What am I missing?

[Luke Renner]

Howdy Y'all.
Just got back from Haiti. Shot a lot of footage with my new XL2.
For the MOST PART... I am in total awe with this camera.

HOWEVER...
I slapped together a 22 minute summary of my trip in FCP-HD (very informal) and burned it to DVD. As I watch it, there are SEVERAL shots that are VERY, VERY creepy crawly (full of aliased distortion). Of course, the busier the shot (meaning full of detail... like grass, or corn fields, or stone paths), the worse the problem is. In some spots, it's just UNBEARABLE.

I am an AVID Symphony guy by nature, so it is possible that this is a FCP shortcoming. I dunno. Anyway, if any of you all have had problems with footage GOING TO TAPE like this, please do tell. If it is my editing system, I suppose I will be more relieved.

If possible, no guesswork folks. Interested in people with the same experience and real explanations.

Thanks
Luke

[Luke Renner]

I have watched one particularly bad spot on a television, straight from the video deck (bypassing FCP altogether). LOOKED MUCH BETTER. In Fact, had I been watching it comonent or S-Video, it would likely have been completely FLAWLESS (for standard def NTSC).

So Kudos to the XL2.

NONETHELESS, I could now use some help with WHY this is happening in FCP. I realize that this is not exactly the forum for this question, and I will pose it where it belongs too, but in case I have an FCP straggler reading who knows of the "no-duh-quick-fix" to this problem, please speak up!

By the way, I captured at 10-bit uncompressed.

Cheers!
Luke

[Rob Lohman]

It sounds like an interlacing problem. So either you did not retain
the progressive settings throughout the workflow (if you shot
progressive) or you switched fields somewhere.

DV is lower field first (in interlaced)
MPEG-2 for DVD is default upper field first (but can in theory be both)

[Luke Renner]

OKAY... now perhaps we are on to something!
I shot with the XL2 at 24P. There's a REAL GOOD CHANCE that I'm editing in a preset NTSC, interlaced mode since I never specifically set FCP up to do otherwise. As I continually have to remember, software can't read minds!!!!

What must I do to ensure that I maintain the 24P setting throughout the workflow?

Could someone give me a short tutorial on FCP's appropriate settings, any export considerations, and Compressor hoops that must be jumped through to pull this off?

In the meantime, I will start chasing down that bone.

Thanks everyone.
I friggin LOVE this board.

Cheers!
Luke

[Luke Renner]

ARRRRRGGGGG!!!!!

Went through and did some tweaking to field options.

These complex (visually busy) shots STILL look like I'm watching them through a screen window (VERY crawly).

I've seen other FCP outputs (from other people) that look this way. Is this just something FCP doesn't do well (at all) or do I need a serious FCPer to come in and setup my system correctly?

Growing endlessly frustrated.
AVID just always worked.
Wake up brain... seems like I'll be needing you again.

Sigh,
Luke

[A. J. deLange]

The phrase "...I captured at 10-bit uncompressed." caught my eye. I don't know what this setting is for but I don't think it's for capturing video from an XL2. I'm guessing it's for capture from a video card or device of a more sophisiticated nature than the XL2.

What you want is "DV NTSC 48 kHz Anamorphic" or "DV NTSC 48 kHz Advanced 2:3:3:2 Pulldown Removal" setting. The fact that you used 10-bit uncompressed suggests that something other than plugging the camera into the computer's fire wire port and choosing the appropriate capture configuration from the log and capture menu was done e.g. that you fed S or composite video to a capture card (you do mention a "deck"). You'll get the best video (and audio) possible from the XL2 if you use the camera's fire wire port for transfer. You are transferring the 1's and 0's from the tape directly to the computer in this mode. If you are using a deck, take the fire wire output - not composite or S-video. Digitizing the video with another device involves decompression, D/A conversion and multiplexing to generate the signal then signal separation, A/D conversion and recompression in the capture card. All of these will have an effect on the quality of the captured video. You can take firewire output from another device. As long as there are no crossplay issues this is as good as taking data from the camera's fire wire port. In either case you are transferring the data without A/D/D/A conversion, compression etc.

I know you don't want guessing but you'll have to be more specific about exactly what you did for me to give a more specific answer.

Note that I don't do most capture with FCP. I find BTV pro more convenient in that it breaks the tape up into handy 20 minutes chunks of dv format video two of which fit nicely on a DVD ROM. I will use FCP if I only want a cut or two from a tape and it works just fine as I described.

[Rob Lohman]

You would need the latter in my opinion. So that would be:

" DV NTSC 48 KHz Advanced 2:3:3:2 Pulldown Removal "

*IF* you've shot 24p in advanced 2:3:3:2 otherwise you will need
the regular 2:3 pulldown mode (if FCP has that, I assume it does!).

Make SURE the interlaced is set to something like NONE or
PROGRESSIVE. Since I don't use FCP myself I have no idea where
or how this is done. Sorry.

It still sounds like an FCP problem. You might want to post in the
Mac editing problems that you are having output problems with
FCP (do mention the XL2 24p and which mode you used, but the
main issue here is FCP, not the XL2!).

Good luck!