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Exporting AVCHD files from Final Cut Pro to DVD
Hi,
I have filmed and edited a short movie in AVCHD using Final Cut Pro. I’m more of the artist guy and not very good with these things. Earlier when I have filmed and edited movies using another camera (not AVCHD) and Final Cut Pro I have been able to just go:
File – Share – DVD/Master File and then export it.
Now I can’t choose these options. Having read different threads I see that I might need another software (some compressor) but the only information I found about this, and the program I found on App Store, was for Final Cut Pro X. Does it work for Final Cut Pro as well? If I buy it will it work, and what is the exact name of the program?
I want to maintain the good quality from the film and more so for a bigger project I’m going to film now in July, for which I was planning to film as well in AVCHD but if I don’t even manage to export the files I don’t know what to do. So how is this done?
Thankful for advice
/Kalle -
7 Replies
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Are you running FCP 7? if so, you should also have COMPRESSOR and DVD STUDIO PRO. In which case, do this:
#42 – Quick and dirty way to author a DVD
Shane’s Stock Answer #42 – David Roth Weiss’ Secret Quick and Dirty Way to Author a DVD:
The absolute simplest way to make a DVD using FCP and DVDSP is as follows:
1. Export a QT movie, either a reference file or self contained using current settings.
2. Open DVDSP, select the “graphical” tab and you will see two little monitors, one blue, one green.
3. Select the left blue one and hit delete.
4. Now, select the green one, right click on it and select the top option “first play”.
5. Now drag your QT from the browser and drop it on top of the green monitor.
6. Now, for a DVD from an HD source, look to the right side and select the “general tab” in the track editor, and see the Display Mode, and select “16:9 pan-scan.”
7. Hit the little black and yellow burn icon at the top of the page and put a a DVD in when prompted. DVDSP will encode and burn your new DVD.
THATS ALL!!!
NOW…if you want a GOOD LOOKING DVD, instead of taking your REF movie into DVD SP, instead take it into Compressor and choose the BEST QUALITY ENCODE (2 pass VBR) that matches your show timing. Then take THAT result into DVD SP and follow the rest of the steps. Except you can choose “16:9 LETTERBOX” instead of PAN & SCAN if you want to see the entire image.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi and thanks for you great instructions. I’m sorry but I have made a blunder – I do in fact have a version of Final Cut Pro X (version 10.0.6) I just assumed it wasn’t “Final Cut Pro X” since the interface on the tutorials I saw was different but now I realize I probably just have an older version.
As I said I’m not good at this things. But I am pretty sure I don’t have any Compressor nor (DVD studio pro) so do you suggest I buy these? I guess I need to (at least the Compressor) in order to export the short movie. At the moment I can’t export nor “share” the movie at all.
Is it a bad idea to film my full movie with AVCHD or can I with these complementary software be able to edit and create a nice DVD in spite of not being a pro on this?
Thanks a lot
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So are you using FCP 7 for this? Or FCP-X? Because the workflow for doing this is different depending on what you are using. FCP 7 shipped with Compressor and DVD Studio pro…included. FCX doesn’t. For that you can only make a DVD by using the SHARE option, as DVD Studio Pro was discontinued, and Apple doesn’t think people author DVDs anymore.
[Karl Sterner] “s it a bad idea to film my full movie with AVCHD or can I with these complementary software be able to edit and create a nice DVD in spite of not being a pro on this?”
No, that’s a fine format. HD even. But DVDs are SD…you might want to think about making BluRays…those are HD. Or digital files. But either way, FCX and FCP 7 will edit this format fine (need to convert the footage to ProRes for editing). And you can still make a DVD…
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks for the analogy =)
So you think it is a bad idea for me to shoot a full movie using AVCHD planning to edit it with Final Cut Pro X?
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Thanks, and I am using FCP-X for all this but as I have edited this short movie I can’t use the “share” option to create any kind of movie.
If I convert the footage to ProRes does it loose a lot of quality? And how do I do this. I tried to transcode one clip and it seem to have worked. Should I just transcode them all?
And when I have already edited a movie without converting the files before is there any way I can convert it all afterwards saving the work I have done, or if I buy the compressor can I use that to export the movie into either blue ray or DVD? What I want to do now with this short movie is first just to save it on my computer but I can’t.The reason why I’m concerned of being able to make the full movie I’m to make into DVD is that many film festivals require this format for the copy I am to send them. They also require it to be DCP which I haven’t exactly understood what it is. Sorry for being so lousy with this.
Thanks for the help man it’s really useful
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No…shooting AVCHD is totally FINE…great option.
BUT…you are asking questions about FCX in the FCP 7 forum. You’ll get much better help in the FCP-X forum…
https://forums.creativecow.net/fcpxtechnique
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Thanks man.
then I’ll switch forum.
Have a great day
All the best
/Kalle
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