NLE Mac / Final Cut questions from 2007

Daniel Stevenson · February 25th, 2007, 05:37 PM

I tried to trim a 50 minute file in Quicktime Pro and then 'save as' as amother file name. However I cancelled the 'save as' and now the original file lasts for only one frame. HOWEVER it nis still showing the file size as 60GB (the size of the original file). It seems something in the Quicktime file is telling whatever program it is opened in that it is only one frame long.

Does anyone know how I can retrieve the rest of the file? We hired a digibeta player to capture the footage so it's be nice to avoid hiring it again.

Thanks!

Daniel

Tristan Versluis · February 26th, 2007, 02:01 PM

Hi,

i need help. I am exporting my hdv files from fcp....but when i then go to the file and open the footage it does not fill the entire screen..only just the middle?

i have tried exporting using compressor and quicktime converstion....but what ever way i try (in hdv) it always does the same.

whats the best way of exporting my hdv footage keeping the up most quality...to burn to dvd????

regards

T

Dirk Bouwen · February 27th, 2007, 01:44 PM

Probably covered within other threads, but can anyone confirm that the latest version of FCS 5.1.4 is fully supporting the Canon/25F mode (the "PAL land" full frame mode)?

Are there other surprising issues I should know using FCS 5.1.4 for capturing/editing Canon HDV footage - or is it all working as it should be?

Dick Walton · March 2nd, 2007, 05:04 PM

Set up:MacBook Pro 17" (OS X 10.4.8) - FCP 5.1.2 - Mac 23" Cinema Display - XLH1

So . . . there must be a good reference for post workflow from HDV to SD 3/4
DVD. I'd appreciate any references, URLs, or other resources that discuss combining SD 3/4 with 1080i footage.

Many Thanks!

PS - Perhaps I should add Matrox MXO to above mentioned system?

Cal Bickford · March 6th, 2007, 08:12 PM

hey guys, I'm sure this has been talked about before but i think its worth mentioning again. I bought a copy of dvd studio pro 4 academic version on ebay for $125, sent installation dvd to apple and upgraded to fcp studio 5.1 universal for $199. There's a number of different software packages you can get (soundtrack pro, production suite, motion, etc.) some of the academic versions are eligible some are not. see this ( http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/ ) link and download the pdf order form of the specific software and read the fine print to see which versions are eligible. fcp for $350 = better than fcp for $1300.

Elmer Lang · March 15th, 2007, 01:25 PM

I'm working on my first HDV project in FCP 5.1.4 on a MBPro, 2.33 ghz, using photos and footage shot with an Canon HV10. When I render a photo (.psd) in the timeline the popup render window says "Conforming HDV Video." Why conform when it's just a photo? It also took longer than usual (NTSC).

I thought yesterday when I rendered it the first time I didn't get that window saying "Conforming..." and it only took as long as one would typically expect in an NTSC timeline.

The reason I was re-rendering was that, having keyed a zoom into the photo in FCP, after rendering the 'zoom in' it had an odd clunky distortion in the portion 'zoomed'. Is conforming at fault? Is HDV going to give problems using photos?

thanks,
elmer

Johan Forssblad · March 16th, 2007, 04:03 AM

Hi,
I have HDV-2 PAL material shot on a Canon XL H1 in 25F mode (16:9) and edited in FCP as 1080p25.

Now I need to send this to clients in US for playback in their DVD players with projectors.

Please could you recommend me a workflow to get a decent NTSC DVD copy. It does not have to be optimum quality. Better if it is cheap and perhaps possible to accomplish within FCP or Compressor in Final Cut Studio. It contains good big band music so it is important to retain the pitch.

Thankful if you have any ideas. Sorry if this is partly covered in other links already.

Chris Harris · March 17th, 2007, 10:51 AM

My Mac Pro's performance seems to be decreasing. 2x2.66ghz, 2gb ram. It takes 22 seconds to boot from power on to the user screen, which is fine. But when you click on a user, any user, even a freshly created user, it takes close to 60 seconds for the hard drive to stop thrashing. This is troubling, since this is my editing machine. I need for it to be in the best shape possible, but the problem just seems to be getting worse. I have 2 hard drives, one is just for the OS and applications, the other is partitioned in 2, for video and other data. Does anybody know what the problem could be? Has anybody else had this problem? Maybe it's an Intel thing, because even an old 1.2ghz G4 eMac boots way faster than this. I'm lost here!

Bryan Hyde · March 17th, 2007, 06:10 PM

so i just shot my first music video. it turned out great. i used a canon XL1, edited it into final cut pro 5, used some nattress and grading sweet plug ins to alter the look and then exported it as an uncompressed 10bit quicktime movie (i figure this way i have a high quality copy of it and i can compress later)

so then i tried compressing for web and it looks like crap.
i used compressor to try and compress for dvd and the dvd looks wobbly and disgusting when i play it.

what am i doing wrong?

what am i not doing?

i hear all about deinterlacing and maybe the XL1 at 60i should be converted to 24p or 29.97.

please help me out!

Jay Fisk · March 19th, 2007, 02:17 AM

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...S&newsID=17514

100% tapeless HD by 2010

Waldemar Winkler · March 19th, 2007, 05:26 PM

My most recent project needs delivery on both DVD and MPEG 1.

What is the most efficient workflow from FCP to deliver a MPEG 1?

Johan Forssblad · March 21st, 2007, 02:22 AM

Hi, anybody out here who knows how to invert an audio channel?
I would like to try MS (Mid-Side) stereo recording on my XL H1.
I wonder if there is a way do decode the signal (simulate a matrix) in Final Cut Pro.
On channel 1 I have recorded the M (Mid) signal which is the mono signal from the cardioid microphone pointing forward.
On channel 2 I have recorded the S (side) signal from the figure 8 microphone pointing left-right to get the difference signal.

By adding M+S I will get the LEFT stereo channel.
By subtracting, M-S, I will get the RIGHT stereo channel.
Is is possible to subtract a channel in Final Cut Pro?
This could also be done by reversing the phase of the S channel and then add the M channel.
I havn't found a function for this but perhaps it is in the software already or there is a plug-in making it possible.

Of course this could be done in the mixer and by making some connections but I would like to stay inside the digital domain of Final Cut Pro if possible.

Thankful for any ideas! / Johan

Sam Bond · March 21st, 2007, 04:47 AM

I was wandering if it is possible to monitor a HDV timeline via the HDMI port With the Blackmagic Decklink HD Studio card. I have looked at getting the Blackmagic Intensity but it isnt supported by my PowerPC G5 so that isnt an option. If anyone can help or has any other ideas, i would be most greatful!

Robert Bobson · March 21st, 2007, 10:28 AM

I have an external Maxtor HD that crashed a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to see if I could salvage the info.

I didn't hear any grinding - and I could hear the drive spinning. My computer just couldn't see it.

I learned online that an external HD is just an internal HD in a case with some additional interfacing electronics, and that the problem might be with these "interfacing electronics".

So I bought a new empty case, switched the old drive over and voila, my drive's working again!

20 gig of info I was ready to pitch in the trash.

I had looked for an empty case at a local "custom built" computer store, and the guy told me that "if my old computer couldn't even see the drive, the drive was beyond saving - BUT that for a fee, they could TRY to extract the info for me."

So I don't know if I was just lucky - or if this might work for you, too.

Cal Bickford · March 21st, 2007, 08:53 PM

okay so I'm in the process of learning about fcp right now and i have a question regarding the best way to edit hdv and output to a hd-dvd or blue-ray dvd. The cam (A1) outputs hdv in a YUV colorspace right? But if its going to be displaye on a hd lcd monitor/projector is it better to select the "always render in rgb" option in the sequence preset editor? Any help appreciated!

February 25th, 2007, 05:37 PM	#46
Daniel Stevenson Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 60	Quicktime file loss I tried to trim a 50 minute file in Quicktime Pro and then 'save as' as amother file name. However I cancelled the 'save as' and now the original file lasts for only one frame. HOWEVER it nis still showing the file size as 60GB (the size of the original file). It seems something in the Quicktime file is telling whatever program it is opened in that it is only one frame long. Does anyone know how I can retrieve the rest of the file? We hired a digibeta player to capture the footage so it's be nice to avoid hiring it again. Thanks! Daniel

February 26th, 2007, 02:01 PM	#47
Tristan Versluis New Boot Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: London Posts: 6	exporting hdv from FCP Hi, i need help. I am exporting my hdv files from fcp....but when i then go to the file and open the footage it does not fill the entire screen..only just the middle? i have tried exporting using compressor and quicktime converstion....but what ever way i try (in hdv) it always does the same. whats the best way of exporting my hdv footage keeping the up most quality...to burn to dvd???? regards T

February 27th, 2007, 01:44 PM	#48
Dirk Bouwen Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: AC, Belgium Posts: 75	Canon XH A1E PAL / 25F support within Final Cut Studio Probably covered within other threads, but can anyone confirm that the latest version of FCS 5.1.4 is fully supporting the Canon/25F mode (the "PAL land" full frame mode)? Are there other surprising issues I should know using FCS 5.1.4 for capturing/editing Canon HDV footage - or is it all working as it should be?

March 2nd, 2007, 05:04 PM	#49
Dick Walton Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Concord, MA Posts: 53	Workflow Questions Set up:MacBook Pro 17" (OS X 10.4.8) - FCP 5.1.2 - Mac 23" Cinema Display - XLH1 So . . . there must be a good reference for post workflow from HDV to SD 3/4 DVD. I'd appreciate any references, URLs, or other resources that discuss combining SD 3/4 with 1080i footage. Many Thanks! PS - Perhaps I should add Matrox MXO to above mentioned system? __________________ D.Walton

March 6th, 2007, 08:12 PM	#50
Cal Bickford Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 157	fcp studio full version for $350 hey guys, I'm sure this has been talked about before but i think its worth mentioning again. I bought a copy of dvd studio pro 4 academic version on ebay for $125, sent installation dvd to apple and upgraded to fcp studio 5.1 universal for $199. There's a number of different software packages you can get (soundtrack pro, production suite, motion, etc.) some of the academic versions are eligible some are not. see this ( http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/ ) link and download the pdf order form of the specific software and read the fine print to see which versions are eligible. fcp for $350 = better than fcp for $1300.

March 15th, 2007, 01:25 PM	#51
Elmer Lang Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: NY, NY Posts: 319	Working with photos in HDV timeline I'm working on my first HDV project in FCP 5.1.4 on a MBPro, 2.33 ghz, using photos and footage shot with an Canon HV10. When I render a photo (.psd) in the timeline the popup render window says "Conforming HDV Video." Why conform when it's just a photo? It also took longer than usual (NTSC). I thought yesterday when I rendered it the first time I didn't get that window saying "Conforming..." and it only took as long as one would typically expect in an NTSC timeline. The reason I was re-rendering was that, having keyed a zoom into the photo in FCP, after rendering the 'zoom in' it had an odd clunky distortion in the portion 'zoomed'. Is conforming at fault? Is HDV going to give problems using photos? thanks, elmer

March 16th, 2007, 04:03 AM	#52
Johan Forssblad Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vittsjö, SKÅNE, SWEDEN Posts: 266	PAL 1080 25F conversion to NTSC SD DVD Hi, I have HDV-2 PAL material shot on a Canon XL H1 in 25F mode (16:9) and edited in FCP as 1080p25. Now I need to send this to clients in US for playback in their DVD players with projectors. Please could you recommend me a workflow to get a decent NTSC DVD copy. It does not have to be optimum quality. Better if it is cheap and perhaps possible to accomplish within FCP or Compressor in Final Cut Studio. It contains good big band music so it is important to retain the pitch. Thankful if you have any ideas. Sorry if this is partly covered in other links already.

March 17th, 2007, 10:51 AM	#53
Chris Harris Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco, California Posts: 487	Mac Pro performance? My Mac Pro's performance seems to be decreasing. 2x2.66ghz, 2gb ram. It takes 22 seconds to boot from power on to the user screen, which is fine. But when you click on a user, any user, even a freshly created user, it takes close to 60 seconds for the hard drive to stop thrashing. This is troubling, since this is my editing machine. I need for it to be in the best shape possible, but the problem just seems to be getting worse. I have 2 hard drives, one is just for the OS and applications, the other is partitioned in 2, for video and other data. Does anybody know what the problem could be? Has anybody else had this problem? Maybe it's an Intel thing, because even an old 1.2ghz G4 eMac boots way faster than this. I'm lost here! Last edited by Chris Harris; March 17th, 2007 at 11:08 AM. Reason: typo

March 17th, 2007, 06:10 PM	#54
Bryan Hyde Tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2	Stranded! what do i do? Newb with canon xl-1, fcp etc... so i just shot my first music video. it turned out great. i used a canon XL1, edited it into final cut pro 5, used some nattress and grading sweet plug ins to alter the look and then exported it as an uncompressed 10bit quicktime movie (i figure this way i have a high quality copy of it and i can compress later) so then i tried compressing for web and it looks like crap. i used compressor to try and compress for dvd and the dvd looks wobbly and disgusting when i play it. what am i doing wrong? what am i not doing? i hear all about deinterlacing and maybe the XL1 at 60i should be converted to 24p or 29.97. please help me out!

March 19th, 2007, 02:17 AM	#55
Jay Fisk Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: CSL BCS MX Posts: 67	FCP is now BBC Standard http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...S&newsID=17514 100% tapeless HD by 2010

March 19th, 2007, 05:26 PM	#56
Waldemar Winkler Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Durango, Colorado, USA Posts: 711	Workflow to deliver MPEG 1? My most recent project needs delivery on both DVD and MPEG 1. What is the most efficient workflow from FCP to deliver a MPEG 1? __________________ Waldemar

March 21st, 2007, 02:22 AM	#57
Johan Forssblad Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vittsjö, SKÅNE, SWEDEN Posts: 266	Decode MS-stereo in Final Cut Pro? Hi, anybody out here who knows how to invert an audio channel? I would like to try MS (Mid-Side) stereo recording on my XL H1. I wonder if there is a way do decode the signal (simulate a matrix) in Final Cut Pro. On channel 1 I have recorded the M (Mid) signal which is the mono signal from the cardioid microphone pointing forward. On channel 2 I have recorded the S (side) signal from the figure 8 microphone pointing left-right to get the difference signal. By adding M+S I will get the LEFT stereo channel. By subtracting, M-S, I will get the RIGHT stereo channel. Is is possible to subtract a channel in Final Cut Pro? This could also be done by reversing the phase of the S channel and then add the M channel. I havn't found a function for this but perhaps it is in the software already or there is a plug-in making it possible. Of course this could be done in the mixer and by making some connections but I would like to stay inside the digital domain of Final Cut Pro if possible. Thankful for any ideas! / Johan

March 21st, 2007, 04:47 AM	#58
Sam Bond New Boot Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10	Monitoring HDV via HDMI With Blackmagic Decklink HD Studio I was wandering if it is possible to monitor a HDV timeline via the HDMI port With the Blackmagic Decklink HD Studio card. I have looked at getting the Blackmagic Intensity but it isnt supported by my PowerPC G5 so that isnt an option. If anyone can help or has any other ideas, i would be most greatful!

March 21st, 2007, 10:28 AM	#59
Robert Bobson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bay City, Michigan Posts: 585	recovered crashed external hard drive I have an external Maxtor HD that crashed a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to see if I could salvage the info. I didn't hear any grinding - and I could hear the drive spinning. My computer just couldn't see it. I learned online that an external HD is just an internal HD in a case with some additional interfacing electronics, and that the problem might be with these "interfacing electronics". So I bought a new empty case, switched the old drive over and voila, my drive's working again! 20 gig of info I was ready to pitch in the trash. I had looked for an empty case at a local "custom built" computer store, and the guy told me that "if my old computer couldn't even see the drive, the drive was beyond saving - BUT that for a fee, they could TRY to extract the info for me." So I don't know if I was just lucky - or if this might work for you, too.

March 21st, 2007, 08:53 PM	#60
Cal Bickford Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 157	hdv render in yuv or rgb?? okay so I'm in the process of learning about fcp right now and i have a question regarding the best way to edit hdv and output to a hd-dvd or blue-ray dvd. The cam (A1) outputs hdv in a YUV colorspace right? But if its going to be displaye on a hd lcd monitor/projector is it better to select the "always render in rgb" option in the sequence preset editor? Any help appreciated!