While rumors are abound that the next version of Final Cut Studio may include a hardware option, why wait for Apple’s solution? If the name of your game is encoding for the iPod, Apple TV, iTunes, or your still-to-be iPhone, then Elgato’s Turbo 264 may be the device for you.
The small USB stick is a hardware video encoder which will speed up your video encoding and give you back your precious system resources (something Dan was detailing just the other day). It works exclusively in the H.264 format at 2-4 times the speed (depending on system configuration) in any application which uses Quicktime for export. The device is projected to ship in April for a price of 99 Euros (about US $130).