Apple Compressor 2 - Manual (Page 12)

12 Preface An Introduction to Compressor
Output Formats for Transcoding
Selecting the relevant playback platform (DVD, web, CD, and kiosk) is the first choice
you need to make before you compress a source media file into a different output
format. Once you have decided on the platform, you can choose the appropriate
output format for that platform.
Whatever the digital video format of your source media file, you can transcode it using
one of the following encoders supplied with Compressor:
 AIFF: Intended for audio use (DVD or CD authoring). For more details on the AIFF
format, see “ Creating AIFF Output Files ” on page 180.
 Dolby Digital Professional: Also known as AC3. Intended for DVD authoring. For more
details on the AC3 format, see “ Creating Dolby Digital Professional Output Files ” on
page 93.
 H.264: The next-generation video compression technology in the MPEG-4 standard.
Also known as MPEG-4 Part 10. Suitable for HD-DVD and many other uses, H.264 can
match the best possible MPEG-2 quality at up to half the data rate. H.264 is currently
mandatory in both new high definition DVD specifications (HD DVD and Blu-Ray). For
more details on the H.264 format, see “
Creating H.264 DVD Output Files ” on
page 109. For information on creating H.264 files for uses other than DVD authoring
(such as web video), see “
Creating QuickTime Movie Output Files ” on page 163.
 MPEG-1: Intended for Internet or specialized DVD use. For more details on the
MPEG-1 format, see Chapter 9, “ Creating MPEG-1 Output Files ,” on page 115.
 MPEG-2: Intended for DVD use. For more details on the MPEG-2 format, see
Chapter 10, “ Creating MPEG-2 Output Files ,” on page 127.
 MPEG-4: A very scalable specification, with a variety of uses, from web video or
wireless devices to HD. For more details on the MPEG-4 format, see Chapter 11,
“
Creating MPEG-4 Output Files ,” on page 153.
 QuickTime Export Components: Leveraging the component plug-in architecture of
QuickTime, Compressor can now output a variety of additional formats such as
Windows Media, RealPlayer, 3G, and AVI. For more details on QuickTime Export
Components, see “
Creating QuickTime Export Component Output Files ” on page 177.
 QuickTime Movie: QuickTime is a cross-platform multimedia technology. It allows
Mac OS and Windows applications to play back video, audio, and still-image files. For
more details on the QuickTime format, see Chapter 12, “
Creating QuickTime Movie
Output Files ,” on page 163.
 TIFF: Intended for use with other programs that import media as a series of still
images. For more details on the TIFF format, see “ Creating TIFF Output Files ” on
page 183.