Time remaining on Compressor encodes
By S Simmons. Filed in Final Cut Studio, Quick-tips |
Do you ever wonder how long a Compressor encode might take? I finally figured this out the other day…
If you open the Batch Monitor and click the info button on the currently running encode:
You get an information window. Right there in the window is a Time Remaining entry!
This was probably located in the manual somewhere but who has time to read those things?
Wednesday, July 23rd 2008 at 8:40 pm
Actually, if you click on the time elapsed, it will cycle through some other info, including time remaining. didn’t notice it was under the info window though!
Wednesday, July 23rd 2008 at 10:56 pm
The times are still inaccurate though – it’s helpful to remember that final cut estimates the remaining time on a compression based on the current frame that is being compressed. So for instance, if you have a labor intensive portion (lots of motion, cg, compositing) at the beginning of a sequence, and straight video (like interviews) later, compressor will over estimate the time because it assumed all frames are as labor intensive as the one it is currently compressing. Likewise if the sequence is simple at the start and grows in complexity, it will underestimate the compression time.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 7:07 am
Marcus is right, also note that it processes audio and video at the same weight. So if it’s working on a video frame which takes longer, it views the whole batch as video. The best bet I’ve found it to learn about how long it takes per a type of project and then head out for a few hours.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 11:52 am
Another thing to do is setup an Applescript to send you a text message or an email when the encode is done. Perhaps even auto-email or upload the file to FTP when its done. Then you can just set off the encode and go home or out for dinner!
My friend Andreas Kiel wrote an Applescript which uses Skype to send a text message when a FCP render was done. I can’t find it anymore, but we also adapted it for Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer:
http://community.avid.com/forums/t/45992.aspx
You could simplify this script a little since Compressor has a Run Applescript option which can be setup in an encode preset, so you don’t need the ‘watch’ part of the script.
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 12:00 pm
Great comments .. thanks for noting as to how Compressor comes up with these times. I think it goes without saying that any time an application tries to give an estimate for time remaining they have to be taken with a ‘grain of salt’ but it was nice to find this little option when I had a client pestering me about how long it would take!
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 12:02 pm
Mark… GREAT link! So do you know where to find a script for just the simple ‘send email when done’ option in Compressor?
Thursday, July 24th 2008 at 1:30 pm
Also, if you’re doing a 2-pass H.264 encode, the 2nd half takes almost no time at all, but Compressor will assume it takes the same amount of time. I find 2-pass encode estimates are almost double the actual time.
And, from the manual:
To add an email notification to your setting:
1 Open the Settings tab.
2 Select the setting in the Settings tab that you want to modify. (Or select a setting
already applied to a source media file in the Batch window.)
3 Click the Actions tab in the Inspector.
4 Select the “Email Notification to†checkbox and enter the relevant email address in the
accompanying field.
Note: To enable this email feature, you must first enter an email address and outgoing
mail server in Compressor Preferences. (Choose Compressor > Preferences.)
Friday, July 25th 2008 at 3:25 am
Actually Compressor has a built in method for sending an email. Just enter your email and your Outgoing mail server address in the Compressor Preferences and then tick the box on the Actions tab of a preset!
Friday, July 25th 2008 at 3:27 am
Oops, just saw Kyle’s comments already covered the email feature. Ignore last comment from me!!
Saturday, July 26th 2008 at 8:20 pm
and FWIW you can set Compressor’s Batch Monitor to show the Time Remaining instead Time Elapsed by simply choosing it from the View menu
Thursday, July 31st 2008 at 12:10 am
It is useful in a way though. If it says 20 mins, you know that it will take any amount of time EXCEPT 20 mins so at least that narrows it down