No High Quality in FCP (4.x and 5.x)

[Tom Wolsky]

Your machine is barely fast enough, with a minimum amount of RAM to support real-time playback of material that needs rendering. You need to get a more powerful computer for full quality real-time playback of material that needs rendering.

[Erik Lindahl]

If I could get RT playback that would be great, but that isn’t my problem.

I just want to playback ordinary DV-files (with zero effects or filters) at their “full” (in FCP “high”) quality. QT player does this without a hitch, the same version of FCP does this on my PowerBook 867Mhz. This shouldn’t be a problem. I could do this years ago on my G4/350 in OS9 for christ sake 🙂

[Tom Wolsky]

I don’t think christ has much to do with this, but the RT quality setting is only for the quality of real-time material that needs rendering. It has no affect on the normal playback of your material. BTW this settings control has changed its functionality between v3 and later versions.

[Tom Wolsky]

I don’t think christ has much to do with this, but the RT quality setting is only for the quality of real-time material that needs rendering. It has no affect on the normal playback of your material. BTW this settings control has changed its functionality between v3 and later versions.

[Erik Lindahl]

That isn’t quite true. The RT-setting is for the whole timeline. If i choose LOW there, the whole sequence will playback at LOW quality. If I choose HIGH the whole sequence will playback at HIGH quality. This is for clips with or without effects on them.

If we disregard RT-effects, I can live with out these, I still can’t playback a sequence or a file at it’s full (in FCP “High”) quality. This very annoying. I can’t even choose “HIGH” on the machine. If I turn off RT-effects it still playsback at “MEDIUM” quality.

Again, QT-Player handles the DV-files in fullquality without a hitch, so does a similar sped PowerBook.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Erik Lindahl] “Again, QT-Player handles the DV-files in fullquality without a hitch, so does a similar sped PowerBook.”

Quicktime Player is not Final Cut Pro. All QT has to do is play the one file and that’s it.

FCP is running a full app with much more functionality which takes up more RAM, in fact most of the RAM that you have in your machine. Therefore, FCP will not be able to run the timeline since there’s very little RAM or resources for FCP to operate correctly.

As Tom notes, your machine is simply too slow with too little RAM. I would at least step up to a Dual 1Ghz G4 with at least 1GB RAM, 2GB would be better. Comparing QT and FCP are apples and oranges.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Erik Lindahl]

Okej, how come a PowerBook G4/867 with 640MB RAM handles it? In most cases the Dual 500Mhz machine beats it in terms of speed.

I still don’t se why I shouldn’t be able to simply playback a DV-file a full quality on this machine. A machine with roughly 1/3 of the speed did it with 1/2 of RAM and HD speed… 🙂

If this is the case, Apple should change it requirments of FCP to 1Ghz/1Gb RAM for full DV playback.

[Tom Wolsky]

Are you looking at playback on a video monitor?

[Erik Lindahl]

I’ve looked at playback through a DV-camera on a TV yes, but only get 1/2 resolution (i.e FCP “medium quality”).

I do get full quality whilst scrubbing, choosing “cinemadisplay = RAW”, but not during playback. With or with out effects. The same goes for external sources.

[Tom Wolsky]

Have you tried trashing your preferences? Is the media on the same drive as the system?