Final Cut Pro Settings – input and especially output please - Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

Final Cut Pro Settings – input and especially output please

Posted by Amy St. onge on January 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm

Hello Experts,

Please can you help me to be sure that I am putting in the proper settings so that the outputted video is as clear and as high resolution as can be with HDV upon a DVD.

I am shooting with a Canon XHA1
And I am recording at 1920 x 1080 with a 30 Frame Rate

Here are my capture settings:

Sequence Preset HDV 1080p30 (I messed with this one, not sure if ok)
Capture Preset HDV
Device Control HDV FireWIre Basic
Video Playback None
Audio Playback Default

— Now here is the part that really stumps me —-

When I am outputting a Quicktime self contained movie what settings do I need to put in the CURRENT SETTINGS for the best quality.
I want a piece that I can play on several mediums: TV, Large Screen and computer.
How also can I be sure it is outputting as a widescreen? Perhaps it does that automatically?

For DVD making: I am using iDVD and am putting it on the Best Quality settings.
So the reason I am writing is because the latest videos I have output have been grainy and
one of them when watched off the DVD, tremors on the horizontal boundaries.

So much to learn. I am so so grateful for guidance, please. I have gotten loads of great guidance from the forums, but this part still needs help.

Thanks

Amy

Amy St. onge replied 15 years, 7 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Anthony Bari jr.
January 3, 2011 at 11:44 pm

Amy,

you will have an easier time editing in ProRes, HDV is not great to work in. Transcode your footage, and you will see the difference, just how much faster the clips are viewed. If you use HDV you may encounter a few bumps in the road. It can choke your machine.

*Production*Post-Production*
Apple Certified Instructor (Final Cut Pro 7)
“Semper Fi USMC”
Anthony Bari jr.
January 3, 2011 at 11:49 pm

If you are on FCP 7 you will have a few clicks to make a dvd.
Try using the Share window, if you dont mind a basic DVD that loops or simple menu.
You can create the DVD in FCP.

*Production*Post-Production*
Apple Certified Instructor (Final Cut Pro 7)
“Semper Fi USMC”
Holger Hessinger
January 3, 2011 at 11:56 pm

Hi Amy,

the best way to assure best quality (in my opinion) is to go with the easy setups in FCP. Just make sure you choose the setup your camera is workin in while shooting. If you´re shooting 1080p adjust the easy setup to HDV1080p30. If you´re shooting Interlaced it would be better to get the equivalent easy setup. I prefer to do this before creating a new project and start ingesting.

In terms of outputting to DVD you have to consider, that you´re downsizing the picture to SD. Sometimes (depends)it´s a good way to blur the Picture vertically between 1-2 pixels before downsizing(Encoding in iDVD). This will smooth out High Contrast edges between horizontal lines,
without loosing very much detail and the compression to DVD will look
subjective better to your audience. I am using the german version of FCP, but I think it must be something like the directional blur to accomplish that.

Holger Hessinger
Amy St. onge
January 4, 2011 at 5:07 am

Thank you so much Anthony. Will tinker around and see what comes.
I am not sure how to get back to the Easy Setup, not sure if I changed the settings in the process of trying to sort it all out. I may have some more questions. Am so grateful for your help.

Amy
Amy St. onge
January 4, 2011 at 5:07 am

Thank you Holger. Will test that out! I appreciate your advice.

Amy
Amy St. onge
January 4, 2011 at 5:12 am

I would love to create a DVD in Final Cut Pro. Just don’t know how.
That is why I first came to the forum and found a post someone else put up who was having the same issues as me; I could not put a movie that was 50 minutes on a DVD. Everytime I tried it would need more then one disc to hold the whole movie.

Can you tell me how to make a DVD in Final Cut Pro?

Thanks! Amy
Rafael Amador
January 4, 2011 at 12:46 pm

Hi Amy,
As long as you have the footage already captured, I would follow Holger’s advice.
Edit HDV, and before full rendering or exporting your movie, on the Sequence Setting:
– Change the sequence codec to Prores.
– Set “Render in High Precision”.
This way you will avoid rendering to HDV and every process will be better handed (quality).

Next time you can start from converting on capture to Prores, as Anthony suggest.
Going Prores, in short, will make your life easier and will allows you more quality on your product.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com
Amy St. onge
January 6, 2011 at 5:45 am

Thanks so much. Apologies for the belated thank you. Have been away.
Appreciated.

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Final Cut Pro Settings – input and especially output please