[John Pale]

If your footage was @ 23.98 fps you could make a 23.98 progressive SD-DVD, but 720p 59.94 (60) corresponds neatly to 29.97 fps, which is interlaced in SD.

[John Pale]

[Matt Torti] “hen I use FCP to export, and use their settings (say the 720×486 default) the footage comes out pefect in QT, but reads as having a frame size of 640 x 480 – which is neither what I exported as”

Quicktime reports the size needed to display the image properly using square pixels…which is what your computer screen uses. FCP is using D1/DV non-square pixels.

[John Pale]

This is normal. QT does not display the pixels in the correct aspect ratio unless you tell it to. There are no flags in the file to tell QT that the footage is anamorphic.

In movie properties, you can change the Conform Aperture setting to “encoded pixels”.

[John Pale]

The dialog is only displayed if the deck supports it.

What deck are you using?

[John Pale]

Are you sure they are not hiding under your Source/Record window, timeline or offscreen somewhere?

[John Pale]

FCP uses different default gamma than QT player. There is a preference in QT to use the FCP gamma, if you so desire.

[John Pale]

You can export to WMV with Flip4Mac. You need one of the studio versions (which are NOT free). It works well. Look at the capabilities of each version and decide what you need.

https://www.telestream.net/flip4mac-wmv/overview.htm

[John Pale]

[Rick Davis] “My question is would I get a better final product quality wise if I recorded into Soundtrack Pro first and then exported to FCP? Any insights would be appreciate”

Just straight recording…No difference in quality. STP has better options for editing, mixing, filters, etc….but if all you are doing is plain recording, no difference. STP’s meters are better, if that matters to you.

[John Pale]

Use iTunes, Quicktime Pro or Compressor. Not FCP. AAC (or any compressed audio, really) will not work in FCP, you need to convert it first. (I have done it recently with tracks I had permission to use)

Tom is right however…. although you no longer have to worry about iTunes DRM copy protection, it is still legally improper to use copyrighted material in your edit without permission. Its fairly unlikely that you would be prosecuted for using them in a family video (especially now that they are not even bothering to copy protect them)…but stranger things have happened, and the record companies have on occasion “made an example” of some people. If you do it, you are taking that risk…both legally and karmically (sp.?)

(Note, I am not telling anyone how to crack DRM or get around Digital Rights Management. All iTunes music currently sold is NOT copy protected and has no DRM of any kind. You are on the honor system, just like with CD’s.)

[John Pale]

In the USA iTunes store they no longer sell protected AAC files. Everything is unprotected and DRM free.
You should be able to convert to anything you want. I can, using Quicktime Player or Compressor.

The latest version of the iTunes software is 8.2, but using 7 shouldn’t matter, as all the content is unprotected. Stuff you purchased several months ago may still be DRM protected however. You can “upgrade” them for about 30 cents per track.