[Neil Ryan]

Looks similar to a standards issue; as in playing NTSC on a PAL VTR or vice-versa.
Are you playing back the material on the same device/camera that it was recorded on?
If not, explain the origin of the source material.

[Neil Ryan]

Keith,
a development …
Normally, I capture from decks using serial comtrol and SDI input. And that’s where I see the problem we’ve mentioned.
I have a Blackmagic card.
Interestingly, today, in a rare exercise, I am Batch Capturing some DV footage directly off a camera and NOT having the same issue.
I’ll investigate the differences later and report back.
Initially, looking at today’s difference, I thought maybe the problem was the Blackmagic VTR drivers, but that wouldn’t explain your problem.

more later …

[Neil Ryan]

I was brought up on Avid systems, where setting stills at 72dpi DID matter. And some people follow that out of habit, like I did until recently.

Now, it is NOT relevant on FCP. Please, read this, like I did, then do the simple test between two pictures with the same frame size, but different dpi settings, like I did …

from page 339 of the current Manual:
Video Is Not 72 Dots per Inch
There is a myth in video graphic design: Since some older computer displays used 72 pixels per inch, all video created on a computer must be at this resolution. This is not true or necessary. The dimensions of a video image are dependent only on the number of horizontal and vertical pixels used in the image. Pixel dimensions alone determine the resolution of a video image. You can easily test this yourself by creating two 720 x 480 images in a still graphics program, setting one image to a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) and the other to 72 dpi. Import both images into Final Cut Pro and compare the two. They are absolutely identical. This is because video editing software does not use the dpi setting of a graphic image.
Even though the dpi setting for your graphics is irrelevant for working with video, keep in mind that many people may still adhere to a policy that graphics for video must be 72 dpi. To avoid confusion with other graphic designers, you can just as well leave your video graphics at 72 dpi. Just know that there is nothing special about this setting.”

I hope that increases people’s knowledge base and helps lessen the load on people’s editing routines.
Cheers,
Neil.

[Neil Ryan]

quote “at 72dpi”

The dpi setting is irrelevant.
Just set the pixels to be what you want.

Neil.

[Neil Ryan]

“FCP can do anything that Avid can.”

A gross generalization, of course, but holds a lot of truth.
What’s grey about a line like that is, while the two ‘systems’ can achieve many of the same things, they often have a different way of going about it.
And that’s usually the part that frustrates a user switching from one to the other.
Some important differences that I’ve found, and I hope others will add to the list so that you can investigate the relevance to your needs of the differences between the two ‘systems’, include:
The way they handle the relationship between clips and mediafiles. (including the offline/online approach you mentioned)
Information available during digitising and outputting.

Also important, these days, to understand that Final Cut Pro is not an application you can buy. FCP Studio Pro is the product, and, as is the Apple approach to most of its products these days, contains a suite of applications. So check that any comparisons are between apples and apples.
Note, too, much of the promises made by sales people about software products or ‘systems’, depends upon using the latest, fastest, best and most expensive versions of hardware.

I don’t know if there is one (if there isn’t, then that’s a sign in itself) but it would be great if someone could point you (us) to a comparison between the systems as you mentioned.

DISCLAIMER: In case there’s any question about it, I’m not taking sides, here, for either Apple or Avid!

[Neil Ryan]

Bob O’Brien said: “I usually resize huge images down to 1500 pixels x whatever x 72dpi(3-5 Mb)”

Dean is correct in saying the dpi setting is irrelevant. Some of us follow the trend of treating video as 72dpi because it has mattered on some systems in the past. Not so, now, on FCP.
from page 339 of the current Manual:
Video Is Not 72 Dots per Inch
There is a myth in video graphic design: Since some older computer displays used 72 pixels per inch, all video created on a computer must be at this resolution. This is not true or necessary. The dimensions of a video image are dependent only on the number of horizontal and vertical pixels used in the image. Pixel dimensions alone determine the resolution of a video image. You can easily test this yourself by creating two 720 x 480 images in a still graphics program, setting one image to a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) and the other to 72 dpi. Import both images into Final Cut Pro and compare the two. They are absolutely identical. This is because video editing software does not use the dpi setting of a graphic image.
Even though the dpi setting for your graphics is irrelevant for working with video, keep in mind that many people may still adhere to a policy that graphics for video must be 72 dpi. To avoid confusion with other graphic designers, you can just as well leave your video graphics at 72 dpi. Just know that there is nothing special about this setting.

[Neil Ryan]

NOT a Samsung.
Samsung are NOT big on making Mac-compatible phones.
No Mac software, no Mac drivers.
steer clear of them.

[Neil Ryan]

[Dean Sensui] “and a standard definition TV screen is 720 pixels across”

That’s in Rectangle pixels – be aware, when you’re playing with your stills in PhotoShop or whatever, whether you are working in square or rectangle pixels. Usually, stills would be received as Square pixels files.
Don’t want circles ending up as eggs. Not sure what you’re doing? – go through your procedure with a test file that has a circle, and make sure it is still a circle once its in your FCP sequence and playing out on your video screen.

[Neil Ryan]

sounds like a videotape-type conversion … play your DVD, through a standards converter, to a DVD recorder.
If you are talking to them, Bob, ask them how they would go if your DVD had multiple menus & multiple tracks.
Doesn’t sound like they’re converting & re-authoring the disc …
which is fine for your simple one track discs – a good solution for your instance.

cheerio.

[Neil Ryan]

[Bob O’Brien] “I just had an NTSC DVD converted to a PAL DVD at a local duplication company.”

What exactly does that mean?
What, you stick a NTSC disc in one drive and it copies to a PAL disc in another drive …?
Are we talking a DVD with menus and multiple tracks?
I’d love to know the whole of that story …

wonder if you could’ve done it for free, here:
https://media-convert.com/convert/index.php