Apple Final Cut Pro 6 User Manual
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Data Rate Area
 Data Rate: These options allow you to specify the data rate for your QuickTime video.
 Automatic: The selected codec adjusts the data rate of your QuickTime
video automatically.
 Restrict to N kbits/sec: When available, you can use this field to set the number of
kilobytes per second (KB/sec.) required to deliver your media file. This setting is
useful if you have a specific bit rate (such as a DSL connection) or amount of space
(on a DVD or CD ROM). You should choose a data rate that is appropriate for your
delivery medium and set it as high as possible within your data limitations. When
you set a data rate, you override other codec quality settings because the codec
compresses the file as much as it needs to based on its data rate limit.
Note: Remember that the data rate is only for the video track of a media file. If your
media file also contains audio, you must allow some space for that, too.
Compressor Area
 Depth: Choose a color depth. Some codecs allow you to choose between color or
grayscale, while others allow you to specify the number of colors (which corresponds
to a bit depth), such as 4, 16, 256, or millions of colors (2-, 4-, and 24-bit, respectively).
You can also specify an alpha channel for some codecs by choosing Millions of Colors+.
 Quality: Adjust the slider for the level of spatial compression you want. Some codecs
may not allow you to specify this setting.
Depending on the codec you choose, other options may be available, such as scan
mode (interlaced versus progressive) and aspect ratio. There may also be an Options
button you can click to set additional codec-specific options.
Preview Area
A preview image of the current frame of your clip or sequence is displayed here. When
you adjust some compressor options, the preview image is updated so you can see
how certain settings will affect your image.