Table Of ContentCompressor 4
User Manual
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Contents
Preface 9 WelcometoCompressor
9 AboutCompressor
10 AbouttheCompressorDocumentation
10 AdditionalResources
Chapter1 11 Getting Started Quickly
11 TermsUsedbyCompressor
12 QuickandEasyCompressorWorkflow:BatchTemplateMethod
17 QuickandEasyCompressorWorkflow:ManualMethod
24 OptionalTasksYouCanPerformBeforeSubmittingaBatch
Chapter2 27 WaystoUseCompressor
28 TypicalCompressorScenarios
29 CompressorFeatures
Chapter3 31 TheBasicTranscodingWorkflow
31 CompressorConceptsandTerms
34 PreparingCompressorforTranscodingwithCustomSettings
36 ChoosinganOutputFormat
37 CreatingaCompressorBatch
39 ViewingTranscodingStatus
39 OptionalCompressorShortcuts
Chapter4 41 TheCompressorInterface
42 CompressorWindowsandtheTranscodingWorkflow
43 CreatingandManagingCompressorLayouts
46 WorkingwiththeCompressorWindows
49 BatchWindow
52 SettingsTab
53 DestinationsTab
53 InspectorWindow
62 HistoryWindow
63 PreviewWindow
65 Apple Qmaster Sharing Window
3
66 ShareMonitor
67 DropletWindows
67 AboutChangingValuesandTimecodeEntries
69 Keyboard Shortcuts
Chapter5 71 SettingCompressorPreferences
71 AboutCompressorPreferences
74 UsingCompressorPreferences
Chapter6 77 ImportingSourceMediaFiles
77 AbouttheBatchWindow
81 AddingSourceMediaFilestoaBatchtoCreateJobs
89 UsingtheInspectorwithSourceMediaFiles
92 TipsonImportingSourceMediaFiles
Chapter7 95 Creating,Previewing,andModifyingSettings
96 AbouttheSettingsTab
99 UsingtheInspectorwithSettings
100 DuplicatingSettings
102 CreatingaSettingfromScratch
103 SearchingforaSetting
103 PreviewingaSetting
105 DeletingSettings
106 CreatingGroupsofSettings
107 DistributingandSharingSettings
108 Example:CreatingCustomGroupsandSettingsforDVD
Chapter8 111 FinalizingJobsandSubmittingBatches
111 AssigningSettings
116 AssigningDestinations
118 GeneralJobandTargetInformation
120 GeneralBatchInformation
127 Using Final Cut Pro and Motion with Compressor
129 UsingDistributedProcessingwithCompressor
Chapter9 131 CreatingAIFFFiles
131 CreatingAIFFOutputFiles
132 AbouttheAIFFEncoderPane
132 AbouttheSoundSettingsDialog
133 QuickTimeAudioSampleSizesandRates
134 ChoosinganAudioCodecforDistribution
134 ConfiguringAIFFSettings
4 Contents
Chapter10 135 CreatingCommonAudioFormatFiles
135 CreatingCommonAudioFormatFiles
136 AbouttheCommonAudioFormatsPane
136 ConfiguringCommonAudioFormatsSettings
Chapter11 139 CreatingDVStreamOutputFiles
139 AbouttheDVStreamEncoderPane
140 DVTranscodingWorkflow
Chapter12 141 CreatingDolbyDigitalProfessionalOutputFiles
142 AbouttheDolbyDigitalProfessionalEncoderPane
148 GeneralInformationAboutCreatingDolbyDigitalProfessionalFiles
149 ConvertingStereoAudioFilestoDolbyDigitalProfessionalFormat
150 AssigningFilestoSurroundSoundChannels(ManualMethod)
153 AssigningFilestoSurroundSoundChannels(AutomaticMethods)
155 AssigningFilestoSurroundSoundChannelswithDroplets
155 OptionsforSpatialMixing
Chapter13 157 CreatingH.264forAppleDevicesOutputFiles
158 AbouttheH.264forAppleDevicesEncoderPane
161 ChapterandPodcastMarkersforAppleDevices
162 AspectRatiosforAppleDevices
162 H.264WorkflowsforAppleDevices
163 ConfiguringSettingsforH.264forAppleDevicesOutputFiles
Chapter14 165 Creating H.264 for Blu-ray Disc
166 About the H.264 for Blu-ray Disc Encoder Pane
168 H.264WorkflowsforOpticalDisc
Chapter15 169 CreatingImageSequenceFiles
169 CreatingImageSequenceOutputFiles
170 AbouttheImageSequenceEncoderPane
171 ConfiguringImageSequenceSettings
Chapter16 175 CreatingMP3OutputFiles
175 CommonUsesforMP3
176 AbouttheMP3EncoderPane
177 MP3TranscodingWorkflow
Chapter17 179 CreatingMPEG-1OutputFiles
179 CommonUsesforMPEG-1
180 MPEG-1Specifications
181 AbouttheMPEG-1EncoderPane
Contents 5
182 AbouttheMPEG-1VideoTab
183 AbouttheMPEG-1AudioTab
184 AboutSystemandElementaryStreams
184 MPEG-1TranscodingWorkflow
185 ConfiguringtheMPEG-1FileFormatforWebUse
187 ConfiguringtheMPEG-1FileFormatforDVDUse
187 CreatingtheMPEG-1VideoforDVDSetting
189 CreatingtheMPEG-1AudioforDVDSetting
191 Optional—CreatinganMPEG-1forDVDGroupandDestination
Chapter18 193 CreatingMPEG-2OutputFiles
193 AboutStandardDefinitionMPEG-2
194 AboutHighDefinitionSourcesandMPEG-2
194 AboutElementary,Transport,andProgramStreams
195 AbouttheMPEG-2EncoderPane
206 MPEG-2ReferenceInformation
210 MPEG-2TranscodingWorkflow
216 ExampleMPEG-2Settings
Chapter19 217 CreatingMPEG-4OutputFiles
217 AboutMPEG-4Part2
218 AbouttheMPEG-4Part2EncoderPane
222 UsingDefaultMPEG-4Part2Settings
223 CustomizingMPEG-4Part2Settings
225 AudioPodcastingWorkflow
228 AddingAdditionalSettingsandPresets
Chapter20 229 CreatingQuickTimeExportComponentFiles
229 CreatingQuickTimeExportComponentOutputFiles
230 InstallingQuickTimeExportComponentPlug-ins
230 AbouttheiPodPlug-in
231 AbouttheQuickTimeExportComponentsEncoderPane
231 ConfiguringExportComponentsSettings
Chapter21 233 CreatingQuickTimeMovieOutputFiles
233 CreatingQuickTimeOutputFiles
234 AbouttheQuickTimeMovieEncoderPane
240 QuickTimeTranscodingWorkflow
244 UnderstandingCodecs
244 QuickTimeVideoCodecs
245 QuickTimeAudioCodecs
Chapter22 247 AddingFilterstoaSetting
247 WorkingwithFilters
6 Contents
249 AbouttheFiltersPane
250 VideoFiltersTab
257 AudioFiltersTab
259 ColorTab
260 AddingFilterstoaSetting
Chapter23 263 WorkingwithFrameControls
263 AbouttheFrameControlsPane
268 AddingFrameControlstoaSetting
269 AboutDeinterlacing
270 AboutReverseTelecine
273 UsingtheRetimingControls
Chapter24 277 AddingGeometrySettings
277 WorkingwithCropping,Scaling,andPadding
279 AbouttheGeometryPane
283 MakingGeometryAdjustmentstoaSetting
Chapter25 287 AddingActions
287 WorkingwithPost-TranscodingActions
287 AddingSettingActions
289 AddingJobActions
Chapter26 305 UsingthePreviewWindow
305 AboutthePreviewWindow
311 PreviewingaClip
316 TranscodingaPortionoftheClipwiththePreviewWindow
317 WorkingwithMarkersandPosterFrames
324 About the Preview Window Keyboard Shortcuts
Chapter27 325 CreatingandChangingDestinations
326 AbouttheDestinationsTab
327 UsingtheInspectorwithDestinations
327 CreatingaDestination
329 WarningTriangles
330 DeletingandDuplicatingaDestination
Chapter28 333 UsingDroplets
334 CreatingDroplets
336 AbouttheDropletWindow
338 CheckingDropletSettings
340 UsingaDroplettoTranscodeSourceMediaFiles
342 UsingDropletstoCreateJobsandSettingsinCompressor
343 DropletTips
Contents 7
Chapter29 345 Apple Qmaster and Distributed Processing
345 DistributedProcessingBasics
347 Basic Components of the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System
354 Getting Started Quickly Using This Computer Plus
356 Getting Started Quickly Using QuickClusters
359 The Interfaces in the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System
366 Apple Qmaster Sharing Window of Compressor
370 GeneralInformationAboutClusters
381 Creating Clusters with Apple Qadministrator
384 SettingUpforPart-TimeDistributedProcessingwithShake
AppendixA 387 Keyboard Shortcuts
387 General Compressor Keyboard Shortcuts
388 Preview Window Keyboard Shortcuts
AppendixB 391 SolvingProblems
391 ResourcesforSolvingProblems
391 SolutionstoCommonProblems
393 ContactingAppleCareSupport
AppendixC 395 UsingtheCommandLine
395 ShellCommandsforSubmittingCompressorJobs
8 Contents
Welcome to Compressor
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Compressorisanessentialpartofthevideocompressionprocess.Itmakescompression
fast,efficient,andconvenient,givingyoumoreoptionsinyourchoicesofcompression
settingsandoutputformats.
Thisprefacecoversthefollowing:
• AboutCompressor(p.9)
• AbouttheCompressorDocumentation(p.10)
• AdditionalResources(p.10)
About Compressor
Compressoristargetedatvideopostproductionprofessionalsandcompressionistswho
requirehighperformanceandmaximumcontroloverthefinaldigitalcontentforDVD
authoring,streamingmediaservers,andwirelessdevices.
Compressorgivesyouresizing,cropping,imageprocessing,encoding,anddelivery
options,andoffersbatchprocessing,VBRoptions,andH.264encoding.Youcanalsouse
DropletsandAppleScript,specifyandsavetranscodesettings,usefilters,specify
destinations,andmore.CompressoralsoprovidesavarietyofoutputformatsforApple
devices,DVD,web,CD,andkiosk.
Important: Compressor 4 is designed to work closely with Final Cut Pro X and later and
Motion 5 and later and is required for the Send to Compressor feature. All mentions of
Final Cut Pro and Motion in this document refer to these versions.
9
About the Compressor Documentation
Compressorcomeswithvariousdocumentsthatwillhelpyougetstartedaswellas
providedetailedinformationabouttheapplication.(Toaccessonscreenhelpfor
Compressor,openCompressorandchooseHelp>CompressorHelp.)
• Compressor User Manual: This comprehensive document describes the Compressor
interface, commands, and menus and gives step-by-step instructions for using
Compressor and accomplishing specific tasks. It also contains information for configuring
an Apple Qmaster distributed processing system for more efficient transcoding and
rendering. It is written for users of all levels of experience.
• Apple Qadministrator User Manual: This document explains how to manually set up
and manage clusters for use in an Apple Qmaster distributed processing system.
• Apple Qmaster User Manual: This document explains how to use Apple Qmaster as a
client for submitting rendering jobs from Shake, Maya, and other applications, to a
distributed processing system.
• Share Monitor User Manual: ThisbriefdocumentdescribeshowtouseShareMonitor
tomonitorthetranscodingprogressofbatchesandjobs.
Additional Resources
AlongwiththedocumentationthatcomeswithCompressor,thereareavarietyofother
resourcesyoucanusetofindoutmoreaboutCompressor.
CompressorWebsite
Forgeneralinformationandupdates,aswellasthelatestnewsonCompressor,goto:
• http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/compressor
AppleServiceandSupportWebsites
ForsoftwareupdatesandanswerstothemostfrequentlyaskedquestionsforallApple
products,gotothegeneralAppleSupportwebpage.You’llalsohaveaccesstoproduct
specifications,referencedocumentation,andAppleandthird-partyproducttechnical
articles.
• http://www.apple.com/support
Forsoftwareupdates,documentation,discussionforums,andanswerstothemost
frequentlyaskedquestionsforCompressor,goto:
• http://www.apple.com/support/compressor
10 Preface WelcometoCompressor
Description:65 Apple Qmaster Sharing Window 3 Contents. 66 ShareMonitor 67 DropletWindows • http://www.apple.com/support/compressor 10 Preface WelcometoCompressor.