Hello All,

I'm using a Mac with OS X, and am planning on shooting legal video using a Canon GL2, and as a backup option a Canon XH A1 (overkill, I know). From my understanding the final file needs to be MPEG1 and put on DVD disk.

Currently I've got Final Cut Pro 3 and Quicktime Pro as my editing programs. I see that there's no MPEG 1 option in either of my programs and was wondering what the workaround solution was if I use Final Cut? Is there a program anyone could recommend with a good MPEG1 option that's Mac compatible?

Thanks for any insight,
Jack

Hi Jack:

I've been in the legal video field a while, I can give you some pointers. I also have FCP for my video editing, but I encode to MPEG-1 with a separate system. Most of the time you'll just be making straight copies of all your originals to MPEG-1, no editing involved. These MPEG-1s will get synched with the transcript with legal video software, and traditional editing is left out of the picture, most of the time. But when you do edit the old fashioned way, you'll burn your final product to DVD-Video most of the time. And if you do need MPEG-1 files of your edited product, your better off using an encoding card for that.

MPEG-1 is considered "legacy" technology, although it is, in my opinion, still a good, universal format, low maintenance, low processing requirements, etc. But get a good encoding card. I started with an MPEGator and a Broadway card, which have served me wellbut I'm not satisfied with those anymore. While they're not discontuniued, they're not devoting much R&D or tech support or upgrades to them anymore.

Next time I'll get an Optibase card. I suggest shelling out the dough and saving yourself the headaches. Yes, you'll have to get a PC to run it. Make it a dedicated system. The advantage to using a real-time encoding card is quality and time to finished product. Beware of the may cheap converters and cards that say they're real-time. Not many are that are under $600, not for the quality you'll need.