Choppy footage in viewer and canvas on FCP

[Bill]

make sure the windows are “fit to window” sometiems when jumping between windows you can change the scale thinking you are scaling your timeline. at least that is my experience. I am sure others will chime in with other options.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

You cannot make QUALITY EVALUATIONS based on the Canvas window on the computer screen.
If you do, you can end up making the wrong creative/corrective decisions.

You need to view the FCP output on an external video monitor (NTSC or PAL, depending on where you are) to check motion and/or quality of a FCP image or graphic DURING the edit.

The better the quality of the monitor, the better you can judge the levels, color and resolution of the edit… but in a pinch ANY outboard monitor will show you how the actual motion will appear and relative sharpness of the image you’re working with.

Again this is a must for making these evaluations on any project that will be output to tape or DVD.

Monitoring FCP on an external video monitor is as easy as:
Mac > Camcorder > Monitor.

Here’s how to connect it, step-by-step:

1. “Quit” the Final Cut Pro program.

2. Connect your camcorder to the Mac via FireWire.

3. Hook any standard monitor or TV (with a video input) to the outputs on your DV camcorder.
You can use the standard (usually colored yellow) video cable or the “S-video” output from the camcorder if the monitor has one of those kind of inputs.

You should ALSO hook up the AUDIO outputs from the camcorder to the same monitor, or any “amplified speakers” so you can monitor the FCP audio along with the video.

4. Turn ON the camcorder. Switch it to the VCR (player) mode, but don’t put a tape in it (unless you intend to record from FCP to a DV tape.)

5. Turn ON the Video Monitor and set to view the “Video Input”.

6. Open Final Cut Pro on the Mac.

7. In FCP, make sure under the pulldown menu: View > External > ALL FRAMES is set.

You should now see the output of FCP on the camcorder’s viewfinder screen AND the external monitor.

You will also hear FCP’s audio from the speakers that you connected to the camcorder.

[Jasonjoseph]

Hi Thax

Not be rude, but i just can’t afford a tv at the moment and don’t have a camcorder handy.

thanks
jason

[Bill]

understandable….but is your problem in the windows during editing? if so try scaling them to “fit to window”