Apple Compressor - 4.2 Operating Instructions

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.264, MPEG-2 for DVD,
and Dolby Digital formats

Podcasting using H.264, AAC, and MP3 formats

Creating a package of media for submitting to the iTunes store

Compressor comes with built-in settings that you can use to
transcode files into the most common media formats. Compressor
also provides preconfigured destinations that transcode files and
then perform actions on the transcoded files. For example, if you
transcode a source file using the built-in “Publish to Vimeo”
destination, the destination outputs a high-quality QuickTime
movie file, and then automatically publishes the movie file to your
Vimeo account.

In addition to transcoding source files, you can use Compressor

Compressor basics

to:

Create custom settings and destinations: You can use a
variety of formats to build custom settings and destinations
tailored to your unique transcoding workflows. For example,
you can create a custom setting with specific frame
dimensions or with video and audio filters applied. And when
you create a destination, you can apply a job action that is
performed after the file is transcoded—such as sending an
email message or running an .

Create settings to transcode Final Cut Pro X and Motion
projects: You can create a custom setting in Compressor and

then use it to transcode Final Cut Pro or Motion projects. For
example, you can create a setting that outputs a file with the
bit rate of your choice.

Transcode files using a network of shared computers: If you
need more processing power and shorter transcoding times,
you can create a group of shared computers to distribute and
speed the transcoding process.

Create Compressor droplets: If you need to provide a very
simple workflow for yourself or other users, you can

, a standalone application that lets you

transcode media files in the Finder, by dragging and dropping.

Compressor workflow

The basic process of transcoding files in Compressor is described
below.

Automator workflow

create a

Compressor droplet

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.

Apply transcoding instructions

After you add a source file, apply one or more transcoding
instructions to it. Compressor provides a variety of preconfigured
transcoding instructions called settings, which you can use to
convert files to the most common media formats. If you want, you
can modify the setting’s properties to meet your requirements.

Compressor also provides a number of preconfigured
destinations, which combine settings and a post-transcoding
action, such as uploading your file to YouTube or burning a Blu­ray disc.

Choose an output location

Designate a location on your computer or on a connected storage
device where you want to save the transcoded media file. You
can choose any of several preconfigured locations, including your
computer desktop, your Movies folder, or the source folder of the
original media. You can also choose a custom location.

Submit your media for transcoding

After you assign settings or a destination and specify an output
location, click the Start Batch button to begin the transcoding
process. You can monitor the progress of the transcoding in the
Active view. After transcoding is complete, you can see
information about the settings or destinations you used in the
Completed view.

See to view a list of detailed instructions.

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, where you
prepare transcoding jobs and then submit your batch. When you
open Compressor for the first time, Current view displays two
basic areas:

Transcode files

Batch area: The lower half of the main window displays
transcoding batches that you add to Compressor. A batch is
one or more transcoding jobs to be processed in a given
Compressor session. A job is a to which you apply
transcoding instructions. Each job in the batch area displays
information about the source file, the job’s transcoding
instructions (setting, output location, and output filename), and
any post-transcoding actions that have been added (or that
are part of the destination assigned to the job).

Preview area: Above the batch area, the preview area shows
how your media file will look and sound after transcoding.
Here you can also add metadata and markers to be included
in the transcoded file.

You can expand the Current view to display additional areas:

source file

Settings and Locations pane: Click the Settings & Locations
button at the top-left corner of the Compressor window to
expand this area, 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. Likewise, the
Locations pane provides quick access to all the built-in save
locations, and to any custom save locations that you created.
You apply settings, destinations, and locations to a job by
dragging an item from these panes to the job in the batch
area.

Inspector pane: Click the Inspector button in the upper-right
corner of the Compressor window to expand this area. The
inspector pane has several views that change, depending on
the item that is selected. When you select a batch (by clicking
the background of the batch area), the Batch inspector
appears, displaying basic information about the current batch.
When you select a job in the batch area, the Job inspector

appears, displaying a summary of the job’s transcoding
instructions as well as controls for adding metadata and
modifying job actions. When you select a specific transcoding
instruction in the batch area (one of the rows under the job),
the General, Video, and Audio inspectors appear. These three
panes contain adjustable properties that you can use to
customize the or .

Active view

In Active view, the Compressor window displays status
information about (and their constituent ) currently
being transcoded. In this view, you can monitor progress bars as
well as pause or cancel the transcoding process.

Completed view

setting destination

batches jobs

In Completed view, you can view information about and

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. Click a
disclosure triangle beside a batch to see its constituent jobs and
output files. Select a batch, job, or output file in the list to see
additional information in the inspector pane (on the right).

batches

jobs

Simple transcoding overview

When you add a source file to Compressor and apply output
instructions (all done in ), you create a transcoding
job. You can submit a single job for transcoding, or add more
source files (and output instructions), then submit a batch of jobs
for transcoding.

Each job in a batch 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. Compressor provides a variety of built-in
settings that you can use to output files in common media
formats. Additionally, Compressor provides a number of
preconfigured destinations—one or more settings combined
with an automated job action that’s performed after
transcoding. For example, if you use the Publish to Facebook
destination to transcode a source file, Compressor outputs a
high-quality QuickTime movie file, then applies the
destination’s job action to upload the transcoded file to your
Facebook account.

Location: The place on your computer or a connected device
where the transcoded file will be saved. You can use one of
the built-in locations, or specify a new location.

Simple transcoding

Current view

Filename: The title of the transcoded file. You can use the
default filename (the name of the source file) or type a custom
filename.

Job action: Optionally, you can add a post-transcoding action
to a job, such as burning a DVD, uploading to Vimeo or
YouTube, and so on. Each of the built-in destinations already
contains a job action.

In the example below, two jobs make up the batch:

The first job uses the built-in Create DVD destination to output a
Dolby Digital audio file and an MPEG-2 video file. The transcoded
files will be saved to the source folder (the folder where the
source media is stored), and after the files are transcoded, they’ll
be burned to a DVD (using the Create DVD job action).

The second job uses two built-in settings (Small and HD 720p) to
create a small QuickTime file and a high-definition (HD) QuickTime
file. The transcoded files will be saved to the desktop. Because
there’s no job action, the user will have to manually move or
otherwise distribute each file.

Transcode files

The easiest way to transcode media files in Compressor is to use
or one or more built-in or a built-in (settings
that are combined with a post-transcoding , 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.

2. In the file window that appears, select a media file, then click
Add.

3. In the Settings window that appears, do the following:

a. Select one or more transcode settings or a destination

from the list.

The settings list contains basic , as well as

settings destination

job action

settings

, grouped by category. To choose a specific
setting, click the disclosure triangle beside a destination or
a setting group (Podcasting, for example), then select one
or more settings.

Important: For destinations, always select the destination
name. If you select a setting that’s in the destination, the
destination’s will not be used when processing
the job.

b. Choose a save location from the pop-up menu.

4. When you’re satisfied with your setting and location choices,
click OK.

The new job is displayed in the batch area. The job includes a
thumbnail of the source file and the transcoding output
instructions (setting, location, and filename). If you chose
multiple settings, or a destination with multiple outputs, each
output appears in a separate row. If you chose a destination,
its job action appears in the upper-right corner of the job area.

To learn more about the built-in destinations and settings, see

and .

The job also appears in the preview area (above the batch
area), where you can see the video you’re transcoding, as well
as perform a number of other tasks. See .

destinations

job action

Built-in settings Built-in destinations

Preview jobs

Add additional jobs to a batch

Optionally, you can add additional source files (and transcode
instructions) 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

and .

2. In the file window that appears, select one or more media
files, then click Add.

Shift-click to select consecutive files; Command-click to select
nonconsecutive files.

The batch area displays a new job for each source file you
add.

sequence files Import and modify surround sound files

Work with image

3. To add transcode settings, click the Add Outputs button inside
each job in the batch area.

4. In the Settings window that appears, select one or more
settings or destinations, choose a save location, then click OK.

Tip: Shift-click to select consecutive settings; Command-click
to select nonconsecutive settings.

The output instructions that you specified appear in the job. If
you chose multiple settings or a destination with multiple
outputs, each output appears in a separate row. If you chose
a destination, its job action appears in the upper-right corner
of the job area.

5. To change the name of a file to be output, double-click its
name in the Filename column, 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 to the left of the filename, the
filename assigned to that output row has already been used.

6. To view the properties of a setting, select an output row, then

open the inspector by clicking the Inspector button in the
upper-right corner of the Compressor window.

Depending on the setting you’re viewing, general, video, and
audio properties are displayed in the inspector. For
information about modifying these properties, see

.

Add and remove job outputs

You can add additional transcoding instructions to a job by adding
one or more . You can also remove output rows.

Do one of the following:

Add an output row: Position the cursor over an output row in
the job, click the Add button that appears at the end of the

View and

modify setting properties

output rows

row, then, in the window that appears, select one or more
settings, choose a location, and click OK.

Remove an output row: Position the cursor over the output
row that you want to remove, then click the Remove button
that appears at the end of the row.

Transcode a batch

After you’ve configured the jobs in your batch using the tasks
above, you can transcode the batch.

Click the Start Batch button in the lower-right corner of the
batch area and, if necessary, follow the instructions to
complete the transcoding process.

The Compressor window switches to , where you can
monitor the transcoding process.

View information about completed jobs

In Completed view, you can see how a file was transcoded.

1. Click the Completed button at the top of the Compressor
window.

Active view

2. Select a batch, job, or transcoded file and, if necessary, click
the Inspector button .

In the inspector (on the right), you can view information about
the batch or job, or view the general, video, or audio
properties for the setting used to transcode the file.

3. To view the output file, click the Show in Finder button .

If the Show in Finder button is not visible, click the disclosure
triangles on the left side of the Completed view window.

Create a new job from a completed job

In , click a job’s Reuse button .

All of the job’s information is copied to Current view, where
you can modify the job’s setting properties and other

Completed view

information as necessary, then transcode the new job.

Preview jobs

You can preview what your transcoded files will look like before
you process a job. The of the Compressor window
has a number of tools to help you previsualize how your final
output will appear.

Note: Retiming and interlacing property adjustments (that you
make in the Video pane of the inspector) are not displayed in the
transcoding preview.

Preview how a transcoded file will look and
sound

preview area

1. In a job in the batch area, select the that includes
the setting you want to preview.

2. If the Comparison button in the preview area isn’t already
selected (highlighted blue), click it to turn on comparison
previewing.

3. Click the Play button .

The source file video plays on the left side of the preview area,
and a preview of the transcoded file plays on the right side.
The transcoded audio plays through your computer speakers
(or through connected speakers).

Zoom in or out in the preview area

Do one of the following:

Pinch open or closed on a trackpad.

Double-tap on a trackpad to toggle the zoom level between
100% and “Fit.”

Click the Zoom pop-up menu (in the upper-right corner of the
preview area), then choose a zoom level.

Press Shift-Z to resize the preview area to fit the current
available window space.

Tip: To increase the available preview area space, resize the
Compressor window, or drag the divider bar between the
preview area and the batch area down.

output row

View different areas of a zoomed-in preview
area

When the preview area is zoomed in to a level greater than 100%,
you cannot view the entire image at once. However, you can scroll
the preview area to see more of the image.

Do one of the following:

Swipe the trackpad using two fingers.

Drag the inner box of the navigation control (in the upper-right
corner of the zoomed-in preview area).

View closed-caption or subtitle text in the
preview area

If your job includes subtitles or , you can view
that text in the preview area.

1. In the batch area, select the output row for the job containing
the subtitle or closed-caption data.

2. If there is more than one subtitle or closed-caption file, select
the row for the text you want to view.

3. In the preview area click the Closed Caption button .

Note: Subtitles can only be added to .

For more information about adding closed-caption data to a job,

closed-caption data

iTunes Store packages

see .

In the preview area, you can also ,

, or .

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.

Built-in setting
group

Contains Use to

Apple Devices Apple

Devices HD
(Best Quality)

Apple
Devices HD
(Most
Compatible)

SD for Apple
Devices

Create iTunes­compliant H.264
files for
distribution,
including files
that can be used
for streaming
high-definition
(HD) video and
standard­definition (SD)
video.

Add metadata

add markers set a poster

frame identify a portion of the source file to transcode

Audio Formats AAC File

AC3 File
AIFF File
CAF File
EC3 File
MP3 File
WAVE File

Create audio
files in the most
commonly used
formats.

Motion Graphics Open EXR

Image
Sequence

QuickTime
Animation

QuickTime
ProRes with
Alpha

TIFF Image
Sequence

Create files for
use with motion
graphics
applications.

MPEG Files MPEG-2 422

Program
stream, 15
Mbps

MPEG-2

Create
broadcast­quality, high­resolution, high
bit rate video

Program
stream, 15
Mbps

MPEG-2
Transport
stream, 15
Mbps

files.

Podcasting AAC for

Audio
Podcasting

H.264 for
Video
Podcasting

MP3 for
Audio
Podcasting

Create files for
audio and video
podcasting.

ProRes Apple ProRe

s 4444 XQ
Apple ProRe

s 4444
Apple ProRe

s 422 HQ
Apple ProRe

Create high­quality, high­performance
files for use with
Final Cut Pro
and post­production
workflows.

s 422
Apple ProRe

s 422 LT
Apple ProRe

s 422 Proxy

Uncompressed Uncompress

ed 10­bit 4:2:2

Uncompress
ed 8-bit 4:2:2

Create
uncompressed
10-bit and 8-bit
4:2:2 QuickTime
movies.

Video Sharing
Services

4K
HD 1080p
HD 720p
Large 540p
SD 480p
Small

Create
QuickTime files
for publishing to
video-sharing
websites like
YouTube and
Vimeo. Includes
large and small
HD and SD
settings.

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, then modify any properties that you need to change.
The advantage of duplicating a setting, rather than creating a new
setting from scratch, is that many of the properties are already
configured, and thus, you’ll need to make fewer adjustments to
the setting. For more information, see

.

Built-in destinations

Destinations, available in the Settings pane, combine one or more
settings and a post-encode , which automates tasks
such as emailing, copying, and moving transcoded files.

Built-in
destination

Contains Use to

Add to iTunes
Library

Setting: Apple
Devices HD
(Best Quality)

Job action: Add
to iTunes Library

Create an Apple
device­compatible
H.264 file, then
automatically
add the file to
your iTunes
library.

Create and work with

custom settings

job action

Create Blu-ray Settings:

Dolby Digital
H.264 for

Blu-ray

Job action:

Create Blu-ray
disc

Create an H.264
elementary
stream and a
Dolby Digital
audio file, then
automatically
burn the files to
a Blu-ray disc.

Create DVD Settings:

Dolby Digital
MPEG-2 for

DVD

Job action:

Create DVD

Create an
MPEG-2
elementary
stream and a
Dolby Digital
audio file, then
automatically
burn the files to
a DVD.

Prepare for
HTTP Live
Streaming

Settings:

Audio for
HTTP Live
Streaming

Broadband
High

Create a set of
MPEG-4 files,
then process
your transcoded
files and upload
them to the
server you

Broadband
Low

Cellular High
Cellular Low
Wi-Fi High
Wi-Fi Low

Job action:

Prepare for
HTTP Live
Streaming

specify. The files
are compatible
with a variety of
devices, such as
smartphones
and media
players.

Publish to
Facebook

Setting: HD
720p

Job action:

Publishing to
Facebook

Create an H.264
file, then
automatically
publish it to your
Facebook
account.

Publish to Vimeo Setting: Up to

4K

Job action:

Publishing to
Vimeo

Create an H.264
file, then
automatically
publish it to your
Vimeo account.

Publish to
YouTube

Setting: Up to
4K

Job action:

Publishing to
YouTube

Create an H.264
file, then
automatically
publish it to your
YouTube
account.

You can also create a custom destination either by duplicating an
existing destination or creating a new destination. For example,
you can modify the built-in Publish to Vimeo destination to output
a larger or smaller frame size. For more information, see

.

Built-in locations

Use the following built-in locations, available in the Locations
pane, to specify the save location of a transcoded file.

Built-in location Use to

Desktop Save the transcoded file to

the user’s desktop.

Movies Save the transcoded file to

the user’s Movies folder.

Create

and work with custom destinations

Source Save the transcoded file to

the same location as the
source media file.

You can also create a custom location, either by duplicating an
existing location or by creating a new location. When you create a
custom location, you can also specify a filename format for
transcoded files. For more information, see .Work with locations

Advanced adjustments overview

For basic transcoding jobs, you can use the built-in and

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. See

and .

For a custom transcoding job that you will use more than
once, create a custom setting or destination (by duplicating
and modifying a built-in setting or destination). See

and

.

You can also customize the various other components of a
Compressor batch, including save locations, job properties, job
actions, and batch properties. See ,

, and .

Work with settings

Advanced adjustments

settings

destinations

View and modify setting

properties View and modify destination properties

Create and
work with custom settings Create and work with custom
destinations

Work with locations View and

modify job properties Work with batches