[Craig Seeman]

There’s not really enough info for anyone to help you.
Please read the Sticky at the top of this forum to get the fastest help.
AVI is a container, not a codec.
MPEG4 is too vague without settings details.
Playback doesn’t mean enough without a player and a version.
Mac OS doesn’t include version numbers of version specific issues.

With the information provided all I can offer is that there’s an issue with your settings or your player and maybe the codecs you have installed.

[Craig Seeman]

My SPECULATION…

Generally I think the “controversy” of “innovation” inspires more participation.
Innovation involves trying to grasp new concepts and how to best utilize them.

While one might argue about the “pro” user base of FCPX (and itself gets attention as facilities need to make these decisions) the apparently large FCPX user base supports a large training and plugin community. That means there’s ad revenue to support FCPX specific sites.

[Craig Seeman]

[Tom Sefton] “just wish ours would hurry up and arrive!”

Just an aside, it seems the stock 4 and 6 core models are available at Apple Stores, Tekserve, B&H, Adorama. BTOs aren’t yet.

[Craig Seeman]

I also don’t think it was released too early… so much as the release strategy was grossly mishandled by Apple.

The obvious problem was that in it’s initial release state it was nothing even close to an alternative to FCP7. It was the combination of new techniques and missing features along with the initial inability to purchase FCS3 which was a major misfire. Sorry to bring that up again but the context is, IMHO even more important than FCPX design and paucity of features.

Apple provided no transition and that was entirely against all previous major changes whether it was OS9 to OSX, PPC to Intel, QT frameworks to AVFoundation. Even .Mac to MobileMe to iCloud all had transition periods.

[Craig Seeman]

I wonder if the improvements to stabilization might have an impact on CoreMelt’s Lock & Load. I’m not sure if it eliminates though.

[Craig Seeman]

Just a blind though. The 10.9.1 system has both Compressors whereas 10.8.5 can’t (shouldn’t) have Compressor 4.1 on it. Might it be you’re actually calling Compressor 4.1 to do the job somewhere in there.

BTW in Comrpressor 4.1 supposedly Apple’s new High Profile CABAC entropy setting (only does single pass) comes close (only close though) to x264 quality.

[Craig Seeman]

[Michael McIntyre] “No one’s ever asked me for FCPX compliance or projects.”

I guess it depends on the client base but I don’t give anyone my projects. As a Compressionist they get files. As an editor they get edited product at what ever stage or stages they pay for.
If I were a freelance editor (I don’t do that lately) I’d edit on whatever NLE the project started on so I guess that’s your workflow.
Also as a compressionist, the bill for transcoding a day’s worth of H.264 files to ProRes would easily be enough to have them consider another NLE.
Again PPro is another option. You’re not limited to FCPX.
I can see sticking with 7 for “in house” projects where you don’t have time (transcode) and storage issues if that’s where a project originates from as moving NLEs itself can be a major time factor.

[Craig Seeman]

[Brett Vanderbrook] “Might have to revisit FCPX. I tried it a few times and finally abandoned ship because I just felt like I was editing on iMovie”

Personally I think the best way to learn FCPX is with Ripple Training tutorials. It’s a major rethink. Roles take the place of tracks for the equivalent organizing.
One might say FCPX was designed to help DSLR editing issues. It has a sync audio feature for linking DSLR video with external audio (sort of like Plural Eyes). It has a great multicam feature that, with the decent computer, you can have multiple H.264 shots playing together.
Of course PPro is much like an improved FCP7 but there’s the subscription requirement that some find off-putting.

[Craig Seeman]

[Brett Vanderbrook] “Am I just doomed to have to invest in more external drives, or is there a solution I’m missing?”

Both FCPX and PPro CC handle H.264 directly.

With FCP7 you’re not only dealing with space but conversion time before you can start to edit. As time goes on and EOL NLE is going to be more problems with more modern codecs.

You could switch to either Blackmagic Cinema or Blackmgagic Pocket cameras for shooting within a “DSLR budget” as both shoot to Apple ProRes directly (you’d still need the storage space sans H.264 files but with time saved sans transcode as well).

[Craig Seeman]

Least people forget. Avid is a hardware vendor as well. Blackmagic is for that matter too (consider Resolve’s popularity).

Apple’s motive… if you like FCPX you HAVE to use it on a Mac. If you like Avid and Premiere Pro you can certainly move to a Windows only PC.

Adobe is software and service (and PPro isn’t the biggest piece of that pie either) and, with no hardware to sell, they’re now taking your subscription payment.