Apple Compressor (4.0) - Manual (Page 130)

Chapter 5 Custom settings and output formats 130
QuickTime Export Components files
QuickTime Export Components overview
You can use Compressor to output a variety of additional formats using the QuickTime
component plug-in feature.
Compressor and QuickTime can be extended to support additional codec options and third-
party formats. The QuickTime component plug-in feature allows you to export exotic file formats
that can play on third-party devices and operating systems, such as mobile phones. Unlike
standard QuickTime movies, these exported files cannot be played back with QuickTime Player
or other QuickTime-based applications. (For information about the native QuickTime movie file
format, see
QuickTime movie overview on page 121.)
In the past, creating these kinds of files required multiple steps and multiple operating systems:
exporting the file, moving it to a computer on another platform, and then encoding using
another software application. The QuickTime Export Components feature allows you to control
the third-party encoding engine without having to open another application. This streamlines
your workflow and saves you the time and hassle of working with multiple operating systems
and software packages.
With no additional third-party software, Compressor currently supports transcoding to 3G, AVI,
and Apple iPod. The QuickTime Export Components feature in Compressor was developed to
make it possible to add export plug-ins in the future. You would simply install the third-party
software and then choose the corresponding output file format from the Encoder Type pop-up
menu in the QuickTime Export Components Encoder pane of the Inspector window.
To learn more about currently available plug-ins and updates, go to the Compressor support
website at
http://www.apple.com/support/compressor .
Create QuickTime Export Components settings
When you choose QuickTime Export Components as your output format, you can only create
settings for export plug-ins that are already installed.
The QuickTime Export Components output format includes an iPod encoder type. This
encoder creates an output file suitable for playing on an iPod, using an H.264 encoder for the
video and an AAC encoder for the audio. All settings (frame size, frame rate, and so on) are
automatically set.
Drawbacks of using this plug-in (as opposed to using the H.264 for Apple Devices output format)
include not being able to take advantage of distributed processing, to include chapter markers,
or to use the Frame Controls pane.
For more information about creating iPod output media files, see iTunes and Apple device
output overview on page 65.