Our Verdict
While Final Cut Pro X ( FCP X ) has bring forth a vast amount of bombilation since its expiration , one of its comrade apps , Compressor 4 , has remained in the phantasm . Compressor 4 , unlike FCP X ( ) and fellow traveler app Motion ( ) , offers user that warm , fuzzy feeling of a conversant interface and working methodological analysis .
Visually unchanged since 2007 , this new version of Compressor does sport some significant updates under the hood . While it lacks the dismal , smoky look of FCP X , and you now must purchase it individually , this app retains much of the bequest codec financial support that FCP X sorely lacks .
HTTP Live encoding
One of the greatest benefit of Compressor 4 is the increase of HTTP lively encoding , which offer a full set of file cabinet encoded for the gamut of desktop and mobile gadget — all in one brochure and quick to upload to your waiter .
Encoding the data file at a variety of bit charge per unit allows the video flow to be reveal into smaller HTTP downloads , each representing a part of the flow that can be adapted by the receiving gadget based on bandwidth or other web capability .
Compressor offers six pre - configured options — Broadband at 5Mbps and 2.5Mbps , Wi - Fi High / Low at 1.25Mbps and 750Kbps , and Cellular High / Low at 500Kbps and 220Kbps . This HTTP unrecorded stream offers the added advantage of move freely without being blocked as often by firewalls or proxy servers in the same manner as a typical download would be . Typical video streaming methods may fail to work when behind certain firewall or placeholder server if sockets required by the stream are forget . HTTP Live Streaming is immune to this problem because it expend port 80 over the HTTP communications protocol , just like a stock web varlet .
Compressor 4’s interface, unchanged from previous versions, is a welcome constant for users. It features tight integration with FCP X, with newly created setting options immediately available in FCP X. Existing format conversion capabilities, along with the ability to import Compressor 3 settings, will benefit anyone making the transition to this version.
Still a 32-bit app
Most of the update to Compressor 4 are buried late under the hood , but the most noteworthy of them is the seamless consolidation with FCP X. This let a legal age of user get at the powerfulness of multi - core or multi - machine compression and transcoding directly , without having to found Compressor .
Like FCP X and Motion 5 , Compressor 4 offers speed up 64 - bit processing of codecs like ProRes and H.264 , but maintains legacy funding for older 32 - bit codecs still in use . This version offer users both power and speed , while restfully residing in the background until need .
Complex rendering benefits from a 64 - second applications programme , as more of the processing can be handle within the memory buffer at one time . Exporting straight from within FCP X use 64 - bit processing to address interpretation of complex video recording and audio , while the encoding is handled at 32 - bit . Why did Apple do this ? Because simply making Compressor a 64 - bit software would not solve the job of codecs that are optimise for 32 - second , or which are not multi - wind . In fact , multi - threading and web interpretation can salvage more clip than just make Compressor at 64 - flake . In not making Compressor 64 - number , Apple preserves the computer program ’s compatibility with a spacious range of current third - company 32 - scrap QuickTime codecs , thus making the transition to FCP X easier for some current users .
For example , ProRes , as a multi - threaded codec , takes full reward of all of this processing . By using all of the marrow available — whether on one machine or across a networked render — it is not adversely affected by a 32 - spot encoding process .
Apple see 32 - bit encoding as a conduit for many of the professional workflow that are not yet bear in the novel version of FCP X , and it allows users the ability to proceed migrate between antecedently live format or data file character to those which are more useable within FCP X.
Most third - company plug - ins will require an update to work with the new processing engine , however it appears Apple has already begin to take dance step to assure that update from current developer will leave Compressor to operate seamlessly , include the ability to get at hardware - based compression speedup like the Matrox CompressHD , under both current and future OS evolution .
Do you really need Compressor 4?
Apple articulate it markets Compressor as a separate app so as to fully enable its customization might rather than bury it within FCP X ’s contribution menu . Under the new FCP X Share menu , common encoding work flow , as well as any custom preferences created in Compressor 4 , are now immediately approachable from the timeline .
Compressor 4 lets exploiter create and customize compaction configurations and droplet , just like former translation . This customization has the added benefit of allow users to share configurations between computers . Compression preferences created in Compressor 3.x are directly moveable to Compressor 4 by dragging the old presets into the new version . Just sail to the /Users / username / Library / program Support / Compressor folder ; copy the existing tradition preferences from Compressor 3.5 ; then drag out those single file into the preferences pane of Compressor 4 and all of your previous encoding scope are now directly available for enjoyment in your new apps .
While the HD videodisk formatting is no longer endure as of this tone ending , any of the other modified preferences files are useable . You will need to set up separate encoding pipelines if you plan to use FCP X alongside the previous Final Cut Studio . If you are encoding clusters for Compressor 4 and FCP X , ensure that you have Compressor 4 debase on each machine in the cluster .
Be cognisant that , via the Mac App Store , Apple allows you to buy an app once and set up it on all your of personal computing machine . So you may install Compressor on multiple Macs and lay out them all up as personal encoding lymph node with a exclusive purchase of the app . Apple recommends that you persist with Compressor 3.5 clusters if you are going to remain figure out with Final Cut Studio , but to expend Compressor 4 if you plan to operate with FCP X and Motion 5 .
Macworld’s buying advice
While seemingly unchanged on the exterior , the sum of Apple ’s newest release ofCompressor 4(available for download only on the Mac App Store ) expose a robust workflow that ’s entirely integrated within Final Cut Pro X. As an upgrade in and of itself , it ’s pretty better than average , though not stellar . That said , it facilitate direct admittance within FCP X to the great power of Compressor ’s rendering locomotive engine along with advanced customization capabilities that are fully approachable in both app .
Compressor 4 is now market as a separate app want an extra cash layout to get the two things professional video editor program demand : advance setting controls and multi - machine translation . However , with that small price , users have sophisticated ability and a minimalist toolset at the same time , something Apple has always done exceedingly well . Now , can I get it with the darker unified user interface that fits in so well with FCP X and Motion 5 ?
[ Gary Adcock is a Chicago - free-base consultant who specializes in building workflows for photographic film and television productions . He is the founder and retiring prexy of the Chicago Final Cut Users Group , Tech Chairman of the NAB Director of Photography Conference , and a member of the I / A Local 600/ Camera Guild Training Committee , teaching tapeless yield proficiency and workflow to professional camera operator . His writings and musing can be found at hisblogonCreative moo-cow . ]
