I am ready to start a big double DVD project for a client and have a Final Cut Timeline question.

The project will go to a DVD production house to burn 5000 two DVD sets so I want to cover all bases.

Footage consists of DV, HDV, XDCAM EX1 (1080p), and animation. All footage was shot at 29.97 fps I am being told. I know the EX1 was since I shot that part but the other footage is on the way. I am waiting on where the animation came from but it will be 16x9 aspect ratio. We will just have some texture when playing the DV footage to cover the 4X3.

What setting do people who have done this before recommend?

I have been told not to use DV setting since it will compress it once then again when exporting self-contained QuickTime then again when rendering DVD.

So should I use ProRes HQ? What size?

What else do you need to know to answer the questions?

Look forward to the knowledgeable Final Cut multi-format people to help me out.

One thing you should find out first is how much of the footage is interlaced and how much is progressive. Any time you go from one to the other you're going to see artifacts (possibly severe ones), so its best to choose the format which makes up the longer (or more important) parts of the video.

It's always best to use the highest format possible, so I would suggest a ProRes 1080 (i or p depending on your sources) timeline.

Depending on which way you go, you may want to do your de-interlacing in a different program (like Compressor or After Effects) first, because FCP's de-interlacing options are not very good.

Jason good point. I will not know this till I have started the timeline.

You also have to find out how the DV footage is to be used in the project. Is it shot in 16:9 or is it already letterboxed? If it's 4:3, someone needs to decide whether to zoom in or pillar-box it.

I just edited some HD extras for a commercial DVD and some B roll was shot DV letterboxed! The producer had me zoom in the footage which I did in FCP for deadline reasons. It didn't look as bad as I expected at all but it certainly contrasted with the detailed HD footage I shot!

I would edit the project in the ProRes line resolution the majority of footage is coming from. 1080p or i. Tell the animation people to send you files in the Animation codec which is essentially uncompressed. Take those files and convert them in Compressor to the codec you are editing in.

Thanks William good advice.

I have all the formats and interlaced or progressive and how much of each will be used in the productions coming to me by email today.

The producer is doing the animation and will adjust as needed.