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
The Compressor MPEG-2 encoder can create MPEG-2 video streams for the DVD-Video
format. To create DVD-Video discs, you can use a DVD authoring application in conjunction
with Compressor, or you can use the Create DVD job action, which is part of the Create
DVD template. See About Job Actions and About the Batch Template Chooser for more
information.
About High Definition Sources and MPEG-2
Compressor has several different options and workflows for transcoding high definition
(HD) video source files into MPEG-2 files.
HD on Blu-ray
Compressor can output MPEG-2 files for creating HD-resolution Blu-ray discs from either
HD or standard definition (SD) source media. Compressor can retain the various frame
sizes and frame rates of high definition video when transcoding to MPEG-2. And
Compressor supports the higher bit rates required by the Blu-ray format. For more
information on creating output for Blu-ray discs, see Stream Usage. Also see About Job
Actions for information on adding the Blu-ray job action to a job.
Note: The other output file format option for Blu-ray discs is H.264, also known as MPEG-4
Part 10.
HD to SD Downconversion
For those situations in which you are editing high definition (HD) sources in Final Cut Pro
and want to create a standard definition (SD) DVD from them, Compressor provides
high-quality downconversion. Compressor retains as much detail as possible during
scaling and correctly preserves progressive or interlaced formats when encoding to
MPEG-2 for DVD.
To see the source media resolution and frame rate
1 Import the source media file into the Batch window.
2 Click the source’s name in the Batch window.
The source media file’s resolution and frame rate, along with its duration, appear in the
lower-left corner of the Preview window.
About Elementary, Transport, and Program Streams
There are three common MPEG-2 stream types that are used to deliver MPEG-2 encoded
video.
• Elementary streams: These streams contain only one MPEG-2 content channel and no
audio.
196 Chapter 18 Creating MPEG-2 Output Files










