Archive notice: This article was originally published on May 25, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
It converts videos as a navigation aid for iPod, iPhone and Apple TV, and offers 5.1 surround sound to users of Apple’s set-top box. Thanks to an included QuickTime Compressor Component, the encoder also supports QuickTime Broadcaster.
Automatically posting videos to YouTube: with Turbo.264 v1.3, videos can be posted to YouTube very easily, in good quality and with short upload times. Using a preset, the user simply selects YouTube as the conversion destination for a video in the Turbo.264 application. The application and encoder convert the film accordingly, and Turbo.264 requests the user’s YouTube account login details in a dialogue window for upload.
Support for DVD chapter markers: chapter markers in DVDs make it easier to navigate between scenes in a film. Turbo.264 v1.3 now retains chapter markers when encoding DVDs, enabling convenient navigation in video on iPod, iPhone and Apple TV as well.
Support for surround sound with Apple TV: DVDs and TV recordings frequently contain Dolby Digital AC-3 surround-sound tracks. Where present, Turbo.264 now retains them when converting for Apple TV. If Apple’s set-top box is connected to a surround-sound system, the listening experience can now also be enjoyed through Apple TV.
Support for QuickTime Broadcaster: Turbo.264 v1.3 can be used in QuickTime Broadcaster to compress live streams in H.264. Compared with software compression, this significantly reduces CPU usage while always delivering optimal quality at a consistently full frame rate.
The free update also provides numerous improvements and bug fixes: compatibility with iMovie projects, Freebox recordings and WMV files has been improved, while stability and reliability have been increased overall.
