any way to encode video faster ?

[blurij]

Hi
I have a Macbook Pro 2.5Ghz 4gb memory OSX 10.6.6

I encode a lot of EyeTVHD video clips.
It is a slow laborious process. I mean it takes 6 to 12 hours for some jobs.
EyeTV tells me that even its own hardware driven Turbo264 would not enhance encode times with my setup.

My question is what is out there currently that speeds up encoding and burning dvd disks?

Will the new multi core processors speed things up?
Is the only way to buy a new $4000 Mac machine?
Is it better to have more GHz or more cores ?
From what I've read the software has to be able to incorporate these new processors.

And one more question - why does iMovie not import Quicktime h.264 video format but will import h.264 files ?

Thank you very much for any help and advice.

 

[weerez1214]

More cores helps if the program is multithreaded. Ghz will help out a lot too.

Really, with video encoding, it comes down to the raw power of your CPU. The only way to speed it up is going to be a better CPU, memory won't do much if anything to help.

Depending on your computer's GPU, you can looking for encoders that can harness the GPU's power, but if you have a weak GPU you're better off sticking with the CPU anyway.

Bottom line, I do a lot of video encoding, which is why I got a 3.2 Ghz 6-core processor. I can rip and re-encode Blurays in faster than realtime.

 

[blurij]

any way to encode faster

Thanks for your help Weeriz.

What program do you use to rip Blu-Ray disks ?
Have you tried EyeTVHD with your 6core Mac?

I'd like to know what Blu-Ray burner you use too.

If I were to get a Mac CPU/GPU like you have - what
would it be exactly ?

I would imagine working with iMovie must be a breeze with
your system. Do you know why iMovie does not accept Quicktime h.264 video format ?

 

[jdechko]

You'd essentially be looking at a Mac Pro to get that kind of performance from a Mac.

The CPU is still the best encoder when it comes to speed/quality. GPU encoders and the Turbo.264 HD might be quicker, but they don't produce quality results compared to CPU encodes with Handbrake.

Speaking of which, Handbrake is a great program for encoding videos from DVD/Blu-Ray Rips. Check out this thread for a lot more information.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/805573/