Apple’s T2 chip in the Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac Pro can greatly speed video encoding, but by how much? Now that Apple has two machines with the same CPU, one with the T2, and one without, there’s a good way to tell.
There has already been a lot of discussion that the T2 and Intel’s QuickSync routines speed encoding. Support for hardware encoding for the pair of features is in Apple’s VideoToolbox routines.
But, with the release of the 2019 iMac 4K that uses the same processor as the low-end 2018 Mac mini, there’s finally an opportunity to test the processors both with and without the T2, using the exact same software encoder settings.
For this test, we’re going to use Handbrake, an AppleInsider 4K video master, Apple and Intel encoding software, and a pile of hardware. Let’s break down the pieces that are involved in this testing.
What is Handbrake?
An open-source transcoding tool, Handbrake can be used to convert video from one format into another. For example, it could be used to change a H.265-based MP4 file into an MPEG-4 or and MPEG-2. Or for audio, it can convert from an AAC file to an MP3. Handbrake allows high quality media like a HD Blu-ray movie to be turned into something more compatible or space-saving for another device, like mobile devices.
Read more at AppleInsider.com