• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  What compression setting for DV input?

  Posted by Ryan Hinkle on October 25, 2005 at 3:19 pm

  I know this is a nu-b question, but I just want to get this right. I’m shooting my footage with a Canon GL2 in “Frame Mode”. What Compressor should I use to import into FCP5? I’ve always just used DV/NTSC, but what’s this I hear about H.264? Should I be importing from the camera using it? What aspect ratio should I use? 3:4? 4:3? CCIR 601 NTSC 40:27? I’m trying to get my import/project/sequence/export settings to match up as much as possible, but it’s hard to keep track of it all. Plus, I just don’t know what’s the best settings to use.

  My final output is dual, both a DVD version and a small web version of the video. I’m also importing a lot of animation codec material from Motion 2.

  Also, I’m having issues with Timecode. With the “Frame Mode” I figured the GL2 is still using Drop-Frame timecode, but when I import it says “Locating Timecode Break”. It searches for a few minutes, then a few seconds later it happens again, and again, and again. Should I use Non-Drop Frame Timecode?

  Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

  Ryan Hinkle replied 20 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Jeff Carpenter

  October 25, 2005 at 4:21 pm

  I think you just want to use the Easy Setup and pick DV NTSC.

  Now, I’m not exactly sure what the GL2 “Frame Mode” is. Is that like a stop-motion thing where it records just a few frames at a time? That doesn’t change my answer, but you should look through the FCP prefrences and make sure that ‘make new clip on timecode break’ (or something similar to that) is not selected as it might cause trouble.
• 

  Ryan Hinkle

  October 25, 2005 at 4:52 pm

  Thanks Jeff, after some trial and error I found that the timecode break only happened when trying to use H.264 as the video compressor for importing “Log and Capture” from the GL2. Still don’t know why, but DV/DVCPRO NTSC works fine. I also noticed that my pixel aspect ratio look a heck of a lot better when placed to NTSC 3:2 instead of the CCIR 601 NTSC (40:27).

  The Canon GL2 in “Frame Mode” is essentially 30 fps Progressive. In my sequence settings I did:
  Pixel Aspect Ratio – NTSC-CCIR 601/DV (720×480)
  Field Dominance – None
  Editing Timebase – 30
  Timecode Rate – 30 Non-Drop Frame

  Everything seems to be working great now. For my Motion 2 projects, I think I should export them with the “Animation” codec? FCP5 will render them in the Timeline with DV/DVCPRO NTSC (makes the animation look horrible) but when exporting the final project with H.264, it all looks great. (At least, I hope so) H.264 can import into DVD Studio Pro right? I’ll need the final video to burn on DVD. Then also to make a 320×240 web version. It’s a pain because I must resize the animations to account for TV Safe zones on the DVD version.

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