3
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
Importing MPEG-2 Files
When you import an MPEG-2 file, Compressor must parse the file before you can play it
in the Preview window. Parsing the file involves determining its frame structure and other
necessary information about the file. Since the frame structure can change throughout
the file, Compressor must scan through the entire file, which can take several minutes
for longer files.
This does not happen with MPEG-2 elementary files encoded using Compressor that had
the “Add DVD Studio Pro metadata” checkbox selected. See Extras Tab for more
information.
About Dolby Digital Professional Source Media Files
You can use Dolby Digital Professional AC-3 audio files as source media files for your jobs.
There are two common reasons to want to do this.
• To test a file you just encoded: Since you cannot preview the Dolby Digital Professional
output settings, importing an encoded file into a job allows you to play it and verify
the settings.
• To convert a Dolby Digital audio file to another format: Since not all media players include
Dolby Digital decoders, you may find that you need to transcode the file into another
format.
Compressor includes a Dolby Digital decoder that it uses whenever you play or transcode
Dolby Digital audio files. This makes it possible to verify the Dolby Digital Professional
output settings of a previously encoded file on your system without requiring you to
have an external Dolby Digital decoder. To hear surround sound you must have an external
surround sound device connected to your computer’s USB or FireWire output. The audio
is mixed down to two channels if you play the audio using your system’s stereo speakers.
Important: Since the audio output is already decoded and not in the Dolby Digital format,
the optical output cannot be used when playing Dolby Digital files from Compressor.
Tip: Add an .ac3 extension to the filename if Compressor does not allow you to add it to
a job.
Automatic Values and Nonstandard QuickTime Files
Compressor uses a variety of tactics to determine the proper values for any settings that
are set to Automatic. In most cases, QuickTime files contain metadata that specify the
various attributes of the file, such as frame rate and frame size. In some cases, this metadata
is not present, forcing Compressor to try to determine this information, or it is incorrect,
causing Compressor to generate incorrect values for the Automatic settings.
Additionally, some QuickTime files use nonstandard settings that require Compressor to
choose an automatic value that may not be suitable.
90 Chapter 6 Importing Source Media Files