Apple Compressor 2 - Manual (Page 28)

28 Chapter 2 The Basic Transcoding Workflow
Compressor Concepts and Terms
 Codec: Short for COmpression/DECompression. A mathematical model for reducing
the data of a source media file.
 File Format: The output format you use to transcode your source media file.
 Group: Contains designated settings placed into a folder in the Settings tab of the
Presets window.
 Transcoding: The process of converting files from their original format into output files
ready for distribution in another format. Closely related terms include compression,
which specifically refers to data reduction, and encoding, a term which is essentially
synonymous with transcoding, but does not emphasize the conversion aspect.
 Presets (Settings and Destinations): These three related terms are central to the
Compressor workflow. Settings and destinations are two kinds of presets that you
apply to the source media files. A setting is a combination of transcode attributes, such
as output format, filter, and geometry settings. A destination preset contains all the
pathname and directory information for saving an output file to a particular location.
Preparing Compressor for Transcoding
Compressor contains a number of pre-configured settings that allow you to start
transcoding immediately. If you want to transcode your source media files immediately
and don’t need to create your own settings, you can follow the steps described in
“
Quick-and-Easy Compressor Workflow ” on page 18 instead.
However, if you want to create your own Settings and destinations, and customize
other attributes such as filters, cropping, frame resizing, and actions settings, you need
to follow the steps outlined below. If the custom settings you create here can be used
for all your transcoding needs, you won’t need to go through these steps again.
However, if you need to create new settings and destinations for each transcoding
project, you’ll need to repeat these steps each time.
Step 1: Create a setting
Unless you are using a pre-existing setting supplied with Compressor, you will need to
create your own settings. This is done using the Settings tab of the Presets window,
and begins with choosing an output format from the File Format menu that opens
when you click the Add ( + ) button. See “
Choosing an Output Format ” below for more
information. In addition, you also have the option of adding filters, geometry settings,
and post-transcoding actions, and then previewing your setting to ensure satisfaction.
See “ To assign a pre-existing destination preset: ” on page 68 for more information.
You can also streamline your workflow by putting your settings into groups. See
“
Creating Groups of Settings ” on page 75 for more information.