4
Table Of Contents
- Compressor 4 User Manual
- Contents
- Welcome to Compressor
- Getting Started Quickly
- Ways to Use Compressor
- The Basic Transcoding Workflow
- The Compressor Interface
- Compressor Windows and the Transcoding Workflow
- Creating and Managing Compressor Layouts
- Working with the Compressor Windows
- Batch Window
- Settings Tab
- Destinations Tab
- Inspector Window
- History Window
- Preview Window
- Apple Qmaster Sharing Window
- Share Monitor
- Droplet Windows
- About Changing Values and Timecode Entries
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Setting Compressor Preferences
- Importing Source Media Files
- Creating, Previewing, and Modifying Settings
- Finalizing Jobs and Submitting Batches
- Creating AIFF Files
- Creating Common Audio Format Files
- Creating DV Stream Output 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 H.264 for Apple Devices 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 Export Component Files
- Creating QuickTime Movie Output 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
- Apple Qmaster and Distributed Processing
- Distributed Processing Basics
- Basic Components of the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System
- Getting Started Quickly Using This Computer Plus
- Getting Started Quickly Using QuickClusters
- The Interfaces in the Apple Qmaster Distributed Processing System
- Apple Qmaster Sharing Window of Compressor
- General Information About Clusters
- Options in the Apple Qmaster Sharing Window of Compressor
- Managed vs. Unmanaged Services
- Turning Cluster Controller Services On or Off
- Using Virtual Clusters to Make the Most of Multicore Computers
- Setting a Service Password for Including a Computer in a Cluster
- Scheduling Service Availability
- Using Cluster Storage
- Defining Ports for Service Advertisements
- Recovery and Failure Notification Features
- Creating Clusters with Apple Qadministrator
- Setting Up for Part-Time Distributed Processing with Shake
- Appendix A: Keyboard Shortcuts
- Appendix B: Solving Problems
- Appendix C: Using the Command Line
• AC-3 streams must have a multiple of 1536 samples. If the selected input files do not,
Compressor adds digital silence to the end of the files.
Note: Compressor can support any kind of source files that contain surround sound and
high resolution audio up to 64 bits per sample (floating point) and sample rates up to
192 kHz.
About Previewing the Encoder Settings
The settings made in the Dolby Digital Professional encoder pane cannot be previewed.
If you have an external surround sound device connected to the USB, FireWire, or other
output from the computer, you will be able to hear the audio assigned to the different
channels, but it will not include any settings, such as the Dialog Normalization or
Compression Preset settings.
Important: Since the audio output is not Dolby Digital, the optical output cannot be used
to verify the audio assigned to each channel.
The only way to verify the settings is to submit the batch and listen to the results. If you
are unsure of the settings, use the Preview window to encode a short portion of the
source as a test.
You can import an AC-3 file as a source media file into a Compressor batch. Compressor
includes a built-in Dolby Digital decoder that it uses to decode the AC-3 files. This decoder
will properly apply any settings you made in the Dolby Digital Professional Encoder pane,
allowing you to hear their effects without requiring you to have an external Dolby Digital
decoder. You can also transcode the AC-3 files to a different format.
Note: Surround sound AC-3 files are downmixed to stereo if you do not have an external
surround sound system connected to the computer.
Converting Stereo Audio Files to Dolby Digital Professional
Format
Follow these steps to encode a stereo (2/0 L,R) Dolby Digital Professional (AC-3) stream
from a stereo source media file.
To encode an AC-3 stream
1 Add source audio files to the Batch window (see Importing Source Media Files for details).
2 Save the batch by choosing File > Save As (or pressing Command-Shift-S), then entering
a name for the batch, selecting a location, and clicking Save.
3 Do one of the following to apply the appropriate Apple setting from the Dolby Digital
Professional category to the source audio file:
• Choose Target > New Target With Setting, choose a setting, and click Add.
151Chapter 12 Creating Dolby Digital Professional Output Files