Additional Resources
Along with the documentation that comes with Compressor, there are a variety of other
resources you can use to find out more about Compressor.
Compressor Website
For general information and updates, as well as the latest news on Compressor, go to:
•
http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/compressor
Apple Service and Support Websites
For software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all Apple
products, go to the general Apple Support web page. You’ll also have access to product
specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and third-party product technical
articles.
•
http://www.apple.com/support
For software updates, documentation, discussion forums, and answers to the most
frequently asked questions for Compressor, go to:
•
http://www.apple.com/support/compressor
10
Preface
Welcome to Compressor
Compressor contains a number of predefined settings that allow you to start transcoding
immediately. You can begin transcoding media files as soon as you install Compressor if
you have one or more source media files and the preexisting Compressor batch templates
or settings and destinations suit your transcoding needs.
This chapter covers the following:
•
Terms Used by Compressor
(p. 11)
•
Quick and Easy Compressor Workflow: Batch Template Method
(p. 12)
•
Quick and Easy Compressor Workflow: Manual Method
(p. 17)
•
Optional Tasks You Can Perform Before Submitting a Batch
(p. 24)
Terms Used by Compressor
There are a few terms used by Compressor that you should feel comfortable with before
you begin using it.
A batch is the heart of the transcode process. It contains one or more source media files,
which are the files you want to convert, or transcode, to another format. Each source
media file creates its own job. This means that a batch can contain multiple jobs, with
each job based on its own source media file.
Each job also has at least one target. The targets define what sort of output file should
be created by the transcoding process and where it should be placed. You can have
multiple targets assigned to a job, which means that you can easily create multiple output
files, each with a different format.
Each target has three parts.
• The setting: The setting part of a target defines the transcoding process, including the
encoder format that is used as well as a variety of filters and geometry attributes.
• The destination: The destination part of a target defines where the output file is saved.
It also defines the rules that are used to create the output filename. Compressor includes
a preference setting that allows you to specify a default destination.
11