Compressor 4 - Fast Forward

Compressor 4 is the digital distribution hub of Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5 that allows transcoding and encoding of all types of QuickTime compatible media for post production and final content delivery. We crafted this 2 hour tutorial as a complete stand-alone video course that presents the big picture of how to use the feature-rich toolset of Compressor 4, while teaching you ways to maximize your productivity in the process.

Experience our Training on the iPad

The iPad is revolutionizing the way people access and interact with media. Video training is therefore a natural fit for people who want their training on the go or on a separate device from their main system. Because of the limited storage capacities of the iPad, we have labored to keep the movie sizes as small as possible while maintaining our high standards of image and sound quality. And perhaps best of all, you don't need to be connected to the internet to watch our tutorials on your iPad.

Tutorial Delivered Through iTunes

We realize you may have a question or two, so we created a short FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page to answer them.

Click here for FAQ

Who is this Tutorial for?

Any Final Cut Pro, Motion or CS5 user who is interested in publishing their content to Apple devices, DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, and the Web. This tutorial is also beneficial to editors and producers working in multiple formats such as HD and SD, NTSC and PAL formats. This tutorial starts from the beginning and assumes no prior knowledge of Compressor or media encoding.

Core Compressor Workflow

Getting movies in and out of Compressor boils down to a simple 3 step workflow: import the media, apply a target, submit the job. Along the way you'll learn the best way to maintain quality though the encoding pipeline and discover when you might want to sacrifice quality for speed. 

Droplets

One of the keys to successful encoding is working efficiently. Compressor lets you create stand-alone applications called Droplets that handle repetitive tasks. You will also learn how to create your own Batch Templates to further streamline your workflow.

Produce Interactive Content

The Preview window does more than give you a real time display of your encoding jobs. It's also a portal for creating interactive QuickTime movies that include Chapter Markers, Web Hyperlinks, and Podcast-specific markers that call up images or video frames in iTunes.

Optical Flow Conversions

Compressor's Frame Controls allow you to accurately transcode media from one format to another such as downconverting HD movies to SD or doing a standards conversion from NTSC to PAL. Compressor employs Optical Flow technology to more accurately place pixels in new frame sizes and frame rates. You'll learn important do's and don'ts when employing this powerful feature.

Distributed Processing

Distributed processing harnesses the collective computing power of multiple computers for the purposes of faster encoding times. The system that manages this process is called Apple Qmaster. Learn how to set up your Mac or a network of Macs (called a Cluster) using Compressor 4's new Qmaster menu. 

Sending from Final Cut Pro & Motion

Send your Final Cut Pro and Motion projects directly to Compressor using the Share menu. You can continue working in either Final Cut Pro X or Motion 5 while your movies process in the background. Use the Share Monitor to keep track of the encoding progress.

Table of Contents

Lesson 01 - Exploring the Interface

Lesson 02 - Window Layouts

Lesson 03 - Batch Templates

Lesson 04 - Publishing Discs

Lesson 05 - HTTP Live Streaming

Lesson 06 - Core Compressor Workflow

Lesson 07 - Batch Encoding

Lesson 08 - Settings & Destinations

Lesson 09 - The Share Monitor

Lesson 10 - Automating with Droplets

Lesson 11 - Job Actions

Lesson 12 - Frame Controls

Lesson 13 - Filters

Lesson 14 - Geometry Settings

Lesson 15 - Test Clip Workflows

Lesson 16 - Apple ProRes

Lesson 17 - Advanced Output

Lesson 18 - The Laws of Compression

Lesson 19 - Distributed Processing

Minimum System Requirements for Viewing Tutorials (Mac)

Minimum System Requirements for Viewing Tutorials (Win)