Apple FCP and Compressor vs. Adobe CC, Timeline-to-Transcode Workflows, Part 1: Methodology

NLE Timeline Tests

All the NLE timeline tests use a workflow scenario that assumes you’re outputting the timeline.

The first two tests involve nothing more than taking a raw piece of footage and adding the burn-through timecode to that file, then exporting out to the respective companion transcoding tools. In FCP X’s case, this is Compressor (version 4.1.1), and in PP CC’s case, this is Adobe Media Encoder CC (version 7.2.0.43 64-bit) from NLE into transcoder.

The third test is a set of clips back to back on the timeline, with cuts only, with burn-through timecode overlaid across all the clips in the sequence. This test gives us the longitudinal transcoding workflow that previous tests have been lacking, since they transcoded finished files of 1-5 minutes in length.

Test 1: Timeline Output, Single Transcode

A single clip timeline is delivered from the NLE’s timeline direct to the companion transcoding tool.

In FCP X, we turned off background rendering and chose “Export via Compressor” rather than “Export via Compressor settings” as the latter uses FCP’s engine rather than handing off to Compressor.

The output uses a single parameter or profile, meaning only one output file. This is the simplest of tests, but establishes the new baseline.

Test 2: Timeline Output, Three Transcodes

A single-clip timeline is delivered from the NLE’s timeline direct to the companion transcoding tool. The output uses three separate parameters or profiles, meaning three output files, as a way to see whether any additional performance gains are yielded by the internal queuing mechanisms.

As with the first test, we choose “Export via Compressor” with background rendering turned off, to be sure that Compressor is giving us the baseline.

Test 3: Timeline Output, Long-Form Content, Single Transcode

A multiple-clip timeline, with direct cuts between content files in the sequence, is delivered from the NLE’s timeline direct to the companion transcoding tool. This will provide a longer file length output of ~10 minutes or so, and the single transcode will be extrapolated proportionally to yield the three-transcode results.

As with the first test, we choose “Export via Compressor” with background rendering turned off, to be sure that Compressor is giving us the baseline.