www.makemkv.com

I recently started ripping my blu ray collection. So far I've ripped the matrix trilogy, and home alone 1 and 2.

I've used the same default settings for all (fast 1080p, to type mkv).

Matrix 1-3 original sizes were around 25-30gb, resulting in a 3-4gb file after handbrake. Same with home alone.

Home alone 2 however, results in a 9.5gb file. I would think that newer higher def blu rays would result in a larger size, but doesn't seem to be the case here.

Not too big a deal, just wondering if anybody might know why this one bluray would be 2-3 times the size?

As you'll find on the handbrake forums, the source is the big determining factor in file size, given EXACTLY the same settings. But subtle changes in settings make a major difference. Matrix movies have lots of action and detail; shrinking 80-90% means some AGGRESSIVE compression settings, especially using the FAST encoder profile.

Best advice, head over to forum.handbrake.fr and ask. You'll need the activity logs for probably HA1 and HA2 for them to compare settings. If you did the encodes within the last 30 days, the logs should both be on your system, and they have a page describing how to find them.

If that film is very grainy, the file size will be bigger. Encoding grain is difficult (and takes up space!).