What is Encora Atelier?

 Encora Atelier is a Mac video encoder built for craftspeople — colorists, filmmakers, editors, content creators.
 It's the only encoder that predicts output quality before you commit to a full encode, and shows you exactly
  where quality was lost after.

 Key features

 - Predicted PSNR before encoding — a one-second probe at your chosen preset tells you the expected quality
 score, in decibels, against the source. Switch presets and watch the prediction update in real time.
 - Per-frame quality heatmap — every completed encode includes frame-by-frame PSNR analysis with a colored
 timeline strip. Spot exactly which scene fell apart.
 - Side-by-side wipe compare — drag a vertical wipe to see source and encoded in the same viewport. "Jump to
 worst" seeks the playhead to the lowest-quality frame.
 - Eight codecs — H.264, HEVC, AV1 (SVT-AV1), VP9 (libvpx), ProRes 422, ProRes 4444, DNxHR HQ.
 - Target file size mode — pick iMessage < 100 MB, Telegram < 50 MB, Email < 20 MB, X < 500 MB and Encora
 computes the right bitrate from your source's duration.
 - Watch folder — drop a video into ~/Documents/encora-inbox and Encora queues, encodes, and delivers it
 automatically.
 - Compressor-class Inspector — override profile, entropy mode, bitrate or quality, keyframe interval,
 multi-pass, frame reordering, color space, audio bitrate.
 - Eleven built-in look filters — Black & White, Noir, Tonal, Sepia, Fade, Chrome, Instant, Film Transfer,
 Cross-Process, Vibrant.

 Getting started

 1. Drop a video onto the queue in the sidebar — or press ⌘O to browse.
 2. Pick a preset from the toolbar menu, or change codec per-job in the Inspector.
 3. Hit Encode. Watch the predicted quality update, then start the run.
 4. Inspect quality when the encode completes — the timeline heatmap shows you frame-by-frame quality.
 5. Compare — click "Compare" to wipe between source and encoded.
 6. Share — the Share menu offers AirDrop, Mail, Messages, WhatsApp Web, Telegram, Gmail, and any installed
 share extension.

 Frequently asked questions

 Does Encora upload my videos anywhere?
 No. Encora runs entirely on your Mac. There is no account, no telemetry, no phone-home. Your video never
 leaves your machine.

 Why is AV1 encoding slow?
 AV1 is software-encoded via SVT-AV1 because Apple Silicon does not yet ship with AV1 hardware encoding.
 Expect 10–20× slower than HEVC at similar quality. The trade-off is roughly 30% smaller files.

 What does PSNR mean?
 Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio measures pixel-level fidelity between your encoded output and the source. Higher
 is better. Above 45 dB is transparent (indistinguishable). 40–45 is excellent. 35–40 is acceptable. Below
 35, compression is visible.

 Can I save my own presets?
 The current version ships with eight quality presets and four target-size presets. Custom user-saved presets
  are planned for a future release.

 Does Encora support HDR?
 Color space selection (Rec. 709, Rec. 2020, Display P3) is exposed in the Inspector. Full HDR delivery
 (Dolby Vision, HDR10 metadata) is planned for a future release.

 My output file looks stretched — aspect ratio is wrong
 Encora preserves source orientation and aspect ratio automatically, including phone-recorded vertical clips.
  If you encounter aspect issues, please report them with the source file metadata.

 Can I cancel an encode in progress?
 Yes. Hit the Stop button in the toolbar. The partial output file is removed.

 Where does Encora save my output?
 By default to ~/Documents/encora/. Click the folder button in the toolbar to choose a different location.

 System requirements

 - macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
 - Apple Silicon (M1 or later) — Encora is built native arm64
 - 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended for 4K workflows
 - ~100 MB disk space for the app, plus temporary encode space

 Privacy

 Encora Atelier has no analytics, no telemetry, and no account system. No data leaves your Mac. The only network
 access is the macOS sharing extensions you explicitly trigger (AirDrop, Mail, Messages, etc.).

 Open source components

 Encora Atelier bundles:

 - SVT-AV1 (BSD-3-Clause) for AV1 encoding
 - libvpx-vp9 (BSD-3-Clause) for VP9 encoding
 - DNxHD encoder (BSD-3-Clause via FFmpeg)
 - FFmpeg (LGPL 2.1+) as a process-isolated helper

 Full license texts are available in the app's About panel under Acknowledgements.

 Contact support

 Email: [email protected]
 Response time: within 48 hours on weekdays

 When reporting an issue, please include:

 - Your macOS version (run sw_vers in Terminal)
 - Encora version (shown in the About window)
 - A short description of the issue
 - If a specific file is affected: source duration, resolution, and codec (visible in Encora's job detail
 view)

 License

 Encora © 2026 Docs Printing. All rights reserved. Distributed via the Mac App Store under the Apple Standard EULA.
  One-time purchase — no subscriptions, no in-app purchases.