Compressor User Guide
KKApple Inc. Copyright © 2013 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Compressor software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services.
Contents 5 5 Chapter 1: What’s new in Compressor? 6 6 7 8 Chapter 2: Compressor basics 11 11 12 16 17 18 Chapter 3: Simple transcoding 19 19 20 20 21 23 23 24 50 50 51 52 52 54 54 54 55 58 61 Chapter 4: Advanced adjustments 62 62 62 62 64 64 67 Chapter 5: Advanced tasks What’s new in Compressor 4.
69 69 70 71 71 71 72 73 74 76 76 77 79 80 81 82 85 86 86 87 88 Modify an output file’s frame size Modify frame size overview Crop or pad the video frame Modify an output file’s frame rate Frame rate options overview Retime video and audio output Modify timing and frame rate About deinterlacing About reverse telecine Add video and audio effects Add and remove effects Video effects Audio effects Add metadata Set a poster frame Add markers Limit time ranges when transcoding Common transcoding workflows Exampl
What’s new in Compressor? 1 What’s new in Compressor 4.1? Compressor 4.1 introduces a new design and various new features, detailed below. New interface The interface in Compressor 4.
Compressor basics 2 What is Compressor? Compressor is an application that transcodes media files into a variety of formats. You can use Compressor to create files for many uses, including: •• Viewing on Apple devices such as Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, or iTunes using high-definition (HD) or standard-definition (SD) formats (including H.264) •• Publishing to video-sharing websites including Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube using QuickTime •• Burning to DVD or Blu-ray disc using H.
Compressor workflow The basic process of transcoding files in Compressor is described below. Import your media into Compressor The first step in the transcoding process is to add one or more media source files to Compressor. You can add media files from your computer or a connected hard disk. Each media source file in Compressor is called a job. Each transcoding session, containing one or more jobs, is called a batch.
Interface overview The Compressor window has three views: Current, Active, and Completed. You can switch between these views by clicking a view button at the top of the window. Current view Current view is the default view in Compressor. Current view is where you prepare transcoding jobs and then submit your batch.
You can expand the Current view to display additional areas: Settings/Locations pane Inspector pane •• Settings and Locations pane: Click the Settings & Locations button at the top-left corner of the Compressor window to expand this area, and then click Settings or Locations to display the individual panes. The Settings pane provides quick access to all the built-in destinations and settings, as well as to any custom destinations or settings that you created.
Active view In Active view, the Compressor window displays status information about batches (and their constituent jobs) currently being transcoded. In this view, you can monitor progress bars as well as pause or cancel the transcoding process. Completed view In Completed view, you can view information about batches and jobs that have been successfully transcoded, as well as information about items that failed to transcode. A list of batches is shown on the left side of the window.
3 Simple transcoding Simple transcoding overview When you add a source file to Compressor and apply output instructions (all done in Current view), you create a transcoding job. You can add more jobs to the batch, and then submit the batch for transcoding. Each job in a batch has has several parts: •• Source file: The media file that you want to transcode. •• Setting: The transcoding instructions that specify how the file will be processed.
Transcode files The easiest way to transcode media files in Compressor is to use or one or more built-in settings or to use a built-in destination (settings that are combined with a post-transcoding job action, such as uploading to Facebook or burning a Blu-ray disc). Set up the first transcoding job in a batch 1 Click the Add File button in the batch area. Batch area Add File button 2 In the file window that appears, select a media file and then click Add.
Add additional jobs to a batch If you want to, you can add additional source files to a batch. 1 Choose Add File from the Add pop-up menu under the batch area. You can also add a set of image sequence files or surround sound files. For more information, see Import image sequence files on page 62 and Import and modify surround sound files on page 64. Add pop-up menu 2 In the file window that appears, select one or more media files, and then click Add. Shift-click to select consecutive files.
5 To change the name of a file to be output, double-click its name in the Filename column, and then enter a new name. The default name assigned to each transcoded file is the source filename appended with the extension of the format used during transcoding (.mov or .mp4, for example). Note: If you see an alert icon row has already been used.
Preview how a transcoded file will look and sound After you’ve set up a job, you can preview how your source file will look and sound after it has been transcoded. Note: Retiming and interlacing property adjustments (that you make in the Video tab of the inspector) are not displayed in the transcoding preview. 1 In a job, select the output row that includes the setting you want to preview.
Create a new job from a completed job mm In Completed view, click a job’s Reuse button . All of the job’s information is copied to Active view, where you can modify the job’s setting properties and other information as necessary, and then transcode the new job. Built-in settings Use the built-in settings, grouped by category in the Settings pane, to convert any file from its source format to other commonly used formats.
You can also customize a built-in setting or create your own custom setting from scratch. For example, you can create a custom setting to convert progressive video to interlaced video, or to convert 29.97-fps video to 23.98 fps video. Before you create a custom setting, view the related built-in settings to see if any of those meet your needs. If one does, or if it comes close, duplicate that setting, and then modify any properties that you need to change.
Built-in destination Contains Use to Publish to Vimeo Setting: Create an H.264 file, and then automatically publish it to your Vimeo account. •• HD 720p Job action: •• Publish to YouTube Publish to Vimeo Setting: •• Create an H.264 file, and then automatically publish it to your YouTube account. HD 720p Job action: •• Publish to YouTube You can also create a custom destination either by duplicating an existing destination or creating a new destination.
Advanced adjustments 4 Advanced adjustments overview For basic transcoding jobs, you can use the built-in settings and destinations that come with Compressor. However, if you have complex or custom transcoding specifications, you can make adjustments to the built-in settings and destinations in a number of ways: •• For a custom transcoding job that you will use only once, apply a built-in setting or destination and then modify its properties in the inspector.
Work with settings View and modify a setting’s properties When you select a built-in setting in the Settings pane, or an applied setting in the batch area, its properties are shown in the inspector. General properties are displayed in the General inspector, and video and audio properties are displayed in the Video inspector and the Audio inspector.
3 To view general, video, or audio properties of the selected setting, click General, Video, or Audio at the top of the inspector pane. Every setting has a General inspector that displays basic properties, including setting name, description, output extension, and so on. Video settings have a Video inspector and, if the transcoding format encodes audio, an Audio inspector. Audio settings have an Audio inspector, but no Video inspector.
Create a custom setting from scratch You can also create a custom setting without duplicating a built-in setting. Because it’s easy to accidentally introduce transcoding errors, this method is recommended for advanced users only. 1 In the Settings pane (press Shift-Command-1 if it’s hidden), choose New Setting from the Add pop-up menu . 2 In the dialog that appears, choose a transcoding format from the pop-up menu, enter a name and description for the setting, and then click OK.
Remove a setting You can delete any custom setting. Delete a custom setting mm Select a custom setting in the Settings pane, and then press Delete. About formats and settings Compressor provides a variety of transcoding formats to create files playable on a variety of media platforms—from Apple devices to Blu-ray discs to websites, and so on. Each of the built-in settings in the Settings pane uses a specific transcoding format compatible with the following industry-standard platforms.
Setting properties Common Audio Formats The built-in AIFF File, CAF File, and WAVE File settings use the Common Audio Formats transcoding format. This format encodes AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), CAF (Apple Core Audio Format), or WAVE (Waveform Audio File Format) files. You can also create custom settings that use the Common Audio Formats transcoding format. The properties of built-in and custom settings that use this transcoding format are located in the General inspector and Audio inspector.
Audio properties •• Channel layout: Use the pop-up menu to manually set the type of audio channel layout. For more information about audio channel layouts, including the surround sound channel layout, see About audio channels on page 67. •• Sample rate: Use this pop-up menu to set the number of times per second that music waveforms (samples) are captured digitally. The higher the sample rate, the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size.
Retiming This section contains one property: •• Set duration to: Sets the processing algorithm used to adjust the frame rate during transcoding. Select either of the following options: •• [Percentage] of source: Modifies the output clip’s speed by a percentage of the source clip’s speed. Enter a value in the percentage field or choose a preset value from the adjacent pop-up menu (with a downward arrow). •• [Total duration]: Sets the duration of the clip.
•• •• Surround EX Mode: When using a 5.1 (L R C LFE Ls Rs), 5.0 (L R C Ls Rs), 4.1 (L R LFE Ls Rs), or 4.0 (L R Ls Rs) layout, this property tells the playback device whether the audio has been encoded in Dolby Digital Surround EX. There are three menu options: •• Not Indicated: Does not send the playback device information about whether the bitstream was encoded in Dolby Digital Surround EX. •• Not Encoded: Tells the playback device that the bitstream was not encoded in Dolby Digital Surround EX.
H.264 for Apple Devices The built-in Apple Devices settings use the H.264 for Apple Devices transcoding format. You can also create custom settings that use the H.264 for Apple Devices transcoding format. The properties of built-in and custom settings that use this transcoding format are located in the General, Video, and Audio inspectors. These properties are described below.
Video properties •• Frame size: Use the pop-up menu to set an automatically calculated frame size (resolution) range for the output file. For more information, see Modify frame size overview on page 69. •• Pixel aspect ratio: For settings that use the H.264 format, the pixel aspect ratio is set to Square. •• Frame rate: Use this pop-up menu to set the playback rate (the number of images displayed per second) for the output file. For more information, see Frame rate options overview on page 71.
Quality The following properties provide instructions for image analysis, including frame resizing, clip retiming, and deinterlacing. •• •• Resize filter: This pop-up menu sets the resizing method. There are three options: •• Fast (Nearest Pixel): Provides the fastest processing time. •• Better (Linear Filter): Provides a medium trade-off between processing time and output quality. •• Best (Statistical Prediction): Provides the highest output quality, but takes longer.
H.264 for Blu-ray The built-in H.264 for Blu-ray setting (in the Create Blu-ray destination) uses the H.264 for Bluray transcoding format. This format encodes H.264 elementary stream files for Blu-ray and AVCHD DVD authoring. You can also create custom settings that use the H.264 for Blu-ray transcoding format. Note: This setting encodes only a video file. Dolby Digital is the recommended audio setting. For more information, see Dolby Digital on page 25.
Video properties •• Frame size: Use the pop-up menu to set the frame size (resolution) for the output file. For more information, see Modify frame size overview on page 69. •• Pixel aspect ratio: For settings that use the H.264 format, the pixel aspect ratio is set to Square. •• Frame rate: Use this pop-up menu to set the playback rate (the number of images displayed per second) for the output file. For more information, see Frame rate options overview on page 71.
•• Adaptive details: Select this checkbox to use advanced image analysis to distinguish between noise and edge areas during output. •• Anti-aliasing level: Sets the softness level in the output image. Double-click the value and then manually enter a new value or drag the slider to the right to increase softness. This property improves the quality of conversions when you’re scaling media up. For example, when transcoding SD video to HD, anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges that might appear in the image.
•• Image type: Choose an image type from the pop-up menu to set an image type for the transcoded files: •• TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) •• TARGA (Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter), also referred to as TGA •• DPX •• JPEG •• OpenEXR •• PSD (Adobe Photoshop) •• PNG (Portable Network Graphics) •• Create unique output directory: Select this checkbox to create a folder to hold the output files.
•• •• Field order: Use the pop-up menu to set the output scanning method (either the field dominance or a conversion to progressive scanning). There are four options: •• Same as Source: Maintains the same scanning method used by the source media file. •• Progressive: Scans complete frames (not frames divided into interlaced fields). •• Top First: Scans interlaced fields, giving dominance (field order) to the top field, also known as field two, the upper field, or the odd field.
•• Adaptive details: Select this checkbox to use advanced image analysis to distinguish between noise and edge areas during output. •• Anti-aliasing level: Sets the softness level in the output image. Double-click the value and then manually enter a new value or drag the slider to the right to increase softness. This property improves the quality of conversions when you’re scaling media up. For example, when transcoding SD video to HD, anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges that might appear in the image.
Retiming This section contains one property: •• Set duration to: Sets the processing algorithm used to adjust the frame rate during transcoding. Select either of the following options: •• [Percentage] of source: Modifies the output clip’s speed by a percentage of the source clip’s speed. Enter a value in the percentage field or choose a preset value from the adjacent pop-up menu (with a downward arrow). •• [Total duration]: Sets the duration of the clip.
Setting summary Displays the setting name and transcoding format, as well as an estimated output file size. When you add a setting to a job or change the setting’s properties, this summary automatically updates. General properties •• Name: Displays the name of the setting. •• Description: Displays the description of the setting. •• Extension: Displays the extension of the output file.
Retiming This section contains one property: •• Set duration to: Sets the processing algorithm used to adjust the frame rate during transcoding. Select one of the following options: •• [Percentage] of source: Modifies the output clip’s speed by a percentage of the source clip’s speed. Enter a value in the percentage field or choose a preset value from the adjacent pop-up menu (with a downward arrow). •• [Total duration]: Sets the duration of the clip.
•• •• •• Two Pass VBR: This mode uses two passes—one pass to analyze the entire source video stream, and a second pass to compress the file. This mode takes longer and provides a better-quality file than the one-pass modes, and is recommended for source media files with a substantial difference between the most and the least complex scenes. •• Two Pass VBR (Best): This mode provides the best possible quality output, and outstanding quality at bit rates of 3 to 3.5 Mbps and above for HD and SD video.
Cropping and padding Customize the final cropping, sizing, and aspect ratio using the Cropping & Padding properties. Cropping removes video content from an image. Padding scales the image to a smaller size while retaining the output image’s frame size. For more information about these properties, see Modify frame size overview on page 69. •• Cropping: This pop-up menu sets the dimension of the output image.
MPEG-4 The built-in settings included in the Prepare for HTTP Live Streaming destination and the built-in AAC setting (for audio output) use the MPEG-4 transcoding format, which encodes files using an H.264 encoder. This format encodes files for HTTP live streaming and for AAC audio files used in audio podcasting and digital music playback. To learn more about HTTP Live Streaming, see the HTTP Live Streaming Overview and other related documents available in the Mac Developer library.
Retiming This section contains one property: •• Set duration to: Sets the processing algorithm used to adjust the frame rate during transcoding. Select one of the following options: •• [Percentage] of source: Modifies the output clip’s speed by a percentage of the source clip’s speed. Enter a value in the percentage field or choose a preset value from the adjacent pop-up menu (with a downward arrow). •• [Total duration]: Sets the duration of the clip.
•• Key frame interval: 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. Alternatively, you can select Automatic to have Compressor choose the key frame interval rate (the displayed value is 0 with Automatic on; the actual value is determined during the encoding process). •• Data rate: Sets the number of kilobits per second (kbps) required to deliver your video file. Drag the slider or enter a value in the field.
•• Adaptive details: Select this checkbox to use advanced image analysis to distinguish between noise and edge areas during output. •• Anti-aliasing level: Sets the softness level in the output image. Double-click the value and then manually enter a new value or drag the slider to the right to increase softness. This property improves the quality of conversions when you’re scaling media up. For example, when transcoding SD video to HD, anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges that might appear in the image.
General properties •• Name: Displays the name of the setting. •• Description: Displays the description of the setting. •• Extension: Displays the extension of the output file, based on the setting chosen in the “Encoder type” pop-up menu, described below. •• Allow job segmenting: This option is not available for the default encoder types that are included with Compressor. It may be available for other encoders.
QuickTime Movie Many of the built-in settings in the Settings pane use the QuickTime Movie format. This format encodes video files for many uses. You can also create custom settings that use the QuickTime Movie transcoding format. The properties of built-in and custom settings that use this format are located in the General, Video, and Audio inspectors. These properties are described below.
Video properties •• Frame size: Use the pop-up menu to set the frame size (resolution) for the output file. For more information, see Modify frame size overview on page 69. •• Pixel aspect ratio: Use this pop-up menu to set the pixel aspect ratio (the ratio between the image frame width and height). You can also modify the aspect ratio of the output file using cropping and padding properties; for more information, see Modify frame size overview on page 69.
Quality The following properties determine how the video will be resized, retimed, and otherwise adjusted when transcoded. •• •• Resize filter: This pop-up menu sets the resizing method. There are three options: •• Fast (Nearest Pixel): Provides the fastest processing time and with lower-quality output. •• Better (Linear Filter): Provides a medium trade-off between processing time and output quality. •• Best (Statistical Prediction): Provides the highest output quality, but takes longer.
Audio properties •• Channel layout: Use the pop-up menu to set the audio channel layout. For more information, see About audio channels on page 67. •• Sample rate: Use this pop-up menu to set the number of times per second that music waveforms (samples) are captured digitally. The higher the sample rate, the higher the audio quality and the larger the file size. •• Sample size: Use the pop-up menu to manually set the sample size of the audio signal.
Create custom destinations Similar to settings, you can create a custom destination from scratch, or by duplicating an existing destination. Create a custom destination 1 Choose New Destination from the Add pop-up menu at the bottom of the Settings pane. 2 In the window that appears, do the following: a Select one or more transcode settings or a destination from the list. To quickly locate an item, type a few letters of the item’s name in the search field.
Remove a destination You can delete any custom destination. Delete a custom destination mm Select a custom destination in the Settings pane, and then press Delete. Work with locations A location specifies where the transcoded file is saved after transcoding. You can use one of the built-in locations provided in Compressor, or create a custom location. Locations are shown in the Locations pane.
Create a custom location 1 Click the Add button at the bottom of the Locations pane. If the Locations pane is hidden, press Shift-Command-2. 2 In the window that appears, select a location on your computer or on a connected device, and then click Choose. The new location appears in the Custom area of Locations pane and is selected by default. The Location inspector is displayed in the inspector pane.
3 To modify the filename format, do any the following: •• Move existing tokens: Drag tokens to reorder them. Or click a token to select it, press Command-X to cut the token, click to select a new location in the field, and then press Command-V to paste the token in the new location. •• Add a token: Click a location in the field to specify where you want to place a new token, and then then choose a token from the pop-up menu.
Add metadata to a job mm You can add metadata to a standard, image sequence, or surround sound job in the form of job annotations and closed-caption files. For instructions, see Add metadata on page 80. Delete a job mm Click a job in the batch area to select it, and then press Delete. Job properties Standard media job properties The properties of a job containing a standard media file are described below. The job’s properties are displayed in the Job inspector.
Image sequence job properties The properties of a job containing an image sequence media file are described below. The job’s properties are displayed in the Job inspector. Note: To learn how to import a set of image sequence files, see Import image sequence files on page 62. Job summary Displays the name, location, file information, and the duration of the source file. Timing Provides the timecode for the Start point, In point, and duration of the image sequence output file.
Surround sound job properties The properties of a job containing an image sequence media file are described below. The job’s properties are displayed in the Job inspector. Note: To learn how to import a set of surround sound files, see Import and modify surround sound files on page 64. Job summary Displays the name, location, video and audio encoding information, and the duration of the source file. Timing Provides the timecode for the Start point, In point, and duration of the source file.
Work with job actions Add and modify job actions A job action is an automated action performed on a media file after it's transcoded—such as burning a DVD, uploading to Vimeo or YouTube, and so on. If a job contains a job action, a gear icon is shown in the top-right corner of the job. This job uses the Create DVD job action. You can add a job action to a job, as well as modify a job action’s properties, in the Job inspector.
Job action properties Compressor comes with a set of job actions that are used in destinations as well as in jobs. The job action assigned to a destination or job performs an automated action after transcoding— usually copying the transcoded file to a new location. For more information about adding or modifying a job action in a job, see View and modify job properties on page 54.
•• Disc template: This pop-up menu sets the menu template. •• Title: Type the disc name in the text field. •• When disc loads: This pop-up menu sets what happens when you play the disc: Show Menu or Play Movie. •• Use chapter marker text as subtitle: Select this checkbox to include chapter marker text as subtitles on the output disc. For more information about chapter markers, see Add markers on page 82. •• Background: Click the Add button to select a graphic for the disc’s background.
Web publishing job actions The Publish to CNN iReport, Publish to Facebook, Publish to Tudou, Publish to Vimeo, Publish to YouTube, and Publish to Youku job actions include the following properties: Different fields are displayed based on the selected video-sharing service. •• Category: Choose a category for the published file from the pop-up menu. •• Copyright: Choose an item from the pop-up menu to set copyright information associated with the file being published.
Advanced tasks 5 Advanced tasks overview You can customize your workflow by making specific adjustments to applied settings.
2 Click the Add Outputs button under the source media file, and then choose a transcode setting and save location in the window that appears. The job now contains a source file made of sequential images and output instructions (a setting, a save location, and an output filename). 3 To view additional information about the job in the Job inspector, select the job in the batch area. The Job inspector appears on the right side of the Compressor window.
Work with surround sound files Import and modify surround sound files There are two methods you can use to add audio files to a batch to create a surround sound job: •• Manually assign audio files to surround sound channels. •• Append audio filenames with channel identifier codes and have Compressor automatically map the filenames to the correct surround sound channels.
4 When you’re done setting up the surround sound group, click Add. A new surround sound source media file appears in a job in the batch area. 5 To view additional information about the surround sound source file in the Job inspector, select the job in the batch area. The Job inspector appears on the right side of the Compressor window. (If the inspector pane is hidden, click the Inspector button in the upper-right corner of the Compressor window.
Create a surround sound source file using channel identifier codes You can add channel identifier codes to the filenames of surround sound files in the Finder and then add the files in Compressor.
About audio channels Most of the audio settings in Compressor provide mono and stereo (left and right) channel configuration; some provide additional channel output options, including surround (5.1) channel configuration. Several of Compressor’s settings offer multiple audio channel configurations: •• QuickTime Movie settings: QuickTime Movie settings include additional audio channel layouts, including 3.0, 4.0, and 5.1.
The channel codes describe the location of the channel: •• L: Left front channel •• R: Right front channel •• C: Center front channel •• Ls: Left surround channel •• Rs: Right surround channel •• Cs: Center surround channel •• LFE: Low-frequency effects channel (subwoofer, LFE) Note: It’s important to understand that Compressor cannot convert stereo audio files into 5.1 surround sound channels. If you want to output a 5.
Modify an output file’s frame size Modify frame size overview Although many of the built-in settings in Compressor contain properties that set the frame size and aspect ratio of your output video file, you can customize the final frame dimensions using the cropping and padding properties in the Video inspector. Cropping removes video content from an image.
Crop or pad the video frame There are multiple ways you can customize the frame size of a source clip during transcoding. The cropping and padding controls allow you a great degree of flexibility and versatility. Remove part of the source image To remove part of the original source image, use the cropping controls in the Video inspector. Depending on the “Frame size” setting (in the Video Properties section of the Video inspector), cropping may or may not reveal black borders around the edges of your clips.
Force the source image to a different aspect ratio 1 Do one of the following: •• In the batch area, click an output row to select a setting that’s been applied to a job. With this method, the modifications you make will be used for outputting only that job. •• In the Settings pane, select a custom setting from the Custom group. (If the Settings pane is hidden, press Shift-Command-1.) With this method, the modifications you make will be saved to the custom setting for future use.
If the source media file contains audio, retiming modifies the audio speed as well, thereby keeping audio and video in sync. Compressor also automatically corrects the pitch so the audio does not sound artificially high or low. Important: If you modify retiming properties in a setting that uses the QuickTime Movie format and choose “Copy audio tracks from source” in the Audio inspector, the audio speed is not changed. Consequently, audio in the output file will not maintain sync with the video.
Change the frame rate for a transcoded file 1 Select a setting that is part of a job in the batch area, or select a custom setting in the Settings pane. 2 In the Video inspector, do one of the following: •• Choose an item from the “Frame rate” pop-up menu. Automatic, the default setting, matches the frame rate of the transcoded file to that of the source file. You can also choose any of several commonly used frame rates, including 23.976 fps, 24 fps, and so on.
You can deinterlace, or remove the fields from an interlaced video clip, by converting it to a progressive frame rate. The video settings provided in Compressor contain a “Field order” pop-up menu in the Video inspector that you can use to turn interlacing on or off for the transcoded file. For more information, see the topic that covers the format you’re using for transcoding, for example, QuickTime Movie on page 47 or MPEG-2 on page 37.
When using the reverse telecine feature in Compressor, consider these issues: •• Because of the unpredictable nature of the processing when reversing the telecine, segmented encoding does not work as efficiently as it does when reverse telecine is not being used. •• If you pause the transcoding process, the transcode must start from the beginning when you restart it. When film is telecined to NTSC video, it has a constant cadence. This means that the 3:2 pattern is consistent and uninterrupted.
Add video and audio effects Add and remove effects Compressor provides a variety of video and audio effects that you can use to improve the quality of the video and audio in the transcoded file. Video effects modify specific visual aspects of your source media, such as brightness and contrast, color, noise levels, and interlacing. Audio effects modify sound aspects in your source media, such as dynamic range, peaking, and equalizer effects.
Turn an effect off or on After adding an effect to a setting, you can turn its properties off or on. This can be useful when previewing an effect. mm Click the blue activation checkbox next to the effect properties. When the checkbox is blue, the effect is turned on. When the checkbox is black, the effect is turned off.
•• Noise Removal: Reduces random flecks of noise in the video file, including noise introduced by codecs. This effect allows you to blur areas of low contrast while leaving high-contrast edges sharp, creating results that are imperceptible to the human eye but that improve the final compression of the transcoded file. The effect’s properties include: •• Apply to: This pop-up menu sets the channels from which noise is filtered.
•• Watermark: Superimposes a still image or a movie file onto the video. This effect contains the following properties: •• Position: Choose a position for the watermark from the pop-up menu, such as Center, Lower Left, Lower Left–Title Safe, and so on. •• Scale by: Drag the slider to set the watermark image’s scaling between 1 (actual size) and 10 (10 times the actual size). (You can also double-click the value and type a new value.
•• •• •• Dynamic Range: Controls a clip’s audio levels by enhancing the quieter parts and lowering the louder parts. This is also referred to as audio level compression. The Dynamic Range effect contains the following properties: •• Soften above: Drag the slider to set the level at which audio is reduced (softened) to the level set by the “Master gain” control (described below). (You can also double-click the value and type a new value.
Associate a closed caption file with a source file Compressor can include a closed caption file (using the Scenarist closed caption format file) when encoding files with the following formats: •• QuickTime files: Compressor adds the closed caption file as a closed caption track to the QuickTime output file. You can view the closed captions using QuickTime Player (version 7.2 or later).
A poster frame marker appears in the timeline. Go to the poster frame mm In the preview area, choose Go to Poster Frame from the Marker pop-up menu Remove the poster frame mm In the preview area, choose Clear Poster Frame from the Marker pop-up menu . . Add markers Compressor can import and create the following types of markers: •• Chapter markers: These markers allow easy access to index points throughout a DVD, QuickTime movie, or video podcast.
Add a marker to a media file 1 In the batch area, select the job that contains the source file to which you want to add markers. Tip: To select the job, rather than an output row under the job, click the source filename at the top of the job area. 2 In the preview area, identify where to place the marker by doing one of the following: •• Drag the playhead to where you want to add a marker. •• Enter a timecode value in the playhead timecode field.
Add markers using a chapter marker list You can create a list of timecode points (using values that match the timecode on the track’s video clip) and then use that list to create chapter markers. The file containing the list of timecode points must follow these rules: •• The list of timecode values must be a plain text file. For best results, create the list with TextEdit and save the files using the .chp or .txt extension.
Limit time ranges when transcoding You can limit transcoding to specific time ranges in a media file by setting In and Out points. Transcode a portion of a source file 1 In the batch area, select the job that contains the source file that you want to transcode. 2 In the preview area, do one of the following to mark In and Out points: •• Drag the In point to where you want the transcoding to begin, and then drag the Out point to where you want the transcoding to end.
Common transcoding workflows Example: Create a file with burned-in timecode This example describes how to create custom settings, as well as how to add video effects to your settings through the example of creating a “window dub.” The general idea presented here can be extrapolated to create custom settings for a wide variety of other workflows.
7 In the Video inspector, choose Timecode Generator from the Add Video Effect pop-up menu. The Timecode Generator controls are added to the bottom of the Video inspector. 8 In the Timecode Generator controls, do the following: a Choose Lower Right–Title Safe from Position pop-up menu. b Type “TCR” in the Label field. c Control-click the “Text color” well, and select a bright yellow color.
5 In the Cropping & Padding area, choose Preserve Source Aspect Ratio from the Padding pop-up menu. 6 In the Quality area, set the following values: •• Resize filter: Best (Statistical Prediction) •• Retiming quality: Best (Motion Compensated) •• Adaptive details: Select this checkbox. Note: By setting these properties to the values described, transcoding may take significantly longer than if you use the “Better” settings.
4 In the window that appears, select the folder where you want the video files to be saved, and then click Choose. Tip: To avoid unnecessary copying or duplicating of files, select the folder directly on the server where the videos can be accessed by the intended recipients as soon as transcoding is complete. The new location is added to the Custom section of the Locations pane.
Create dailies to be hosted on a third-party website Some productions may prefer to use a public video-sharing service like YouTube, Vimeo, or others to host their dailies. The built-in destinations in Compressor are designed to automatically upload to some of these sites. However, other sites require creating a custom destination. This example uses a popular Chinese video-sharing service called Youku. The steps are nearly identical for other video-sharing services.
Work smarter 6 Work smarter overview This chapter covers information and techniques that will help you work more efficiently in Compressor, including how to: •• Customize application preferences •• Use keyboard shortcuts •• Create and use droplets—standalone applications that let you transcode media files in the Finder, by dragging and dropping.
My Computer Use the controls in the My Computer pane to allow other computers to use your computer to process batches: •• Allow other computers to process batches on my computer: Click the switch to On to make your computer available to other computers for distributed processing. Switching this on automatically enables the “When sharing my computer” controls in the Advanced pane. For more information, see Advanced on page 93.
Advanced Use the controls in the Advanced pane to adjust additional distributed processing settings. These advanced controls are intended for network administrators and other users with networking experience. For more information about distributed processing, see Transcode batches using other computers on page 101. •• Enable Compressor instances: This property activates additional instances of the Compressor application, which can potentially speed transcoding.
Keyboard shortcuts Built-in keyboard shortcuts You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly accomplish many tasks in Compressor. To use a keyboard shortcut, press all the keys in the shortcut at the same time. Shortcuts for common commands are listed in the table below.
Customize keyboard shortcuts View keyboard shortcuts in the Command Editor Compressor provides a wide variety of menu commands and keyboard shortcuts that let you control almost every aspect of your transcoding workflow. You can use the Command Editor to modify existing shortcuts, create new shortcuts, and save multiple sets of keyboard shortcuts that you can export for others to use. You can also import a set of shortcuts that someone else created.
•• To search for a keyboard shortcut: Enter a command name, key name, or descriptive keywords in the search field in the upper-right corner of the Command Editor. As you type, commands that match the search term appear in Command List at the bottom of the Command Editor. Tip: To show the keys that correspond with the items in the Command List, click the Keyboard Highlight button to the left of the search field.
Export and import command sets in the Command Editor You can export a command set to create a backup or to share the set with another user. Exported command sets are saved in a file that can be imported back into Compressor at a later time. You can also import a command set. Export a command set 1 Choose Compressor > Commands > Customize. The Command Editor appears. 2 Select the command set that you want to export from the pop-up menu in the top-left corner of the Command Editor.
Create and use droplets You can save one or more settings or a destination as a standalone application called a droplet. Using the droplet, you can easily transcode files by dragging them to the droplet icon in the Finder. Create a droplet 1 In the Settings tab, select one or more settings, setting groups, or a destination that you want to save as a droplet. Note: You can Shift-click or Command-click to add multiple settings or setting groups.
Transcode files using a droplet 1 In the Finder, drag one or more media files onto the droplet. When you release the mouse button, the Droplet window opens. 2 In the Droplet window, do either or both of the following: •• Choose a new save location from the Location pop-up menu. •• Specify a computer or group of computers from the Process On pop-up menu. 3 Click Start Batch. The transcoded file appears in the location you specified.
Transcode Final Cut Pro and Motion projects using Compressor If you have Final Cut Pro X or Motion 5 installed on the same computer as Compressor 4.1, you can send sequences or clips from Final Cut Pro or Motion directly to Compressor for transcoding. Transcode a Final Cut Pro or Motion project using Compressor Do one of the following: mm Send a project from Final Cut Pro to Compressor: Select the project and choose File > Send to Compressor.
Use distributed processing Transcode batches using other computers Transcoding a series of large files on one desktop computer can be processor-intensive and timeconsuming. Distributed processing decreases the time it takes to transcode a batch by distributing the work among two or more computers. After you set up a distributed processing system, Compressor sends portions of your batch to each of the available computers in your group of shared computers.
Manually add a computer to a group of shared computers If a computer doesn’t appear in your list of available computers, you can add it manually. 1 Select the shared computer group (in the list on the left) to which you want to add a computer. 2 Click the Add button at the bottom of the list of networked computers (on the right). 3 In the window that appears, enter the computer’s host name or IP address, and click Add. The new computer appears in the selected shared computer group.
Manually configure file sharing Compressor automatically manages the file sharing required for distributed processing. However, If you want to use your own file sharing system (such as a dedicated file server, Xsan, or NAS), you can turn off automatic file sharing, and then manually configure file sharing and manually mount the shared volumes.
Use the command line to submit Compressor jobs Shell commands overview If you are accustomed to doing your work from Terminal shells, you can run the Compressor application from the command line using the Compressor command. There are a number of command-line options for submitting jobs. In the command-line descriptions in this section, angle brackets < > indicate a mandatory argument in a command, and brackets [ ] indicate an optional argument.
This table shows command options for configuring shared computers: Submission command option Description -resetBackgroundProcessing [cancelJobs] Resets background processing and optionally cancels queued jobs. -requiresPassword [password] Requires a password to share this computer. -noPassword Turns off the password requirement. -sharing Turns sharing of this computer on or off. -instances Enables additional Compressor instances.
Submit a batch to a group of shared computers The following command submits a batch to a group of computers already configured for sharing in Compressor. Important: The command below must be executed on one line. /Applications/Compressor.app/Contents/MacOS/Compressor -computergroup "Superfast Computers" -batchname "My First Batch" -jobpath ~/Movies/ MySource.mov -settingpath ~/Library/Application\ Support/Compressor/Settings/Apple\ Devices\ HD\ \ (Custom\).cmprstng -locationpath ~/Movies/MyOutput.
Glossary AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) Also called MPEG-4 Audio. A standard way of compressing and encoding digital audio. AAC-encoded files rival the quality of audio CDs and generally sound as good as or better than MP3 files encoded at the same or even a higher bit rate. AC-3 (Audio Codec 3, Advanced Codec 3, Acoustic Coder 3) A Dolby Digital compressed audio format often used for encoding surround sound. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) A cross-platform audio file format developed by Apple.
•• Apple ProRes 4444: This codec offers the best quality for 4:4:4:4 sources and for workflows involving alpha channels.
Distributed processing A method of transcoding that accelerates processing of Compressor batches by distributing the work among multiple computer processors. A system can distribute parts of a batch to multiple instances of the Compressor application on a single computer, or to two or more networked computers (each running one or more instances of Compressor). Encoder See codec. File format The output format used to transcode your source media file. Also called a transcoding format. H.
Markers In Compressor, markers flag a specific location in a source file with editing notes or other descriptive information. Compressor can create the following types of markers: •• Chapter markers: These orange markers allow easy access to index points throughout a DVD, QuickTime movie, or video podcast. QuickTime Player can interpret any text track containing time stamps as a chapter track. Chapter markers can also have artwork and a URL assigned to them that appear when a podcast is played.
Setting In Compressor, a group of properties that are used to transcode a source media file. Each setting contains the following properties (which you can modify in the Inspector pane): •• A transcoding format that converts your source media file. Choose one of the following formats based on the intended playback method: AIFF, Dolby Digital Professional, DV Stream, H.
