[Rafael Amador]

I think you have to install a Canon plugin.
May be this:
https://software.canon-europe.com/software/0040354.asp
There is a ton of info about the Canon workflow in FC.
Google.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

There is an Anchor Point control on the Motion Tab, under the Center Point.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

As Keith say.
One of the rules of thumb of postproduction is trying avoiding re-compression.
If you have to convert, render, process your footage, do it to codec the less possible compressed and keep all the workflow on that codec till you compress again for final delivery.
Some time ago this was complicated by the huge file size of the uncompressed codecs, now is feasible with codecs like Prores.
DVCHDpro was the state-of-the-art codec, but is a very compressed for today standard.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

[Robert Withers] ” And from what I see in the clip properties info, FCP somehow created an alpha channel for this footage in this codec.

I am cutting plain footage and alpha has demanded a role in the process. I didn’t create or ask for or select an alpha channel–it’s just sitting there in the properties looking at me. FCP enables modifying the alpha channel in the properties to change it from None to Straight. “
In the “Clip Properties”, you are getting “Alpha: NONE”.
What else you need to understand that that footage has NO ALPHA?
The first thing you need to carry an Alpha channel, is a codec supporting Alpha.
A codec supporting “MILLIONS + COLORS”.
The only video production codecs supporting Alpha that I know, are the AVID codecs.
The only Apple video production codec supporting Alpha is Apple Prores4444.

Apple DV can not carry an Alpha channel, and even if you have the option of changing from NONE to Straight/Black/White in the “Clip Properties” window, that changes nothing.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

[Robert Withers] “This is miniDV standard def NTSC interlaced footage shot in 2006 and imported into FCP 5.5 from tape (in maybe 2007). I don’t know anything about the codec than that. NTSC standard def is a codec, right? These are not graphics, it’s camera footage.”
Then the codec is Apple DV.
No Alpha going on.
You are cutting plain footage and Alpha has no role at all on this task.
You need to edit your DV footage on a sequence with the same NTSC DV settings.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

If you are transcoding, forget about DVCProHD, unless you have to deliver on that format.
Go to PRORES, and with standard HDTV size: 1920×1080 or 1280×720 SQUARED PIXELS.
Rafael

[Rafael Amador]

[Robert Withers] “My Visual Quickpro Guide also tells me that “FCP video clips automatically have alpha channels assigned to them.””
So, don’t trust your Visual Quickpro Guide.
To have an Alpha channel, the first thing you need is a codec that supports Alpha channel.
Most video codecs DO NOT Support Alpha channel.

[Robert Withers] “OK, I’ve discovered that all the shots in this timeline have the wrong alpha type (none instead of straight). And that it’s causing the jaggies. So I need to modify all the clips in the timeline (which have been mostly edited from subclips). I can’t seem to do it by selecting all. Is there a way to modify them all instead of each of 750 clips one by one?”
Are you sure your stuff has Alpha?
What are you working with?
Where is coming from?
Are you working with graphics?
You are talking about interlaced NTSC footage.
Are you working with footage from camera?
That has no Alpha unless have been applied some key.
What codec are the footage/graphics?
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

[Robert Withers] “2. When I Modify a clip to change from Alpha Type None/Ignore to Straight, the images and text clean right up. The jaggies are gone, text is clear, no image wavering. “
If you check “None/ignore’, you are voiding any alpha channel that might be on the picture.
If checking “Straight”, things work, that tells you that your clips/graphics have Strait Alpha and that the way to go.
Straight Alpha is the most usual option (FC exports and Photoshop exports Strait Alpha).

[Robert Withers] “This Modify to Straight procedure doesn’t work for the jagged edges of a text clip, white on black, where the Alpha Type is set to black. “
If that stuff has been exported Premultiplied to Black or White, you have to check those options.

You need to change the Alpha BEFORE putting things on the time-line.
Change you make in Browser do not take effect on the stuff that is already in the time-line.

[Robert Withers] ” What does work is setting the view in the Viewer options to Alpha instead of RGB or Alpha + RGB. But will this view selection carry over to making a QT file of the timeline? The properties of the clip don’t change, still show Alpha as Black.”
Those are just Preview options.
Things have to look OK with the Canvas set in RGB.
That’s what you gonna get on exporting.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

[Joel Checkley] “I can conform the 25 FPS footage to 23.976 which slows the footage and audio by 4 %, giving in my opinion better results, however, still not fantastic”
No fantastic?
Conforming, you get the same original video just played at a different speed, so in terms of picture quality you can’t make no objection.
Is to you to tell if the difference in audio speed is noticeable or not.
If no noticeable, conforming is your best option.
rafael

[Rafael Amador]

I would recommend you to install Snow Leopard, then update the system (Software Update: MacOs 10.0.6).
Once you have the system installed, install FCS3 and run Software Update to get the last FC version (FC.7.03).
You also needs to install the last version of QT Player ( 7.6.6 ?).
rafael