[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, I encountered that problem (in FCP 4.5).
It’s happening because there is a previous copy of the clip already created in the “Master Clips” folder of your new project created in Media Manager. Media Manager won’t overwrite it.

Solution is:
– if you don’t need that old copy, delete it.
– or create a new, empty folder and make your new Media Manager project there.

[Nancy Kiang]

Hi, Josh –
I’m doing something similar to you, so maybe you might have an answer from experience.

I edited a film (shot on film and transferred to standard def DV) on an old version of Final Cut (4.5) awhile back. Now I’ve had the footage transferred to HD (XDCAM EX). This latter codec is a great codec that preserves fine details yet with smaller files, but it can only be read by FCP 6.0.2 or later.

What I want to do is take the old FCP 4.5 timeline and link it to the HD transferred footage. The HD clips are the same as the DV clips, so all the time codes *should* be the same.

What I’ve tried so far is:

0. Have original FCP 4.5 off-line edit of DV footage.
0.1 Have footage now transferred from film to HD.
1. Open FCP 4.5 project in FCP 6.0.5.
2. From the FCP 4.5 project, use Media Manager in FC 6.0.5 to make an HD project and sequence:
Media: Recompress, select HD format.
Project: Select “Duplicate selected items and place into new project.” This makes the new project with new sequence in HD.
Media Destination: Browse-> specify destination for revised project

3. Open the HD sequence from the HD project in the Timeline.
Result: Sequence is in the HD format that was selected. Image is small, centered in wide black border to fill out rest of frame. At least, the image does not look distorted (if “Show As Sq. Pixels” is de-selected).

4. Right click on a clip in the HD sequence and select Reconnect Media. Connect the clip to the HD file.
Result:
Time codes are preserved, but: if “Show As Sq. Pixels” is selected, the image is stretched too wide. If “Show As Sq. Pixels” is de-selected, the image is squashed sideways or stretched too tall. The black border exists on top and bottom. (If I just look at directly at the HD format file on my disk by importing it into FCP 6.0.5, it fills the FULL 1280×1080 Viewer or Canvas, no black border).

So, either 1) the Media Manager recompress didn’t work, or 2) the Reconnect somehow is buggy and not letting the 1080i original clip fill the 1080i frame.

Is there some step of the way that I can fix? Also, is there any way to make this process more automatic for multiple clips?

Thanks for any tips.

[Nancy Kiang]

Tom –
I’m having the same problem, but in Final Cut Pro HD 4.5.
I can’t figure out how to change the “32-bit floating point” to “16-bit integer.”
I’ve gone into the Audio/Video Settings and selected the Sequence Presets. The setup I have says Audio Settings: 16-bit 48.000 kHz Stereo, but when I create a new Sequence, it’s always 32-bit floating point.
I’ve quit FinalCut and restarted, but it always makes sequences that are 32-bit floating point.

Do you have any more tips?
Much appreciated!

[Nancy Kiang]

Thanks for your reply.
My understanding is that one should be able to edit off-line with footage down-converted to DV, so that editing will go faster. Then one uses the Edit Decision List to put together the original HD footage.

I am able to export the Sony EX1 clips to DV format, and then import that DV into Final Cut 4.5. Can the Sony EX1 HD clips simply be exported to some more universal format so that Final Cut can use the EDL to render HD? I know that FCP 4.5 cannot directly import the Sony EX1 clips, but surely there is some non-proprietary HD format that they can be exported to?

Thanks, again.