Blog Archives

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An illustrated tutorial on how to automate media compression using Apple Compressor and Droplets.

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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.

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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.

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An in-depth review and tutorial of ff-Works, from OSBytes, for audio and video compression.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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An illustrated tutorial on the new GPU monitoring window in Activity Monitor for the Mac.

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A collection of new products for media creators announced at the 2018 NAB Show from companies you may not have heard about.

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Apple announces free updates to Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4, add captioning, ProRes RAW and bug fixes.

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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.

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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.

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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.

A step-by-step tutorial on how to configure Apple Final Cut Pro X 10.4 to export an HEVC file – along with an estimate of how long that export will take.

A test of compression speeds between different versions of Apple Compressor and the macOS for video projects.

A detailed explanation of the different configurations for the 2017 iMac Pro, with recommendations on what to buy to optimize your system.

A first look at compressing video using both H.264 and HEVC settings in Apple Compressor 4.4 – in this article, I discover what doesn’t work.

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An in-depth look at a new application that allows creating custom keyboard shortcuts on an iPad which can control any application on an attached Mac.

An illustrated tutorial on how to create animated video GIFs using Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Media Encoder, Apple Compressor and Photoshop.

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Apple is about to release support for HEVC (H.265). This codec will change how we compress video files. This article describes what you need to know now.

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An illustrated tutorial on how to add watermarks to video during compression using Apple Compressor.

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There are problems working with files created by GoPro Studio using Apple Final Cut Pro X, as this blog explains.

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Three quick, illustrated tips to improve video compression using Apple Compressor 4.3.

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Editing 4K media is no different than editing HD – except when it is really, REALLY different. In this tutorial, Larry Jordan looks at the differences when editing 4K media in Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Apple Final Cut Pro X.

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A quick, step-by-step tutorial on processing images sequences in Apple Compressor 4.3.2 or later.

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A step-by-step illustrated tutorial on how to resize video between HD and SD using Apple Compressor.

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An in-depth look at Apple Compressor 4.3.1, testing speeds, settings, and recommendations to avoid problems.

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An illustrated explanation of what DCI P3 color space is, and how to configure a 2016 MacBook Pro to display it.

A step-by-step, illustrated tutorial on how to create an Automator action to automatically FTP compressed files from Apple Compressor.

In this short video, Larry Jordan explains the current state of HDR (High Dynamic Range) media in both Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro CC. He explains where we are now and where we are headed.

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Both Adobe Media Encoder (AME) and Apple Compressor recently underwent upgrades. In this short video tutorial, Larry Jordan explains how job chaining in Apple Compressor can save time when compressing multiple versions of the same file.

While there are currently a few issues with burning DVDs using Compressor 4.3.0 that Apple is looking at, in this article I want to share a few tips with you that will improve your results when burning DVDs using Compressor. …

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A short, illustrated tutorial on how to create custom Compressor locations, which can both simplify and speed media compression.

Up-resing is the process of converting lower resolution video into higher resolution. For example, converting SD video into HD or HD into 4K. In this short video tutorial, you’ll learn what up-resing is, why it is so hard to make it look good, what bitmaps and interlacing are and how they relate to improving the look of your video.

A collection of more than 40 articles covering video editing, Adobe and Apple software, written over the summer of 2016 by Larry Jordan. Designed to make it easy to see any you may have missed.

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EditReady is a fast, flexible, simple to use video converter and created by the same folks that created ClipWrap. This utility can help speed your editing, provide greater flexibility over clip naming, change the timecode of a source clip or simplify media management.

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An explanation of the difference between I-frame and GOP video compression and why it matters to video editors.

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An illustrated technique showing how to transfer custom Apple Compressor settings from one computer to another.

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A performance test of Adobe Media Encoder (2016) comparing its performance against earlier versions, with optimized suggestions for YouTube compression.

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In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how to compress files for social media using Job Actions in Apple Compressor.

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A cookbook of compression settings for MP3 and MP4 audio files.

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A detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to change the frame rate of video clips using Apple Compressor.

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A detailed explanation of what video frame rates are, why and when we need to convert them; and why you shouldn’t.

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An illustrated, step-by-step tutorial on how to create, export and apply a 3D animated watermark for video compression using Apple Compressor.

In this short video excerpt, Larry Jordan shows how and why to create custom locations to store compressed files using Apple Compressor.

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Why become a member of Larry Jordan’s Video Training Library? Because you can learn exactly what you need to know from our library more quickly and better than you can learn it on your own.

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