QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings Dialog Box (Windows)

The Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box allows you to configure the video compression settings when exporting a QuickTime Movie (.mov) file.

NOTES

For tasks related to this dialog box, see Exporting a Movie File, Exporting Movie Files from the Node View and Exporting OpenGL Frames.
This dialog can only be accessed on Windows and requires Apple QuickTime to be installed.

How to access the QuickTime Standard Video Compression Settings dialog box from the Write node Layer Properties

In the Node view, locate your scene's Write node.

Open the Write node's Layer Properties by doing one of the following:
- Click on the yellow square at the left end of the Write node.
- Right-click on the Write node, then select Layer Properties.
The Write node's Layer Properties dialog appears.

In the Write node's Layer Properties, enable the Movie option.

To the right of the Movie check box, open the drop-down menu and select QuickTime Movie (*.mov).

To the right of Movie Options, click Customize.

The QuickTime Movie Settings dialog box appears.
In the Video section, click Settings.

Parameter	Description
Compression Type	Allows you to select the codec to use to compress the video stream of your movie. It is recommended to use one of the following codecs, depending on your usage scenario: H.264: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported by web browsers and most media players. MPEG-4 Video: A very effective lossy compression algorithm that is commonly supported by media players, but less so by web browsers. Animation: A high quality compression algorithm that is commonly used for media interchange and video editing. QuickTime ProRes Movie: A codec developed by Apple designed for high-quality editing in Final Cut Pro. In Harmony, The Apple ProRes 4444 and 422 codecs are available on Windows, Linux and macOS as export formats. NOTES On macOS, the Apple ProRes options from previous versions are still available for compatibility with scenes created in those versions. These export formats are labelled with “Legacy” in parentheses. ProRes 4444 XQ is not supported prior to macOS Catalina (10.15) TIPS You can export a video with transparency by selecting the Animation codec and setting the Depth setting to Millions of Colors+. You can export a video with virtually lossless compression by selecting the Animation codec and setting Quality setting to Best.
Motion
Frame Rate	The amount of frames per second for the video stream. Leave this setting to Current to use your project's frame rate.
Key Frames	Some codecs compress the video by recording a limited amount of keyframes, which are frames in which the entire picture is encoded, pixel by pixel and, in-between, recording deltas, which are frames that are only defined by their difference with the previous frame. This significantly reduces the size of the movie file. However, the less keyframes a movie has, the more it is likely to encounter decoding errors, and the harder it is for players to scrub or jump to a specific time in the video. This option allows you to decide when keyframes are inserted in the video stream. Automatic: Lets the encoder decide when keyframes should be inserted. Every ... frames: Allows you to set the exact interval, in frames, at which keyframes should be inserted. All: Encodes every frame as a keyframe. This option will significantly impact file size, but will make it easier to scrub through the video without causing any rendering error. NOTE If you are using the H.264 codec, you must set the Key Frames option to All, or you will get an error message when you confirm the compression settings.
Frame Reordering	Encodes frames in a different order than the one at which they are meant to be displayed. This allows for more efficient compression, but may not be compatible with some players.
Compressor
Depth	Allows you to set the colour depth for your video. A lower colour depth will reduce the size of the video stream but will have significant impacts on picture quality. TIP Set this to Millions of Colors+ if you want to export a video with transparency.
Quality	Lets you choose a quality setting for the video compression. A higher quality setting will increase the size of the movie file, but will look better. A lower quality setting will reduce the size of the movie file, but will cause blurriness and compression artifacts to appear in the picture.
Scan Mode / Interlaced	Allows you to choose between the following scan modes: Interlaced: Frames are encoded starting with their odd-numbered scanlines, then their even-numbered scanlines. Progressive: Frames are encoded whole, from the highest scanline to the lowest scanline. NOTE Some codecs will display a drop-down allowing you to select Interlaced or Progressive, while others will simply have an Interlaced checkbox.
Aspect Ratio	Allows you to select one of the following aspect ratios: 4:3: For output on standard definition displays. 16:9: For output to widescreen displays.
Filter	When exporting with the PNG compression type, this determines the algorithm with which each pixel is encoded relative to other pixels. Leaving this option to Best will export in the most space-efficient filter, without compromising picture quality. Picking a filter may increase rendering speed a bit, at the expense of some disk space.
Data Rate
Automatic	Lets the encoder use the optimal bit rate for your compression settings.
Restrict To	Allows you to specify the encoding bit rate. NOTE This setting will override other compression settings, so that the specified bit rate is respected.
Optimized For	Optimize the encoding to be responsive depending on the intended viewing method: CD/DVD-ROM: Optimizes the bit rate for a video that will be played using an optical disc player. Download: Optimizes the bit rate for a file that is going to be downloaded, then viewed from the user's hard drive. Streaming: Optimized the bit rate for a video that will be streamed from the web and played as the video is being downloaded.