The posts regarding this topic have been very informative but it hasn't fully satisfied a concern of mine.

I am planning on shooting my next film with the following set-up: XL2, 24pa(2:3:3:2), 16:9, 1/48 and editing on a MAC with final cut pro HD. I know the basic difference between 2:3:3:2 and 2:3 so I am leaning towards shooting in 2:3:3:2 with the hope or at least the option that one day we can transfer it to film. I feel It seems to be the logical choice of the two because it leaves one extra path open that the film could take. I am really trying to search out the pros and cons of the two modes...not during capturing and editing but the pros and cons of how it will play as a DVD. After we finish the film we will have DVDs replicated so I'm wondering if because it was shot in this mode (24pa) would it have any trouble playing smoothly on some players?

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Scott, you can create a 24P DVD by creating a 24P MPG2 File. It won't effect playing back in a DVD player. Virtually all commercial DVD players will introduce pulldown automatically on playback on an NTSC or PAL screen if it sees 24P video and it will look the same as if you shot 24P non-advanced. This is how hollywood does it. The bonus here being that you can fit more on the DVD because there are less frames, and if someone is watching on a progressive scan HDTV with a progressive scan DVD player, then it will pass through the true 24 fps to the display without deinterlace.

There's really no down-side to 24PA unless you want to go tape.

thanks Paul. You've mentioned the only downside in shooting in 24pa is if I wanted to go to tape. Can you tell me why that is? Also, would that apply if I wanted to tranfer the film to Digi-Beta and/or Beta SP?

As you're using Final Cut Pro and intend to edit in 24p, the answer is simple -- shoot 24pA. Always.

You can always go back to tape; when you do, have FCP insert a 2:3 pulldown instead of a 2:3:3:2 pulldown.

Remember, once you're working in a 24p environment and have extracted the original 24p frames, it doesn't matter what pulldown you used when you shot. All options are available to you for your render.

that was the answer I was looking for David... thanks!

What David said. :-)