Compressor 3.5. Industry-Standard Encoding.

Compressor 3.5 offers broad support for encoding to a wide range of industry-standard formats, including specialized broadcast server formats; MP3 audio; and media with advanced chaptering for podcasts and Apple TV.

Industry-standard video formats

Handle all your encoding needs without leaving Final Cut Studio. Compressor 3.5 encodes to the leading industry-standard video formats, including:

MPEG-2. Output MPEG-2 files in SD and HD resolutions up to 40 Mbps for transport or program streams. You can also prepare encoded MPEG-2 files to create elementary streams for DVD formats.

H.264. H.264 is a scalable, state-of-the-art video codec that delivers stunning quality at remarkably low data rates. Use H.264 to deliver video for distribution on iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, the web, and mobile devices. A new setting lets you create H.264 files that are compatible with Blu-ray players.

QuickTime. Access all QuickTime-supported codecs, including DVCPRO HD, uncompressed SD and HD, and all the versions of the ProRes codec, which let you edit faster and at higher quality across a wide variety of workflows.

Image sequence support

Used in graphics compositing and film workflows, image sequences treat each video or film source frame as a still image. Compressor 3.5 imports image sequences in standard formats including TIFF, Targa, DPX, and OpenEXR. You can specify an audio file to incorporate with the image sequence as you import it — for example, the original field-recorded audio for a clip that was converted to an image sequence.

Support for the Telestream Episode Pro plug-in

The Telestream Episode Pro plug-in for Compressor (sold separately) lets you access the full range of output formats supported by Episode, including Flash 8, Windows Media, VC-1, WMV, GXF, High Profile H.264, and FLV formats. You can also output proprietary broadcast server formats such as Omneon, Quantel, Avid, Grass Valley, and Leitch. For more information, visit http://www.telestream.net/episode/overview.htm.

Audio encoding

Compressor outputs files to MP3 as well as to any QuickTime-compatible format, including AAC, AIFF, and QuickTime Surround 5.1. Easily convert surround sound stems into Dolby Digital Professional AC-3 files for your DVD projects. You can choose Dolby Digital Professional 2.0 or 5.1 audio, or let Compressor select the correct setting based on the number of channels in the source file.

Encoding for Apple devices

Choose H.264 encoding presets that are optimized for iPod, Apple TV, and other Apple devices. Add chapter markers for easy navigation of content on Apple TV or in podcasts. When you’ve finished preparing and encoding your material, upload your files directly to MobileMe, YouTube, or an FTP site.

Advanced encoding options

Compressor 3.5 provides a comprehensive set of options for advanced encoding, including:

Metadata annotations. Add keywords, copyright information, and other notes to your media. All the applications in Final Cut Studio can read metadata encoded by Compressor.
Closed captioning. Include closed captioning information with the output of MPEG and QuickTime files.
Command-line access. Use the command line to write shell scripts for large-scale automation of encoding tasks.