I have been reading about the Panasonic AG-DVX 100 and am thinking about purchasing one. I have a couple of questions about the 24P format and FCP and DVD Studio.

-Can I leverage 24P with FCP? It sounds as if there was support announced but it is not yet available?

-When I go to burn onto DVD will I need to convert to 30i or another format or can I encode at 24P?

Any information in greatly appreciated.

Apple's Cinema Tools supports 24fps. You only need to be concerned about 24fps if you are going to film with the finished project. Apple's site walks you through it http://www.apple.com/cinematools/hd.html. In FCP you can set a 24fps frame rate. Cinema Tools is mostly used for going film (does EDLs). If you plan on playing the DVD on your TV at home you'll need NTSC video (yup, 29.97fps). If you are going to film with your projects the DVX100 makes sense. However, a look at Magic Bullet plugin http://www.theorphanage.com/ may make more sense for the occasional film type project (and much less money).

Jeff

DVD accepts the following progressive formats:

1. 24 fps (NTSC)
2. 25 fps (PAL)
3. 29.97 fps (NTSC)

So that should be no problem. I don't know about FCP.

Doesn't the DVX100 just do a 2:3 in-camera pulldown anyway?

To the best of my knowledge the DVX100 does a pull down. NTSC is 29.97 fps. No other frame rates can be broadcast or displayed by NTSC monitors or TVs.

Jeff

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : Apple's Cinema Tools supports 24fps. You only need to be concerned about 24fps if you are going to film with the finished project. Apple's site walks you through it http://www.apple.com/cinematools/hd.html. In FCP you can set a 24fps frame rate. Cinema Tools is mostly used for going film (does EDLs). If you plan on playing the DVD on your TV at home you'll need NTSC video (yup, 29.97fps). If you are going to film with your projects the DVX100 makes sense. However, a look at Magic Bullet plugin http://www.theorphanage.com/ may make more sense for the occasional film type project (and much less money).

Jeff -->>>

Jeff,

It is my understanding that you must use After Effects with Magic Bullet is that correct? If so, do you edit in FCP and than take it into After Effects for added manipulation?

That is correct, Paul. MB is an AfterEffects plug-in suite. It -might- also work with FCP3, since FCP can accept many AE plug-ins.

It doesn't work directly with FCP3 (but might in FCP4) because Apple changed plug-in rules for FCP3 when it was introduced. MB needs AE to work. FCP4 will be introduced soon. Some speculate as early as DV Expo West in a few weeks. I doubt that because Apple isn't too far along in the Beta process. My best guess is at MacWorld SF or a few weeks after. After Effects 6 is not scheduled for about a year according to the rumor sites.

People are complaining about MB being slow (I average 5 to 10 seconds a frame with a DP 450) and losing resolution. Little, if any of my work will go to film, ever. But I do have clients want a less video look for DVD, broadcast and tape (usually VHS). I already owned AE so I couldn't really see buying the Panasonic DVX100. If I was going to film, maybe. But MB does everything I need.

Jeff

<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : That is correct, Paul. MB is an AfterEffects plug-in suite. It -might- also work with FCP3, since FCP can accept many AE plug-ins. -->>>

I guess I did never got far enough in the FCP manual to know that it takes AE plug-ins. Is there anything special that I need to do, to install an AE plug-in?

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : It doesn't work directly with FCP3 (but might in FCP4) because Apple changed plug-in rules for FCP3 when it was introduced. MB needs AE to work. FCP4 will be introduced soon. Some speculate as early as DV Expo West in a few weeks. I doubt that because Apple isn't too far along in the Beta process. My best guess is at MacWorld SF or a few weeks after. After Effects 6 is not scheduled for about a year according to the rumor sites.
-->>>

I don't recall if it was you or not who made the comment that Apple may come out with a "Pro" version and a "regular" version. This logic makes sense. It will be interesting to see what Apple actually does with the next release.

Yah, that was me speculating what Apple might do to counter Avid's Pro Bundle and also increase revenue. If the additional features in a pro version were juicy enough, I don't think a real pro would balk at another $300 to $500. Most AE plug-in installers put them in the correct folder. A few require manual installation. There is a plug-in folder (just like other Adobe programs) and you drop the plug-in in the folder and start AE. The first time it will ask for the serial and your good to go.

Jeff

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : Yah, that was me speculating what Apple might do to counter Avid's Pro Bundle and also increase revenue. If the additional features in a pro version were juicy enough, I don't think a real pro would balk at another $300 to $500. Most AE plug-in installers put them in the correct folder. A few require manual installation. There is a plug-in folder (just like other Adobe programs) and you drop the plug-in in the folder and start AE. The first time it will ask for the serial and your good to go.

Jeff -->>>

It would really depend on the features for the Pro version. I am not really familiar with the Avid suit of products. What is in the Pro bundle?

Are you refering to the FCP plug-in folder or the AE folder?

The Avid PowerPack (Pro version) handles Film and EDL for film, 29 plug-ins (RT for lightning, DVE's) motion tracking, full retail version of both Boris FX and Graffiti, and unlimited nesting. AE has a folder, as does FCP3, for plug-ins. However, FCP3 no longer uses AE plug-ins (it used to, but not any more) because Apple changed FCP when version 3 came out. FCP2 used to me able to use AE plug-ins. I'm hoping Apple makes changes to FCP4 and aloows the use of standard AE plug-ins.

Jeff

I've purchased Boris Red and have not even come close to understanding how to work with it. There are no classes in Houston, which is to bad. From the research that I did prior to buying it, it seemed like the logical choice for the work that I am doing. Have you had any experience with it?

Paul,
Call the folks up at Boris. They have great tech support. They also have some video's available that take you through some great stuff. The program is awesome. The thing scared me at first. Isolate yourself for a couple of days, watch the video's, and play incesantly with all of the buttons. You will be astounded when you make your first nifty effects. This program will make NLE fun.

Sincerely,
Bill

Paul,

I heard nothing but good things about Boris Red. However, I've only played with it a little bit on a clients computer. When software started to replace hardware for DVE, graphics etc. AE was it for the lower end. So I learned it by default and I've stuck with it.

Jeff

<<<-- Originally posted by BillF741 : Paul,
Call the folks up at Boris. They have great tech support. They also have some video's available that take you through some great stuff. The program is awesome. The thing scared me at first. Isolate yourself for a couple of days, watch the video's, and play incesantly with all of the buttons. You will be astounded when you make your first nifty effects. This program will make NLE fun.

Sincerely,
Bill -->>>

Thanks Bill! I will call them on Monday. How long have you been working with the program?

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : Paul,

I heard nothing but good things about Boris Red. However, I've only played with it a little bit on a clients computer. When software started to replace hardware for DVE, graphics etc. AE was it for the lower end. So I learned it by default and I've stuck with it.

Jeff -->>>

Jeff,

I have an old copy of Premier that came with a scaled down version of AE. Never spent much time working with Premier as FCP has really handled my needs.

I have been using Red since August. I am still learning little tricks to the program. Their staff is very approachable. My sales person there was Brigitte Hirsch. Susan Vose in tech support was just awesome helping me with some quick shortcuts to get motion tracking done for a project that I was doing. Another great thing about Boris is that the program can work either separately or within Final Cut Pro as a plug in.

Good luck!
Sincerely,
Bill