Apple Compressor 3 User Manual

Page 33

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You can also streamline your workflow by putting your settings into groups. See

Creating

Groups of Settings

for more information.

After you have created a setting, you can further customize it with additional adjustments
such as filters (to adjust image quality or add effects such as letterboxing), pixel size
(geometry values), and post-transcoding actions. These additional adjustments are all
managed in the Inspector window. See

Adding Filters to a Setting

,

Working with Frame

Controls

,

Adding Geometry Settings

, and

Adding Actions

for more information.

Stage 2:

Previewing the Setting

It’s a good time-saving measure to preview your setting before submitting the batch.
This can be done using the Preview window and ensures that the quality of the output
media file is acceptable. The Preview window consists of a split screen displaying the
content of your source media file in its original form in one half, and the content of your
output media file in the other half.

From the Preview window, you can do any of the following:

• Play the media file.

• Dynamically preview effects (in real time).

• Modify the effects of the filters and geometry settings of your setting.

• Compare source or output versions.

• Crop the output file frame size.

• Change the aspect ratio.

• Add various markers (compression, chapter, or podcast).

Note: Frame Controls settings cannot be previewed in the Preview window. To preview
Frame Controls settings, do a test transcode of a small section of your source media file.
(See

Transcoding a Portion of the Clip with the Preview Window

for more information.)

See

Previewing a Setting

or

Using the Preview Window

for more information.

Stage 3:

Creating a Destination

By default, your transcoded file is saved in the same folder as your source media file
(Source). However, if you want to store your transcoded files in a different location, you
can create a new destination in the Destinations tab. Using this tab, you can choose any
folder, volume, or remote server for which you have permissions and access to be a
destination, and add useful file identifiers for your transcoded output file. Once you have
created sufficient destinations, you won’t need to open the Destinations tab again.

See

Creating and Changing Destinations

for more information.

33

Chapter 3

The Basic Transcoding Workflow

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