Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how job chaining in Apple Compressor can save significant time when applying multiple compression settings to a source file.
Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use Apple Compressor to crop or reframe a video clip prior to media compression.
Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to apply both still and moving watermarks to compressed video using Apple Compressor.
Video compression is essential to all media today, from social media to broadcast to streaming. In this video tutorial, Larry Jordan shows how to use Apple Compressor to create a custom compression setting for use in Apple Final Cut Pro X.
With the release of macOS Mojave and continuing into Catalina and Big Sur, older media codecs are no longer supported, nor displayed. Here’s a simple technique to find and transcode outdated files using Kyno.
Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro X (10.5), Motion (5.5.) and Compressor (4.5) to support new computers with Apple silicon, along with a variety of bug fixes. Here’s the list.
I first wrote this article to work-around a bug in Final Cut Pro X. But, Apple fixed the bug. Now, this is a step-by-step guide to importing chapter markers into Apple Compressor, which is useful for media created outside of Final Cut Pro X.
This article details what I learned trying to access often corrupted digital images that are 15 – 25 years old. It illustrates the software I use to recover images, video codecs that are obsolete and techniques I used to preserve media for the future. This covers AppleWorks, PICT, PhotoCD, JPEG, TIFF, audio, and video media.
You exported your video file only to find that it is WAAAY too big! Here’s an explanation of file sizes, codecs and media workflow for beginners.
Apple release bug-fix updates to Final Cut Pro X (10.4.10), Motion 5 (5.4.7) and Compressor (4.4.8). Here’s what was fixed and what’s still broken.
I first wrote these “Media Planning Guidelines” as a series of bullet points to help us think about media and the storage necessary for video editing. In this article, I expand these to explain my thinking to help you make better media decisions for your next project.
In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan discusses the impact of video frame size, frame rate and codec on storage capacity and video editing, whether you use Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro X.
In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains why converting video frame rates often causes video playback to stutter, whether you use Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple Final Cut Pro X.
Apple Compressor 4.4.7 now supports creating a wider range of proxy files. This illustrated tutorial explains what you need to know, how it works and which to choose.
There is difference in how the same color is displayed in Premiere, Final Cut and QuickTime. This made worse when looking at media on a P3 display. Here’s what you need to know.
Apple Silicon – new CPUs from Apple – were announced at WWDC 2020. Here’s Larry Jordan’s take on what this new hardware means to media creators.
An illustrated tutorial on how to create a highly-compressed HEVC movie with transparency (alpha channels) using either the macOS or Apple Compressor.
A detailed look at video compression speeds in both Mojave and Catalina for both Apple Compressor and Adobe Media Encoder. Cool charts are included.
A video compression speed and file size comparison using Apple Compressor between macOS Mojave and Catalina. This will be of interest to video editors and media creators.
Apple updated Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor on Dec. 10, 2019. Here’s a list of what’s new and where to find release notes for past versions.
A general analysis of when to use H.264 vs. HEVC for media compression, along with a recommendation for media creators.
A detailed look at the speed differences between a Mac i5 vs i7 system for video compression into H.264 or HEVC codecs. The results are surprising!
Apple updated its Pro Video codecs. These are of value to all editors, but you can’t upgrade to them using the Mac App Store. Here’s how.
Apple updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor to support the 2019 Mac Pro. Here are the details.
Within just a few weeks, most likely this month, Apple will release the latest version of the MacOS – Catalina. First introduced at WWDC last June, this is the latest incarnation of OS X. There are three critical things you …
An explanation of things to consider when purchasing your next computer for media editing. Written for the non-technical person who is deeply confused about what all these tech talk means.
An illustrated tutorial on how to create a new poster frame for most movies using the Finder and Apple Compressor.
An illustrated guide to free software tools you can use to measure the performance of your computer system, with a focus on video editing.
An illustrated tutorial on how to convert 32-bit (or any) media to make it more future-proof using Apple Compressor; plus a description of missing features that are still needed.
An illustrated tutorial on how to use Apple Final Cut Pro X 104.6 (or later) to convert soon-to-be-incompatible 32-bit media into something more future-proof.
Yesterday, Apple issued a mostly minor maintenance update to Final Cut, Motion, Compressor and iMovie with one big feature that is worth discussing. The new feature is that any of these three applications will now automatically detect media which will …
A detailed, illustrated look at the different media formats and shooting options with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, along with recommendations for best editing in different NLEs.
Apple Compressor is essential to media compression. But what makes it faster? In this series of tests, discover how RAM, storage, and preference settings can make a difference – or slow things down.
An illustrated tutorial on how to automate media compression using Apple Compressor and Droplets.
A step-by-step guide on how to set up a media compression network using Apple Compressor and one or more Macs. (This is an ideal way to speed compression using Mac minis.)
A detailed comparison of compression speed and resulting file sizes for a variety of media compressed using Apple Compressor, Adobe Media Encoder and ffWorks/ffMPEG
A detailed series of tests comparing video compression speed using a high-end iMac vs. a new Mac mini running a variety of software. The results are surprising.
A detailed look at the new, 2018, Mac mini with an emphasis on video editing. We look at speeds, but, more importantly, we look at real-world results.
Apple releases free new versions of Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor. Here are the details.
Codecs don’t last forever. This article details changes coming to apps and media in future versions of the macOS. This is important for anyone needed to access legacy media files.
An in-depth review and tutorial of ff-Works, from OSBytes, for audio and video compression.
In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to use Apple Compressor to crop and pad video images; for example, to convert between aspect ratios.
In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan explains how to use Apple Compressor to convert video frame rates and illustrates why this may, or may not, be a good idea.
A step-by-step tutorial on how to extract a short video clip from a longer one – and either transcoding to a new codec or matching the existing source – in Apple Compressor.
An illustrated tutorial on the new GPU monitoring window in Activity Monitor for the Mac.
A collection of new products for media creators announced at the 2018 NAB Show from companies you may not have heard about.
Apple announces free updates to Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4, add captioning, ProRes RAW and bug fixes.
Shooting and editing are just the first part of the production process. If you screw up compression, all the hard work that went before is lost. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan explains how to create a custom compression location, then make it the default setting.
Shooting and editing are just the first part of the production process. If you screw up compression, all the hard work that went before is lost. In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan explains how to modify audio compression settings for either music or voice.
Instructions on how to turn off auto-updating in the macOS, why this can be a good idea and Larry Jordan’s thoughts on when to update after a new release.
