User manual APPLE COMPRESSOR 3

[. . . ] Compressor 3 User Manual K Apple Inc. Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Final Cut Studio 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. [. . . ] It also allows you to create compressed 1-channel and 2-channel audio. This chapter covers the following:  Common Uses for MPEG-1 (p. 168)  About the MPEG-1 Encoder Pane (p. 169)  About System and Elementary Streams (p. 172)  MPEG-1 Transcoding Workflow (p. 172)  Configuring the MPEG-1 File Format for Web Use (p. 174)  Configuring the MPEG-1 File Format for DVD Use (p. 175) Common Uses for MPEG-1 MPEG-1 is a widely adopted standard, so it can be used in many different ways. Here are a few: DVD, VCD, and CD ROM MPEG-1 is the video compression format used for video CD (VCD) titles and is compatible for use on DVD titles since all DVD players contain the hardware required for MPEG-1 playback. MPEG-1 is commonly used in videos distributed on CD ROM. Its low bit rate and small file sizes are useful when you must fit multiple hours of video onto a DVD and do not require the broadcast quality of MPEG-2 encoding. A DVD can contain a mix of MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 video. 167 On the Web Since MPEG-1 was one of the first widely adopted compression standards, it has an advantage of being compatible with most media players. This makes MPEG-1 attractive for use on the web when you need maximum compatibility with relatively high quality. Audio-Only You can use MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio compression as an alternative to Dolby Digital Professional or DTS compression. While there is no Apple setting for MPEG-1 audio-only files in this release of Compressor, you can easily create a setting yourself. See "Configuring the MPEG-1 File Format for DVD Use" on page 175 for details. MPEG-1 Specifications Compressor supports all the MPEG-1 specifications for frame sizes, frame rates, video encoding, and audio encoding. MPEG-1 Frame Sizes and Frame Rates Compressor can produce full frame rate video (25 fps and 29. 97 fps for DVD and 23. 976 fps, 25 fps, and 29. 97 fps for the web) with SIF resolutions dependent on the use:  Web: 320 x 240  NTSC: 352 x 240  PAL: 352 x 288 While the NTSC and PAL resolutions are roughly half the full resolution of MPEG-2 video, when played on a DVD player they automatically expand to fill the entire screen. MPEG-1 File Format Specifications MPEG-1 video encoding uses a process very similar to that used in MPEG-2 encoding-- many of the same terms and settings apply. In Compressor, the encoding settings are set as follows:  Encoding mode: One pass  GOP structure: Open  GOP pattern: BBIBBP  GOP length: 15 frames for NTSC; 12 frames for PAL These settings are fixed and apply to all Compressor MPEG-1 video output files. See "GOP Tab" on page 195 for information about Group of Pictures (GOP) settings. See "Quality Tab" on page 190 for information on the encoding mode. 168 Chapter 14 Creating MPEG-1 Output Files The MPEG-1 output files can have I-frames forced on specific frames by placing compression markers on them. These markers can be added to the source media file using Final Cut Pro or can be added manually in the Preview window. See "Adding Markers to a Clip" on page 297 for more information. The MPEG-1 format does not support named chapter markers. About the MPEG-1 Encoder Pane This section contains detailed information about the various tabs within the MPEG-1 Encoder pane of the Inspector window. You make your MPEG-1 settings using these tabs, by either modifying an existing setting or creating a new setting in the Settings tab. The MPEG-1 Encoder pane opens with the default Video tab on top and contains the following items:  Extension: This field displays the MPEG-1 file extension mpg automatically after the MPEG-1 output format is selected from the File Format pop-up menu, or the ( + ) pop-up menu in the Settings tab. [. . . ] See VBR Bit Rate slider 213, 214 Bit Stream Mode setting 132 Bitstream tab 134 BlackWhite Restore filter 245 Blu-ray MPEG-2 185 blurring fields 246 Brightness Contrast filter 245 button toolbar 50 C CBR (constant bit rates) 157, 193 CD audio 230 CD-ROMs MPEG-1 output and 167 QuickTime content 223 sample rates 236 center channel 143 Center Downmix, Surround Downmix setting 134 chaining jobs 111 channels AIFF output 127 alpha channels 248 applying filters to 248 assigning with identifier codes 79, 141 center 143 Dolby Digital 131 full-bandwidth 136 LFE 136, 144 MPEG-1 settings 171 MPEG-4 output 214 QuickTime settings 229 surround 136, 143 using in Dolby Digital programs 129, 143­144 chapter marker adding image 301 chapter markers 297 adding 300­301 adding artwork 301 adding URL 301 creating plain text list 302 defining 201 described 201 displaying 289 importing marker list 289, 301 lack of support in MPEG-1 169 retaining 198, 209 visual indicators for 287 chroma channels 248 clips adding I-frames to 208, 298­299 exporting 11 playing 287 previewing 289­295 removing I-frames from 299 transcoding from different media files 122­123 transcoding portions of 295­296 closed caption file 83 closed GOPs 196, 200, 208 cluster controllers configuring with shell commands 327­328 enabling/disabling 327, 328 Cluster pop-up menu 316 clusters choosing for distributed processing 316 copying options 39 selecting storage locations 306 submitting jobs to 328 codecs See also audio codecs; video codecs AAC 211 AIFF 128 audio 235­236 choosing 234 described 31 lossless 235 lossy 235 overview 234­236 QuickTime 226, 231­236 color color spaces 243 filters 245 marker colors 287 settings 228 text overlays 249, 250 Color Correct Highlights filter 245 color spaces 243 command line 327­331 monitoring batches 330 shell commands 327 submitting jobs 328 compatibility of MPEG-2 output 198 compressed headers 225 compressed source files 85 compression audio 135 uncompressed audio 127, 230, 235 compression markers 198, 287, 289, 297, 298 Compression Preset setting 135 Compression Settings dialog 227­229 Compression type pop-up menu 227 Compressor features overview 12­14 getting started with 19­27 interface 41­72 Index 335 introduction to 9­15 layouts 43­45 memory allocated to 324 preferences 38­40 quitting after batch submission 39 scenarios 11 shortcuts 37 terminology 31 website 16 workflows. See workflows . compressor extension 116 Compressor windows about tabs 47­49 resizing 46 why covered 46 working with 46­49 configuration cluster controllers 327­328 service nodes 327­328 constant bit rates 157, 193 constraining aspect ratio 63 Content Agent described 39 preferences setting 38 Content is Original setting 134 converting video frame rates 264 converting video speed 264 copying items destinations 306, 313 settings 89, 93 Copyright Exists setting 134 cropping boundary 286 Cropping fields 270 cropping items frame sizes 187 images 63, 274­275, 292 customer support 323­324 D data rates 132, 229 Data Rate setting 132 dates transcodings 307 DAT sample rates 236 DC filters 136 decoders, stereo playback and 144 Default Destination pop-up menu 40, 310 Default Setting pop-up menu 40 Deinterlace pop-up menu 258 Deinterlacing filter 246 deinterlacing video 242­243, 246 deleting items destinations 307, 312 I-frames 299 markers 289 names from destinations 314 settings 89, 97 delta frames 228 Depth pop-up menu 228 Description field 99 Desktop folder 306 Destination field 316 destinations 305­313 See also settings assigning 22, 24, 36, 107­108 in batches 29 changing default 40, 310 compared to settings 87 creating 33, 308­310 deleting 307, 312 described 31 Droplets 318 duplicating 306, 313 DVD Studio Pro and 179, 314 file identifiers 307 image sequence output 160 local 306, 308, 308­309 open volume 308­309 remote 306, 308, 309­310 removing names from 314 temporary 108 types of 308 warnings 311 Destinations Inspector window 307 Destinations tab 42, 53, 306­307, 312­313 about 306­307 Details Level setting 259 Dialog Normalization setting 133 distributed processing choosing clusters 316 cluster storage 306 Final Cut Pro 119­121 H. 264 output and 154 job segmenting 60­61, 184, 212, 224 QuickTime reference movies 85 scratch storage settings 39 distributing settings 99 DNS Domain settings 40 Dolby Digital decoder 85, 295 Dolby Digital encoder 144 Dolby Digital Professional encoder 34 Dolby Digital Professional Encoder pane 130­136 Dolby Digital Professional format 129­130, 143­144 about 14 as sources 85 Audio tab settings 131­133 Bitstream tab settings 134 converting audio to 138 described 12 Preprocessing tab settings 135­136 previewing 85, 137, 295 336 Index Dolby Laboratories website 144 Dolby Surround Mode setting 134 downconversions 182 downloading movies 224, 225 downmixes 134, 144 drop frame timecode 189 Droplets 315­322 adding file identifiers 316 creating 37, 89, 317­318 described 37 destinations 318 saving 89, 318 settings for 319, 320 surround sound settings 143 transcoding with 319­321 working with 37 Droplet window 68, 316­317 Duplicate button 89, 93 duplicating items destinations 306, 313 settings 89, 93 DV sample rates 236 DVCPRO HD format 272 DVD-5 discs 158 DVD option 170 DVDs bit rates 171 chapter markers 201 HD-resolution DVDs 182 minutes of video on 190 MPEG-1 output and 167 MPEG-1 settings 173, 175­179 sample rates 171, 236 SD video on 182 DVD Studio Pro configuring MPEG-1 175­179 destinations for 179, 314 Dolby encoding options 131 meta-data 198, 209 MPEG-2 format and 12 DVD Video format DVD Studio Pro and 131 DVD-Video format MPEG-2 video streams and 181 open GOPs and 200 DVD Video setting 131 . dv extension 60 DV Stream format about 145 settings 145­146 workflow 146 Dynamic Range filter 251 E edit/cut markers 287, 289, 298 elementary streams 172, 183, 198 emailing settings 99 email notification activating 64, 279 described 277 preference 38 Email Notification to option 278 Enable Low Frequency Effects setting 132 Encoder pane See also names of specific Encoder panes modifying settings in 93 overview 59, 92 encoding audio files 138 even fields 189, 246 Execute AppleScript on output option 278 exporting items chapter markers 202 Final Cut Pro projects 117 media with I-frames 66 QuickTime Export Component plug-ins 238 extensions See also names of specific file extensions channel identifiers and 79, 141 Dolby Digital files 130 in File Extension field 60 in Summary table 58 Extras tab 197­202, 209 F Fade In/Out filter (audio) 252 Fade In/Out filter (video) 246 Fast forward and backward buttons 288 Fast Start option 225 field dominance 189, 205 Field Dominance pop-up menu 189 fields, output types of 189 File Extension field 60 file extensions. See extensions file formats See also names of specific formats described 31 extensions 60 file identifiers 307, 316 files AppleScript 279 media. See source media files paths 310 File Selection dialog 279 Film Standard Compression setting 135 Filter controls 244 filters adding to settings 253­254 Index 337 applying 63, 293 described 30 order of 241 previewing 97, 241, 293 reordering 63 settings 62, 97, 245­252 types of 245­252 uses for 241­243 working with 244­254 Filters list 244 Filters pane 62, 92, 93, 244­252 adding to setting 253 Final Cut Pro chapter markers and 202 distributed processing 119­121 quitting Compressor after batches 39 resubmitting projects 118 transcoding projects 117­118 FireWire website 17 flickering, removal of 246 folders, transcoded files 33 fonts 249, 250 forced compression markers 201 forced I-frames 197, 201, 208 Format option 127, 229 formats. [. . . ]