ll still have a way to convert your ISO to MP4.