G'day,

When I was at Uni (2005-07), we were taught to use Compressor when preparing to burn to DVD. (Well, I say taught... don't think there was much actual instruction involved)

DVD Studio however does not require files to have been through Compressor - you can just export from Final Cut, then use that file in DVD Studio...

Can someone please explain why Compressor is better than.. not.

Thanks


Travis

DVD Studio Pro will let you put a file into it that is not compressed for DVD. So Exporting a timeline from FCP produces a file you can bring into DVDSP. But if you actually want to burn a DVD, you must run them through Compressor or some other utility that creates the proper MPEG2 compliant video and audio files. DVDSP does not have a compressor built into it like iDVD.

Compressor is better if....

- You have a multi-processor MacPro and set up a cluster.
- You need to make more than just a DVD of the project (web files, etc.) at the same time.
- You want to change the default DVD compression settings that Apple uses. Multi-pass, different compression settings, filters, etc.

DVDSP used the same compression engine as Compressor but your options are limited and it's not as easy to change the settings from the automatic defaults of the program.

In the end it may not be much of a difference which you use. Depends on the project and your final needs.

My recent experience is Compressor makes a much cleaner DVD video file from HD than DVD Studio Pro making a downconvert of the same file. Other people have told me the same thing. Definitely visible difference. I am not a fan of Compressor but have been impressed by its results.

Thanks for the answers!

I hate doing something "just because" I was told to... Much rather know why. Admittedly at uni, you've got x period of time to produce your short films, with x amount of time in the edit suites, so you do what you can. Luckily as I always showed an interest, I tended to be able to grab the tutors/techs and get more information, but Compressor wasn't something I learned about.

The reason for my asking, was my recent experience creating a DVD in DVDSP, using both HD and SD footage. (All of my shorts, not HD and SD in the same project)

Looks like I'll have to give it a go, as part of my issue was with the down conversion of HD to SD... (even though I overcame the strobing issue with a blur filter, I figure it's worth trying to get the best result I can!)

Cheers

Travis