Hi,

We just bought a brand-new GY-HM700 with the Fujinon 17x lens a few weeks ago. So far, we are thrilled with it. This is our first excursion outside the safe world of DV25.

Here are some questions that I have come up with in the last 3 weeks.

1) Final Cut Pro 5
We have purchased the upgrade but we can't upgrade until the next two projects get finished (early/mid Aug). We'll also eventually have a second, brand-new FCP6 workstation, but not yet.

I do have my own trusty 2-year-old MacBook Pro running my own license of FCP5. To watch fireworks I shot over last weekend, I installed the Perian XDCam components.

I can't really edit, though. I can't afford to upgrade my own computer right now, but I'd like to bring home video that I shoot for work, even after we get FCP6 up and running.

Is there a workflow that allows relatively easy ability to edit in FCP5? Do I want to convert the XDCAM-in-a-mov-wrapper files to something else before I even open up FCP? Or is there a particular way to set up a sequence that I can drop these files into and edit without facing "needs render"? Keep in mind, FCP5 doesn't have those new-fangled features like self-configuring timelines, timelines that can accept alien formats easily, or ProRes.

2) Memory cards + readers
So far, I bought two 8GB cards, just so I would have something to shoot on. They're Kingstons, and they work great. The store is local, the price was right, but they don't seem to sell anything bigger than 8GB in the class 6.

I think I am going to buy a couple 16GB class 6 Transcend cards online for about $40. I haven't read anything negative about this brand, but let me know if you have had a different experience.

3) Memory card readers
I also bought a cheap $4 USB2 card reader. It is waaay too slow, especially since before I got the card reader, I was "borrowing" one of those new 13inch MacBooks with the SD card reader. I was able to play clips off the card on the borrowed laptop but I certainly can't on this card reader.

Clearly, I was too cheap. But in reading the boxes at the store, I couldn't ascertain the difference between a $5 card reader and a $25 card reader, and some clearly said they don't support SDHC cards over 8GB in size.

My own laptop could take an ExpressCard reader, of course, but that's not a solution for the MacPro which will eventually become the primary HD FCP6 workstation.

That's all for now. Thanks for your help!

David

1) You should be able to edit fine in FCP 5.1 (now that you've installed the Perian XDCAM component) if you manually set your sequence to 1920x1080 (or 1280x720), square pixels, match the frame rate, 48Khz uncompressed audio. You might be able to select the Perian XDCam codec and make your sequence render-free, but I no longer have a FCP5.1 system around to test this theory for you. If it doesn't work then try using the Apple Intermediate Codec as a quick render/acceptable bit rate alternative.

When you upgrade to FCP6 you will have fully native editing and the ability to select ProRes422 as your render codec (which speeds up rendering and maintains quality.)


2) I haven't had any problems with Transcend cards but that doesn't mean they are perfect. They are popular because of the price.

3)There is a 16GB Transcend card bundled with a USB card reader that is also popular. I've been using the card reader and it can play files back directly from the SDHC card.

1. I import the clips with Perian - and it work, the only what not need to be rendered
is HDV1080i50 25 Mbs. With the other clips I work with AppleIntermediate, because the
size of the clips is factor 3.

2. I`ve got Transcend and Extrememory-Cards, the plastic of the Transcend is better,
the Extremememory`s-speed is 20 percent higher than Transcend.

3. In Germany the JVC HM700 comes with 2x 8 GB Transcend-Cards, there haptic is really much better than others and the price is cheap.