HD timeline question

[Aaron Barrocas]

I appreciate the thoughts of everybody who gave helpful answers to this.
These TODs are tricky files that lend themselves to tearing easily in conversion. I’m not a new editor, and don’t consider multiple formats in one timeline, especially in FCP, to be a creative calf question, and such a circumstance was certainly not addressed in the manual of the consumer Everio HD7. I had already come up with several solutions prior to writing the post, but couldn’t be certain what roadblocks I’d run into down the road in this new territory, and also had no way of knowing if my solutions were the best ones to be found.

It was a comfort to know that I could turn to a group of intelligent professionals for their advice. The advice returned was prudent and helpful in many respects. To anybody who feels their level of expertise was insulted by the time taken to read and respond to my post, I hope you’ll accept my apologies.

[David Mcgiffert]

Steve,

When you say:

“My point is, there are many people out there that are too lazy to read the manual. They come to this forum for a quick answer without trying to solve their problem on their own…”

There was simply no evidence that this guy “was too lazy to
read the manual”.
To the contrary, his questions had some basis for the opposite
view.

Your comments were beneath this forum.
Trying to wiggle on what you said
doesn’t change that fact.

David

[John Foley]

” Your comments were beneath this forum.
Trying to wiggle on what you said
doesn’t change that fact.”

That is also very unprofessional to critize anothers personal perspective. This is a Final Cut Pro forum, I believe. I doubt that someone with a $300 camera is going to spend $1300 of Final Cut Studio.

As mentioned, there is also a Creative Calf server for prosumer and other less professional type of questions.

If you want to be answering questions because they either don’t read the manual, (which is fairly impossible with a Japanese for Americans manual), or just want hand holding, then I am sure Creative Calf is a much beter place for you to hang out.

[Aaron Barrocas]

I wasn’t planning on writing any more responses to these comments, and never imagined myself getting involved in these forum squabbles, but you have to read what a person writes before commenting on not just the post, but the person.

The Everio HD7 costs 1800 dollars. Yes – it’s a consumer end camera, but it’s not 300. This is a Final Cut forum, and that’s why it was the right place for a question about mixing formats within a final cut timeline. I am the owner of the HD7, and I have shelled out the cash for final cut – in fact I’ve been shelling out that cash since version one in 1999, and final cut has in return paid my bills for the past several years. In all likelihood, the last poster who was so quick to criticize not just a question, but an individual, has at some point seen and enjoyed my work.

Again, some people here have been very helpful, and I appreciate that. But why insult a person for seeking assistance from a community that he assumes to be composed of respected colleagues?

I am sorry that I began a thread that has digressed the way this one has. Following this message, I will post the response that was most helpful to me, as I am for some reason no longer seeing it in the thread.

[Aaron Barrocas]

I found this very helpful. Thank you:

Forum: Apple Final Cut Pro
User Name: Tom Meegan
Post Subject: Re: HD timeline question

————————————————–

File > Export

Export drop dowm menu = movie to quicktime movie

Click the options button.

Click the Video settings button.

Compression drop down menu = DV/DVCPRO – NTSC

Quality slider = High

Scan mode = Interlaced

Aspect ratio = 16×9 (you don’t mention the nature of the DV footage – I’m it is assuming 16×9)

Edit in a DV timeline.

The other option would be to choose 8-bit or 10-bit uncompressed. This choice would oblige you to convert all of the DV material as well, and take up 7 to 9 times as much hard drive space. The quality would not improve your DV footage, but your graphics and effects would render a bit more nicely, and the HD footage would hold a little bit more quality, however the difference will be subtle.

If you go this way, edit in a time line that matchs the format you choose. I recommend doing the DV conversion before starting to edit, as the timeline renders will drive you crazy.

I also recommend doing a test to determine how long the conversions are likely to take, and a test to compare both types of footage in both types of time line, with and without effects and graphics. View these tests on a reference monitor or at least the same type of TV or screen you viewers will watch. If you are going all the way out to DVD for delivery, and that is what your viewers will see, do the mpeg 2 compresssion and burn a disk of each of these tests to see if you can tell the diference.

This sort of testing, factored in with the edit schedule and the hardware you can bring to bear, is the only way to know if the upconvert of the DV footage is worth it.

Most times, it is not.

Tom

[David Mcgiffert]

“That is also very unprofessional to critize anothers personal perspective”

Allowing someone to be rude under the guise of professionalism
has nothing to do with professionalism,
it has to do with manners.

Manners is professional, rudeness is just rude.
Whining about it when someone calls you on it
is just funny.

David