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Turbocharge Adobe Media Encoder

Deliver H.264 video up to 5 times faster without sacrificing quality!

If you're delivering H.264 content for the web, mobile devices, Apple TV, and Blu-ray discs, you know how painful it can be to wait for the long encoding times needed to create high-quality video files using software only. You might even be tempted to sacrifice quality for speed.

With Matrox MAX technology, you no longer need to even consider making that trade off. You quickly and easily create your H.264 files from a variety of video sources including SD, HD, and RED proxy files up to 2K. There is no need for you to learn a new application or utility to take advantage of this game-changing technology.On the PC, Matrox MAX technology is integrated directly into Adobe Media Encoder. On the Mac, Adobe Media Encoder makes use of Matrox MAX technology as a QuickTime codec.

Working with Adobe Media Encoder and Matrox MAX for PC

On a Windows-based systems, Matrox MAX technology is accessible through Adobe Media Encoder or directly from Adobe Premiere Pro timelines where you can export your editing sequence to an H.264 file using the Matrox export function. There are two categories of Matrox MAX presets – Matrox MP4 or Matrox H.264 Blu-ray – or you can create your own customized settings.

Matrox MP4 presets

Matrox MP4 presets are used for H.264 files destined for Apple TV, YouTube, Flash, the web, and mobile devices including iPhone, and iPod.

Matrox Blu-ray presets

Matrox H.264 Blu-ray presets are used to create Blu-ray compliant H.264 files. The Matrox MAX hardware performs proper color space conversions from and SD to HD as well as proper color space conversion from RGB to YUV to prevent gamma shift. Files you created in Adobe Media Encore can be authored in Adobe Encore or Roxio Toast without the need to re-encode. You should use H.264 level 4.0 if you want to create Matrox MAX H.264 files intended for mass replication of Blu-ray discs. You can use either H.264 level 4.0 or 4.1 if you want to author and burn individual copies that are compatible with Blu-ray disc players.

Customizable presets

presets let you create tweak the power of MAX to fit your own unique requirements. You can choose to encode at a constant bit rate (CBR) or a variable bit rate (VBR), then choose other parameters to perfect the encode.

Constant bit rate

CBR ensures that the bit rate remains stable; quality varies depending on the complexity of each frame. This is the desired setting when content is delivered over a pipe with a fixed bandwidth. CBR ensures quality is maximized over such a connection.

Variable bit rate

VBR targets an average bit rate. Matrox MAX squeezes out the highest quality possible for each frame while respecting the average bit rate you choose. It analyzes each video frame and determines which frames require more or less compression data. This is the preferred mode when the lowest overall file size matters, but you do not want to sacrifice quality.

Adjustable parameters

Noise filtering saves bits by reducing high frequencies in the video.

Hardware deinterlacing ensures high-quality encodes of interlaced SD and 1080i source material

Sample rate monitoring verifies compliance with targeted data rate

Data rate slider produces smoother or more abrupt transitions

Frame sizes let you choose even resolutions ranging from 64x64 to 1920 x 1088.

Bit rates from 100 Kb/s to 50 Mb/s are supported.

Frame rates of 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60 are supported.

GOP structure controls are provided.

Profiles let you choose Baseline (CAVLC) and main (CABAC).

Levels are selectable: 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2.

Matrox MAX performance for Adobe Media Encoder on the PC

Working with Adobe Media Encoder and Matrox MAX for Mac

On the Mac, Adobe Media Encoder recognizes the Matrox MAX H.264 encoder as a QuickTime codec. There are two ways to capture QuickTime files – at a constant bit rate so quality varies depending on the complexity of each frame or at a constant quality so that quality is maintained while the bit rate varies. You can generate .mov files using Matrox MAX presets or you can create your own customized settings.