Compressor (software)
{{Short description|Media compression and encoding app}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox Software
| name = Compressor
| screenshot = Apple Compresson v4.5.png
| screenshot size = 250px
| logo = 2015 Compressor Logo.png
| caption = Compressor v4.5 on macOS 10.15.7 screenshot and logo
| developer = Apple Inc.
| latest_release_version = 4.10
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2025|03|27}}{{Cite web|url=https://apps.apple.com/app/id424390742|title = Compressor| date=March 30, 2025 }}
| operating_system = macOS 14.6 or later
| genre = Data compression
| license = Proprietary
| website = [https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/compressor/ apple.com/finalcutpro/compressor]
}}
Compressor is a video and audio media compression and encoding application for macOS made by Apple.
History
The application used to be available as part of Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro, and after Apple combined its professional media products into Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio bundles, Compressor became part of these bundles.
Once the bundle model was abandoned by Apple in 2011,{{Cite news |date=2011-06-22 |title=With Final Cut Pro X debut, Apple discontinues Final Cut Express, Studio, and Server |work=MacDailyNews |url=https://macdailynews.com/2011/06/22/with-final-cut-pro-x-debut-apple-discontinues-final-cut-express-studio-and-server/ |access-date=2022-10-29}}{{Cite news |date=2011-09-12 |title=Logic Pro comes to Mac App Store, Logic Express dropped in the shuffle |work=Ars Technica |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/12/logic-pro-coming-to-mac-app-store-logic-express-dropped-in-the-shuffle/ |access-date=2022-10-29}} a new major version of Compressor (Compressor 4) was released as a separate product on the Mac App Store for $49.99.{{cite web|title=How to purchase Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, Compressor|url=http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4733|publisher=Apple, Inc.|access-date=January 29, 2012}}
Features
Compressor is used for encoding video and audio media in multiple formats, including HEVC (H.265), MPEG-1, MPEG-2 for DVD, QuickTime .mov, MPEG-4 (Simple Profile), MPEG-4 H.264 and optional (third Party and often commercial) QuickTime Exporter Components to export to Windows Media. Among its other features are the ability to convert from NTSC to PAL and vice versa, and the ability to upscale from standard-definition video to high-definition video with feature detail detection to prevent serious quality losses. Filters and effects, such as de-noising or timestamp generation, can be applied to video during the conversion process, and the video can be cropped.
Compressor could be used with the discontinued Qmaster for clustering, or configured as a server to work on the jobs submitted by other computers on the network.
With its update to 4.2 in April 2015, Apple added performance upgrades, as well as the ability to use Compressor to produce a compliant package to submit video content for distribution to the iTunes Store.{{cite web|title=Apple update Final Cut Pro X to 10.2, Motion to 5.2 and Compressor to 4.2
|url=http://www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/news/1642-apple-update-final-cut-pro-x-to-10-2-motion-to-5-2-and-compressor-to-4-2|publisher=fcp.co|access-date=April 17, 2015}}
Compressor supports creating files for Blu-ray discs.{{cite web | url=https://support.apple.com/guide/compressor/h264-for-blu-ray-cpsr3f00eefa/mac | title=H.264 for Blu-ray preset in Compressor }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links and references
- [https://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/compressor/ Apple Compressor 4]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060325001942/http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Compressor_2_User_Manual.pdf Apple Compressor 2 User Manual] (PDF)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060907060816/http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Compressor_New_Features.pdf New Features in Compressor 2] (PDF)
{{Final Cut Studio}}
{{Logic Studio}}
{{Apple software}}
{{mac-software-stub}}