4.5

34Compressor User Guide
• Encoder type: Use this pop-up menu to set the type of encoder. This pop-up menu is
enabled when Codec is set to HEVC. Choose from two options:
• Faster (standard quality): Encodes the output file using a faster codec, with
standard quality.
• Slower (higher quality): Encodes the output file using a slower codec, with higher
quality.
Important: Not all options are available on all hardware.
• Profile: Use this pop-up menu to set the quality of compression used in the output file.
When Codec is set to H.264, this setting defaults to High. When Codec is set to HEVC,
choose one of two options to set the color depth (the number of bits used to represent
color in each color channel—red, green, and blue) of the output file:
• 8-Bit Color: Provides a good balance between picture quality and file size. (This
option is available only on recent Mac computers that support hardware encoding of
HEVC.)
• 10-Bit Color: Provides better picture quality but with larger file sizes. (Because this
option uses software encoding, performance may be significantly slower than 8-bit
hardware encoding.)
• Multi-pass: Available when Codec is set to H.264, turns on multi-pass encoding that
uses additional analysis of video frames to produce a high-quality output file. For faster
(single-pass) transcoding, turn this feature off by deselecting the checkbox.
• Include Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata: Select this checkbox to have Compressor include
Dolby Vision 8.4 metadata in the output file. Dolby Vision 8.4 is a format designed to
optimize HDR content for Apple devices. If this checkbox is selected, “Color space” is
set to Rec. 2020 HLG, Codec is set to HEVC, and Profile is set to 10-Bit Color.
• Bit rate: Select the Automatic checkbox to have Compressor calculate the appropriate
bit rate for the output file, based on the frame size of the source file and device
compatibility. If the checkbox is not selected, you can set the bit rate by dragging the
slider or entering a value in the text field.
• Frame sync: Select the Automatic checkbox to have Compressor calculate the key
frame interval rate.
Note: When Frame sync is enabled, the value in the seconds field defaults to zero (.0),
but the actual value is determined during the encoding process.
If the checkbox is not selected, you can drag the slider or enter a value in the text field
to set the key frame interval (number of frames) at which you want key frames created
in your output file.
• Encode for: When Codec is set to H.264, select either “Best quality” (to have the file
play back on newer devices) or “More devices” (to encode at a lower quality that’s
compatible with more devices). When Codec is set to HEVC, this setting defaults to
“Best quality.”