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
Note: Since MPEG-2 uses fixed video frame sizes (see MPEG-2 Video Frame Sizes and
Formats), Compressor enters the output frame size in the fields in the Geometry pane
based on your video format selection.
The video format you choose determines the options for the associated characteristics
such as frame size and rate, aspect ratio, and field dominance.
Note: The normal frame dimensions of standard definition (SD) NTSC digital video are
720 x 486. If you want to transcode a source file using the NTSC setting, Compressor
crops the file to achieve the required MPEG-2 frame size of 720 x 480, unless you have
already specified cropping attributes for your setting. If not, Compressor crops two
rows of pixels from the top and four from the bottom. This crop attribute is only
temporary and is not saved in the setting. You can see the effects of the crop by
double-clicking the setting in the job to open the Preview window.
• Frame Rate pop-up menu: Choose the intended frame rate for the MPEG-2 output file.
Film and some video camcorders create progressive material at 24 fps (or the NTSC
variant 23.98 fps). Although the term “24p” implies video with a frame rate of 24 fps,
the frame rate is usually 23.976 fps (rounded to 23.98) fps. To transcode these sources
for DVD playback on NTSC-related TVs, choose the 23.98 setting. See About 24p (23.98p)
for more information.
Note: The NTSC frame rate is frequently mentioned as 29.97 fps. Similarly, the “NTSC
version” of 24 fps is mentioned as 23.98 fps. Both these numbers are actually
approximations to the true values 30/1.001 and 24/1.001, or 29.97003 and 23.97602
shown to more decimal places. These numbers show that 29.97 is a pretty good
approximation to 30/1.001 (only 3 frames drift in 100,000 seconds), but that 23.976
would be much better than 23.98. In fact, even though 23.98 is used as shorthand in
the Compressor Help and in the Compressor user interface, accuracy of 23.976 or better
is maintained internally in Compressor, and generally within QuickTime as well. See
About 24p (23.98p) for more information on this topic.
• Aspect Ratio pop-up menu: Choose the aspect ratio of your video file. The default is 4:3.
The other option of 16:9 is used for anamorphic DVD. The aspect ratio determines how
the picture fills the television screen. A 16:9 (widescreen) DVD viewed on a typical 4:3
television displays in letterbox format (black bars at the top and bottom of the screen).
However, a widescreen DVD displayed on a 16:9 (widescreen) TV fills the screen.
200 Chapter 18 Creating MPEG-2 Output Files