Final Cut 7 Chroma Keying

I'm using green screen files that were mpeg-2 muxed converted to quicktime files using ffmpegX. I key them with a white background, but when I export to a Quicktime movie I lose quality and there is an ugly, pixelated white line around the subject. What codec should I export with? I've tried ProRes (LT) 60p and the HDV-1080i50 codec just to fool around, and in those the subject looks better but the background becomes pixelated and grey instead of white. It was shot on a P2 Panasonic, the original size of the media was 1920x1080, 75,000 bit rate. I'm sure the conversion of mpeg-2 to mp4 took the quality down a bit, but it seems quite bad now. Codec suggestions? Thanks.

If you shot with Panasonic P2 (DVCPRO HD or AVCintra? Guessing AVCI) then why do you think they are MPEG-2 compressed (they are not), and why did you use ffmpegX to convert them?
FCP 7 imports AVCIntra as ProRes directly via Log and Transfer. And it is best to use ProRes 422, and not LT, if you intend to Chroma Key. NEVER go to HDV...that's just horrible to do to nice AVCIntra footage.
What did you use to Chroma Key? You don't specify.
WHite background? Not green or blue? That isn't a keyable color. VERY problematic. You shoot with a blue or green screen if you intend to key. Not white.
Again...AVCintra isn't MPEG 2...WHY did you convert to mp4? Sorry, but do you know what the heck you are doing? Doesn't sound like do.
1) Shoot AVCintra P2. If you want to chroma key...CHROMA means COLOR. White is luma. And the two professionally accepted ways of chroma keying are green and blue. Anything else an you have issues.
2) Log and trasnfer that to ProRes 422. Not HDV, Not mp4. Do not use outside software. The P2 workflow in FCP is the easiest tapeless workflow, as it was the first one.
3) Key out the color with the built in Primatte keyer, or with good third party options (DV Matte Pro, Motion, After Effects and Keylight...)
4) Comp in your background.
5) Export to your delivery format.
Shane

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here's a link to a really good explanation complete with a short video - it's for the Kodak Zi8 but should work the same for whatever you're using.
http://www.reelsocialmedia.com/2010/01/how-to-use-the-zi8-with-final-cut-express /
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[email protected]

first thanks for replying
i was trying to undo edit apple-z and capture apple-8
i had panther installed on this very same computor for a short while and everything worked just fine.
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Final Cut 7 Chroma Keying

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