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Compressor – encoding discrete channels to AAC and STAYING discrete
I am attempting to encode SD Prores 422 with 4 discrete audio channels to H264 PAL (720×576 SD) AAC audio (256kbps) with discrete channels. I can get everything encoded right, HOWEVER:
When processing discrete channels, I must select 8.0 channels (surround) in compressor. This keeps the audio from down converting to stereo successfully and transcodes to AAC. I then have to MANUALLY open the encoded file in Quicktime 7 and command+J (show movie properties), select the sound track, drop down each channel and select the discrete channel mapping.
1. Does anyone have an applescript that could automatically do this?
2. If not, does anyone know of another way to process these files with the same settings but have discrete AAC audio channels?This seems to not be a very common task. We are using these files for SKY play out in the UK. We have a 24 hour channel here that we simply play out Prores files.
I have tried Episode Pro, Compressor, mpeg streamclip, and handbrake. I would like to use Compressor as I have 35 edit systems clustered on an XSAN for distributed processing.
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6 Replies
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For Post Production files? Compressor has a 5.1 setting but I am not send out surround sound. I am sending 4 channels (1&2 are english, 3&4 are spanish) for SAP.
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Hi Michael,
The version of Compressor I have (3.5.3), has a “4.0” option. If you use this, is the channel mapping still wrong? More importantly, does it actually matter? As long as the channels are still discrete, does it make a difference if they are labelled “C/L/R/S” or “mono 1/2/3/4” or whatever? I guess it would be a function of how the playback software interprets the flags.
hth,
Matt Lyon
Editor
Toronto -
Unfortunately, any program that uses quicktime audio out settings maps the channel outputs based on the quicktime channel settings. 4.0 still makes it 4.0 surround. The channels MUST say discrete or else it will not play out all 4 channels of audio or it will mix them down together (BAD). Still at a standstill here…
Maybe an applescript will do the trick? anyone familiar with how to set the channels to discrete using applescript?
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Hmmm, a quick google search seems to suggest this isn’t possible with applescript:
https://lists.apple.com/archives/quicktime-users/2009/Apr/msg00044.html
Have you tried mucking about with Automator? Maybe you can record an action that can be applied as a droplet or something? But you might have better luck finding help on some of the developer forums…
Matt Lyon
Editor
Toronto -
Yeah. I did get screen mouse recorder to do this. However, it takes FOREVER as it is realtime. Automator doesn’t seem to like doing these settings in quicktime as it errors out midway through after using the record function. This was my first thought also. But it is too time consuming.
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Michael,
I thought I was the only one…
You may be interested in my post here:
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/278/3328
The way compressor and quicktime in general does not channel map is a huge let down. Experiment with setting the channels in quicktime properties before you encode.
Episode is the only app to really do this properly but it is far too expensive for the heavy lifting that we need. Apple have stopped making pro apps and I don’t think compressor was ever really ‘finished’.
Did you ever find a way to automate?
Scott Goddard
Neo Verite Limited
http://www.neoverite.com
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