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Table Of Contents
- Compressor 3 User Manual
- Contents
- Welcome to Compressor
- Getting Started Quickly
- Ways to Use Compressor
- The Basic Transcoding Workflow
- The Compressor Interface
- Setting Compressor Preferences
- Importing Source Media Files
- Creating, Previewing, and Modifying Settings
- Finalizing Jobs and Submitting Batches
- Creating AIFF Files
- Creating Dolby Digital Professional Output Files
- About the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder Pane
- General Information About Creating Dolby Digital Professional Files
- Converting Stereo Audio Files to Dolby Digital Professional Format
- Assigning Files to Surround Sound Channels (Manual Method)
- Assigning Files to Surround Sound Channels (Automatic Methods)
- Assigning Files to Surround Sound Channels with Droplets
- Options for Spatial Mixing
- Creating DV Stream Output Files
- Creating H.264 for Apple Devices Output Files
- Creating H.264 for DVD Studio Pro Output Files
- Creating H.264 for Blu-ray Disc
- Creating Image Sequence Files
- Creating MP3 Output Files
- Creating MPEG-1 Output Files
- Common Uses for MPEG-1
- MPEG-1 Specifications
- About the MPEG-1 Encoder Pane
- About the MPEG-1 Video Tab
- About the MPEG-1 Audio Tab
- About System and Elementary Streams
- MPEG-1 Transcoding Workflow
- Configuring the MPEG-1 File Format for Web Use
- Configuring the MPEG-1 File Format for DVD Use
- Creating the MPEG-1 Video for DVD Setting
- Creating the MPEG-1 Audio for DVD Setting
- Optional—Creating an MPEG-1 for DVD Group and Destination
- Creating MPEG-2 Output Files
- Creating MPEG-4 Output Files
- About MPEG-4 Part 2
- About the MPEG-4 Part 2 Encoder Pane
- Using Default MPEG-4 Part 2 Settings
- Customizing MPEG-4 Part 2 Settings
- Audio Podcasting Workflow
- Stage 1: Configuring the MPEG-4 Output for Audio-Only Output
- Stage 2: Including Podcasting Information
- Stage 3: Applying the Setting to a Source Media File’s Target
- Stage 4: Entering Annotations for the Output Media File
- Stage 5: Creating and Configuring Markers for the Output Media File
- Stage 6: Submitting the Job and Verifying the Output Media File
- Adding Additional Settings and Presets
- Creating QuickTime Movie Output Files
- Creating QuickTime Export Component Files
- Adding Filters to a Setting
- Working with Frame Controls
- Adding Geometry Settings
- Adding Actions
- Using the Preview Window
- Creating and Changing Destinations
- Using Droplets
- Appendix A: Keyboard Shortcuts
- Appendix B: Solving Problems
- Resources for Solving Problems
- Solutions to Common Problems
- Exporting from Final Cut Pro and Distributed Processing
- QuickTime Reference Movies
- Cluster Settings for Extended Transcoding Sessions
- Cleaning Up Cluster Storage
- Using Apple Qmaster with an NFS Server
- Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing and Xsan
- Compressor Command-Line Usage Requires Login
- Create Blu-ray Disc Job Action
- Contacting AppleCare Support
- Appendix C: Using the Command Line
- Installing Apple Qmaster from the Command Line
- Using the Command Line for Distributed Processing
- Using Scripts to Run Apple Qmaster, Compressor, and Batch Monitor
Compressor provides the tools you need to encode, and batch-encode, Dolby Digital
Professional (AC-3) audio files.
Dolby Digital Professional format (also known as AC-3) is a very common compressed
audio format for DVD-Video discs. Compressor accepts multichannel sound files in a
variety of formats and gives you complete control over the AC-3 encoding process. Dolby
Digital programs can deliver 5.1-channel surround sound with five discrete full-range
channels (left, center, right, left surround, and right surround) plus a sixth channel for
low-frequency effects (LFE), sometimes known as “the subwoofer.” Another surround
option is Dolby Surround, with four channels (left, center, right, surround). But not all
AC-3 audio is 5.1 surround sound. Dolby Digital Professional is commonly used to encode
stereo files to greatly reduce their file size.
Note: Dolby Digital Professional encoding with Compressor is available only on computers
that also have Final Cut Studio installed. If you are using Compressor with distributed
processing, Final Cut Studio must be installed on each node that will be doing Dolby
Digital Professional encoding.
See the Soundtrack Pro User Manual for comprehensive information about creating
surround sound audio files. If you are planning to make DVDs using DVD Studio Pro, see
the DVD Studio Pro User Manual for more information about the DVD authoring workflow.
See Adding Image Sequences to Batches for more information about creating surround
sound audio files using other output formats.
Note: It’s important to understand that Compressor cannot take stereo audio files and
create 5.1 surround sound from them. If you want to create a 5.1 surround sound AC-3
audio file, you must first create the six channels of audio it requires. This must be done
using other applications, such as Soundtrack Pro, outside Compressor.
This chapter covers the following:
• About the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder Pane (p. 138)
• General Information About Creating Dolby Digital Professional Files (p. 144)
• Converting Stereo Audio Files to Dolby Digital Professional Format (p. 145)
• Assigning Files to Surround Sound Channels (Manual Method) (p. 146)
137
Creating Dolby Digital Professional
Output Files
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