[Michael Sigmon]

Great suggestions, however WRT DVD:

The 1st edit is just the program, so your suggestion of Mac Pro ->MXO->set top recorder would work.

However, the 2nd edit is required to have a menu with chapters.

The final version (I’m good, so often the 2nd edit is the final version) does go to a replicator.

[Michael Sigmon]

I don’t think you understood what the OP was writing.

He has a BPAV folder(s) with the .mp4 clips copied from elsewhere.

He ran them through the XDCAM importer in FCP. This stitches all the (related) XDCAM clips into one .mov file. That is, let’s say you recorded an hour long speech on two 16gb SxS cards. You will have several clips of not quite 4gb in length. The importer stitches them into one .mov file, which is what you bring into FCP.

This .mov file is what FCP is working with. So yes, you do have 2x the hard drive space… one with the original BPAV folders with your original footage, and then the ‘stitched’ .mov files created by the XDCAM importer (as if HD footage isn’t already enough of a hard drive hog…).

So long as someone else has the BPAV folders safely stored, yes you can toss the BPAV files once you have imported them into FCP. FCP is not working with these files.

BUT. If it’s *your* footage, don’t ever throw away the BPAV folders and the files contained therein. At least, not if it’s important footage…