Unusually long render/transcode times for HD - Suggestions?

[JTMusicVA]

I've worked in multimedia for decades, mainly in PC Windows-land, and just now graduated to an older iMac (2006 6.1 24", 2.33GHz Duo, 4GB RAM, upgraded video interface, 1TB & 320GB Hard drives) that I got at a steal price.
I know this machine is weaker than the newer Mac machines, and I'm not expecting miracles, either. But am definitely happier with the virtually crash-less iMac over my crash-prone PC (which was a kick-ass machine...)
Getting to the point - I'm running OS X 10.7.5 (which is as far as this iMac will go) and have the following video software:
Adobe CS6 (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Encore, After Effects, Media Encoder, etc...)
Red Giant Suite CS6 plug-ins
Final Cut Pro X
Toast 11 Titanium
Handbrake (latest)
Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate
DVDFab
I also have a Pioneer external blu-ray burner hooked up to the iMac via USB 2.0

I am making some blu-rays, and I DO know that HD render times are rather lengthy.... having said that, what can I do or what should I use for optimum conversion/rendering/transcoding times? I'm currently encoding a 3-hour concert to Blu-Ray disc using Toast 11 Titanium (source was a HD .mkv file) that I started Monday night at 8pm and it is only at 67% complete at this minute! (Thursday, 10:30am) Now, that's just too damn long, imho!
I recently transcoded another 90-minute HD file using Adobe Encore CS6, and it only took a few hours (a more "satisfactory" time-length for this.)
Am I to conclude that Encore/Adobe is simply faster & better at this than Toast 11? Or is there a better, more efficient way to go about getting mkv files onto blu-ray discs?
Suggestions??? (Sorry, getting a newer Mac isn't an affordable option...)
Thanks in advance for ANY help......

 

[JTMusicVA]

Part 2

Well, Toast 11 Titanium FINALLY finished the 3 hour concert HD encoding. It took 5 DAYS, my friends!!!
Then, when it went to burn the blu-ray disc, it burned only at 1x speed, even though I had initially set it to burn at 6x speed....
I've not been able to view the burned disc yet, to check its quality results, but, I am beginning to believe Toast 11 Titanium, though flexible and all, is NOT a good choice for this kind of operation. Anybody concur, or disagree?
My next project, I'm going to give Final Cut Pro X a run for the money. See if the encoding times are more reasonable. But so far, Adobe CS6 video products are taking the cake (unless anybody has other suggestions, I'm all ears...)

 

[Johnsyounger]

I believe there is an export you can do out of qt or compressor which will save you mega encode time. Been awhile since I've done it, but research on the net.