some really fantastic suggestions in this thread. so far ive done the compressor instance increase. downloaded steamclip and am currently putting it to use. i am noticing some improvemennt in my compression times and through steamclips export settings i am hoping to eliminate render times in final cut. switching to pc is not an option for me as i am working on the equipment provided by my job, and we use exclusively macs here.. the group computer renderfarm element seems real interesting but i think i will have to become better versed on that before i put it into practice. really appreciate everyones input on this