[Aaron Barrocas]

I found this very helpful. Thank you:

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

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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

[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 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.

[Aaron Barrocas]

I’ve run into this problem, and I found a cheat solution.
Imovie makes a nice text scroll.
Export it, and nobody will ever know it was made in Imovie.
Just don’t go too slow, or it may look stuttery.

[Aaron Barrocas]

Thanks, Jeremy!
Got it back to 25 using cinema tools.

[Aaron Barrocas]

Thanks, Jeremy.
My problem is the reverse, though. I’m trying to remove the pulldown, and get it back to 25fps. So the frames that it pulled when I hit the conversion button would need to be replaced.
I have precious little Cinema Tools experience, so before I start messing around in there, can it take care of that?

-The remove advanced pulldown feature under the Tools menu in FCP tells me that the footage is not DVCPRO or DV50, so that function won’t work on the clip.

–this is what I get for being too excited about the new buttons in FCP 5.

Thanks.

[Aaron Barrocas]

I’ve had a similar problem with this deck. I realize that you’ve also tried it in your camcorder, so that is a bit discouraging. But if you’ve already tried easy setup, and had no luck, try this – crazy as it seems – close FCP. Hit play on your deck – leave it running.
While the deck is still running, launch FCP.
Open the capture window.
For some reason, it sometimes then recognizes the deck.
Good luck.