Export Quicktime - Current Settings?

Question

I have finished in FCP. 1:45 minutes long. Video yearbook.
I usually just export as quicktime using the default settings. When I click on the Current Settings option (in FCP - export to Quicktime) there are way too many choices. For the entry level guy, which one should I choose? I am thinking
DV NTSC 48 Khz?
Or should I leave it alone?

Answer 1

I know what you mean, but the trouble is that DVDSP will work with a lot of the QT formats...
However, if you are looking to get the best workflow and quality, then export as MPEG2 and bring that into DVDSP. If MPEG2 isn't an option in your settings then you'll need to use Compressor to do this bit. You can export your footage from FCP directly into Compressor, or you can export as a QT format and use Compressor later.
If you choose to go with the QT format for now, look for full sized, full quality DV (if you started with a DV camera) - i.e. NTSC 48Khz DV (or PAL if it is PAL you are using).
If you started with DVCPRO then export as that - the fewer times you change the footage the better.
If you then enter the world of Compressor, you need to think about the length of time the footage plays for, the available space on your disc and the other components that will eat into that space (audio, menu graphics, subtitles, ROM content, etc). Only once you have an idea about all of that can you really get the best compression to MPEG2.
If you go with the 'DV' route into DVDSP then you need to look carefully at the preference settings for encoding. If you are going to encode this to MPEG2 within DVDSP (which is possible, but not necessarily the best way to do it) then you need to adjust the settings to allow the material to fit on the disc. Higher settings create larger file sizes, lower settings create smaller file sizes... BUT you need to allow for the other elements as well (Audio can be especially important to encode correctly).
As you can probably tell, there really is no simple 'one size fits all' formula and there are a lot of different variables. For what it's worth, my general workflow is this:
Capture and edit footage in FCP
Export as DV PAL 48khz, self-contained file
Use MPEG2 encoder (BitVice, MegaPEG.X, Canopus Procoder, etc)
Encode audio to AC3 (need to use Compressor for this bit)
Bring encoded video and audio into DVDSP
Add other elements (menus, subtitles, etc)
Author and build the disc - or write to DLT for replication.
Each stage of the process demands different skills and understandings about DVD in general... no two discs ever seem to be the same and as you can see I use a wide range of different software to accomplish the task.
You certainly don't need anything more than DVDSP to build a disc, but the quality you can achieve may not be as high as if you use different tools for the different parts of the process. Exporting from FCP via Compressor is a Very Good Option™ if you want to have more control over how the compressed file will look - but you need to think about learning how Compressor works...
Lots to think about... sorry!