Final Cut Express on last legs, it seems.

I am having major problems with my Final Cut Express these days. I can't ever capture more than 10 minutes worth of camcorder footage without the whole FCE suddenly freezing up on me. I then have no choice but to Force Quit & end up losing the 10 or 15 minutes worth of footage captured. Quite often I can't even get that far...when I click on "capture now" it goes into "allocating disc space" and just freezes up again. Force Quit all over again.
I am using a Crossfire external hard drive so there is plenty of space. Even the Macintosh HD has lots of space...so I'm not sure it's related to that. I have made tons of movies in the past, without such trouble....but as time has gone by it has become more & more unruly. More prone to crashing & siezing up. Is there any way I can uninstall the whole thing, and start from new with restored factory settings? Or is there a way to clean up the mess (if there is one) which is apparently clogging up the works? I am using an Apple iMac which I have owned since 2003, with Mac OSX version 10.4.11.
1.25 Ghz PowerPC G4
with 1GB DDR SDRAM.
The Final Cut Express version I am using is version 2.0.2 (from 2004).
Please help ! I used to be able to crank out tons of movies with minimal effort, now it's a nightmare!

Check out Armando's suggestion first but if the problems persist take a good look at this FCE troubleshooting article.
I would particularly recommend trashing the preferences first and if that is ineffective uninstall FCE as described and reinstall it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24195?viewlocale=enUS&locale=enUS

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Final Cut Express, latest (last) version, Pixelation: Both .mov files and photos

I've been using mpegstream clip to convert my mpegs to AIC .mov files. They are pixaleted in canvas but look sharp in viewer. Cannot seem to fix - exceedingly frusterated (today's my birthday (seriously), I'm trying to finish a project, but am instead writing this - I've spent more time trying to figure out how to make this work than I've spent working on the project).
Same issue for photos. Oddly, I could originally bring in JPEGs and they looked blurry. Then I tried resizing (I am aware of the pixel size difference issue) - worked for a while. Then for no apparent reason all of my photos were sharp, and now none, no matter what I do to resize.
The tools I have to work with:
Final Cut Express
Appreture
Iphoto
Whatever came with my Mac
I do not have photoshop.
I would be very grateful for any help solving this problem.
Thank you.
Tobias

MtD -
First, thank you for responding. Although I've read these conversations avidly, this is my first foray into any online question and I am seriously grateful for the response.
I've posted the browser properties first and the Sequence clip properties second.
Sequence:

Flip Video on Final Cut Express

How do i get HD video files shot on my flip video camera to play in final cut express? It doesn't seem that FCE is recognizing the video format created by flip video.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.

Hi David,
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 /
Key seems to be the file import settings. I'm still experimenting with my Zi8 and these.
Hope this helps you
Best
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Final Cut Express for intel

Help! Purchased Final Cut Express only last week , installed on May 17th only to find it does not run on intel machines...should have read the specs. News that 3.5 is released on May 18th...if only I had waited a few days. Phoned Apple and was told that I could download an upgrade, where is it???
imac intel Mac OS X (10.4.6)

As I mentioned in the other thread, if there is in fact a free update then it will appear in Software Update.
Although, I doubt that this would be the case given the jump from version 3 to version 3.5. if it went to 3.1 then sure, but the version jump is too big for me to think it were free.

I am using final cut express. It seems that any clip over a certain length, say 5 min, does not fully transfer! All shorter clips are perfectly fine. Is there some reason why longer clips are not fully transferred? (a half blue circle shows up on the tran

I am using final cut express 4. It seems that any clip over a certain length, say 5 min, does not fully transfer! All shorter clips are perfectly fine. Is there some reason why longer clips are not fully transferred? (a half blue circle shows up on the transfer list, indicating that the clip was not fully transferred. When I check in the capture scratch folder, sure enough the whole clip is not there!
Is there some glitch in final cut express that only allows short clips to be transferred in full?

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to answer all the questions (I am a relative novice). Your help is appreciated.
By the way, the other reply I received suggested the following:
In Final Cut Express>System Settings>Scratch Discs make sure the Limit Capture/Export File Segement Size To: is not checked.
I did this and it was already unchecked. So this is not the answer...
The strange thing is, I have been logging and transferring with FCE for 2 yrs without any problems at all with shorter clips, but have come up against the problem with long clips (over 5 or so min) the whole time. I got around it by simply making sure I stopped recording after less than 5 min while shooting footage. OR if I accidentally got a long clip, I import into imovie and then import into FCE. Not very streamline and I worry about compressions altering quality!
I am now trying to import a 20 min and a 17 min clip and it only transfers around 3 minutes of each, I have re-tried several times and it happens repeatedly. The blue circle in the transfer list shows up as a half blue circle instead of full. Clip cuts off after 3 or so minutes.
ANSWERS
how you are ingesting the files
From external flash drive connected directly to mac using FCE.
the format of the source footage
digital via ext flash memory. Frame size :1929X1080 / 25fps
what camera shot the footage
SONY HXR NX5
how you are connecting to the computer
from flash memory directly via usb
what version of FCE you are using
4
what OS your computer is running
10.6.8
what model Mac
macbook Pro intel Core i7
what drive you are using for Capture Scratch
3TB external drive (plenty of room left)

My homemade DVDs won't open in Quicktime or Final Cut Express. Do I need a converter? They seem to be .VOB/.BUP/.IFO files. Thank you!

My homemade DVDs won't open in Quicktime or Final Cut Express. Do I need a converter? MPEG Streamclip didn't work. They seem to be .VOB, .BUP and .IFO files.
Help please!
Vicki

David, thank you so much. After a great deal of frustration and despair at ever getting it working, I can now edit my precious home movies. Appreciate you taking the time to help me! Vicki

Last edit for "Final Cut Express: Basic Troubleshooting" tip

Hi again,
I'd like to propose a final edit to my previous tip [Final Cut Express: Basic Troubleshooting|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2662419]. This edit adds post anchor points to allow for easy linking in the future.
The final version will be submitted in the post below.
Thanks for your help!
- Sasha
Edit: Example link = [Trash your preferences|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12689228#TrashP refs]

Final Cut Express: Basic Troubleshooting
There are many problems that can occur in any version of Final Cut Express and each one is generally best treated with a solution specifically tailored to it. However, you will generally get the best results if you follow a simple step-by-step approach to troubleshooting outlined here.
1. Quit the application.
2. Is your computer supported by the version of FCE you are running?
Final Cut is particularly susceptible to problems when being used in conjunction with hardware, operating systems, and versions of Quicktime other than those that are supported. Always check before updating to see if the version you are running will continue to be supported. You can view the hardware requirements for FCE4 [here|http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/specs.html]. Note that FCE4 is the only version of the program supported by Snow Leopard. It is generally a good idea when working with Pro Apps to do a complete erase and install when updating to a new OS and then reinstall the program afterwards. Never update any critical software such as Quicktime or your OS when you are in the middle of an important project. Always keep a backup in case something goes wrong when you do.
3. Is your software fully updated to the current version?
In the upper menu bar, select the  symbol and click +Software Update+ in the contextual menu that appears. Make sure to download any Final Cut Express, Quicktime (if supported by the version of FCE you are running) , ProKit, and other important updates that the system recommends. Updated versions provide critical bug fixes and improvements that may solve the problem you were experiencing.
4. Are you using supported external hardware?
FCE can capture using FireWire from camcorders recording in DV-NTSC, DV-PAL, or HDV and can ingest using USB from AVCHD camcorders. Make sure that your recording device is compliant with one of these formats and not some related variant (such as AVCHD Lite). External USB drives are not supported by Apple for video editing - if you are experiencing problems while using one try disconnecting it and see if the issue persists.
5. Trash your preference files and repair disk permissions.
Whenever you have trouble in Final Cut Express it is almost always a good idea start by trashing your preference files. These can easily get corrupted and many problems can be quickly fixed by giving them a dump. The Apple Knowledge Base article found [here|http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2611] outlines how to do this - [Tom Wolsky|http://discussions.apple.com/profile.jspa?userID=342090] also describes a good method [here|http://fcpbook.com/Misc1.html]. It is also a good idea to repair any permissions issues that may have arisen, and you can find a good description of the process [here|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963?viewlocale=en_US].
6. Search the discussion forums for solutions to similar problems.
You may be experiencing a common problem with the application or one that has been addressed when brought up by other users. Enter your query in the search bar on Apple Discussions and narrow your question to the [FCE forum|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=936&start=0] to get the most accurate results. Unless something very strange is going on it’s likely that you will find an answer or proposed solution has already been posted.
7. Start a new topic.
If you are unable to find an already posted solution on the forum that works for you and trashing your preference files has not fixed your problem, post a new topic in the FCE forum describing what is going on. Be as descriptive as possible and make sure to include pertinent information such as the specifications of your computer, OS, Quicktime version, the sequence you are editing in within the program, and the clip you are placing in it if this relates to the problem you are experiencing. Refer to [Eric W.|http://discussions.apple.com/profile.jspa?userID=337386]’s announcement [How to Post a new Topic|http://discussions.apple.com/ann.jspa?annID=650] for more information.
8. Perform a complete removal of the application and reinstall.
If you are not receiving working answers to your problem or it appears that your dilemma has not been reproduced in the past, try reinstalling FCE. You should first completely remove all traces of the program. Digital Rebellion has a nice free application called [FCS Remover|http://www.digitalrebellion.com/fcs_remover.htm] which automatically does this - alternatively you can manually do it by moving all components listed [here|http://support.apple.com/kb/TA47818?viewlocale=en_US] to the trash and emptying it. Note that the files listed may be named something slightly different if you are using a different version of Final Cut.
9. Contact Apple.
If all else fails, you should go ahead and contact Apple. It’s possible that you received a faulty disc or that they will have a solution to the problem that no one else has thought of. You can find pertinent contact information [here|http://www.apple.com/contact>.

So far seems like imovie not good for HD is final cut express better?

as a SUPER novice user so far I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with imovie. I think the major problem is that the files are so huge that they become almost impossble to work with. A 50 minute clip i brought in took up about 40gigs. and when I tried to merge clips from one imovie file to another or import more clips the import just takes FOREVER.
tried to output the 45min segment to .mov and it took 6 hours then failed because I ran out of disc space on my 100gig laptop.
from what I can tell it looks like iMovie won't use reference material only source files so everything is in it's original size. I think final cut express will allow you to use MUCH MUCH smaller files as ref points so you can actually edit and output in a timely way.
Also I think if you import in final cut express you actually get a .mov file where with imovie you just get a giant iMovie file which can't be opened with quicktime pro etc.
anyway, HD quality is amazing but I think most point and shooters will be very frustrated this christmas.

matt, you're right about external Hard drives just didn't realize that 10-30 minutes of HD level content could put me in that scenario. thought I'd be able to shoot my friends kids playing and give them a dvd for the holidays, didn't realize it would be so time consuming for the computer to manage that.
oh well live and learn. on the upside the quality is sick and if I get into it I think final cut will solve many of the problems. even the external hard drives might not be as required becasue final cut can reference the tape points and when I go out to dvd it will just tell me which tapes to insert and pull the appropriate content. too bad imovie doesn't do that would be a real space saver.

Capturing Flip Video to Final Cut Express Will not launch Flip Video

I have done this many times before. I am using Final Cut Express and I am plugging my Flip Video camera into my MacBook Pro and the Flip Video software does not launch. It does not seem to be the
Flip Video software that is the problem. I have upgraded the Flip Video software. The prompt I get says Flip Video quit unexpectely. I have no idea what is going on. I get a huge log of computer terms which I do not understand. Any ideas? Wish I knew more.
Here is a screen shot of what I am getting after I attempt to open Flip Video Share Capture etc./Users/Tim/Desktop/Screen shot 2010-08-04 at 11.36.11 PM.png
Message was edited by: dubdroid 1

The problem is with your Flip Video software. It is launching but then crashing - that's what the message means:
The prompt I get says Flip Video quit unexpectely.
"Quit Unexpectedly" is a nice way to say "Crashed".
You could try trash the Flip Software.plist file from the HD/Users/ Your Name / library / preferences folder. (Remember you'll need to reset your User options afterwards.)
*What's the plist file?*
For new users: Every application on your Mac has an accompanying plist file. It records certain User choices. For instance, in your favourite Word Processor it remembers your choice of Default Font, on your Web Browser is remembers things like your choice of Home Page. It even recalls what windows you had open last if your app allows you to pick up from where you left off last. The iPhoto plist file remembers things like the location of the Library, your choice of background colour, whether you are running a Referenced or Managed Library, what preferences you have for autosplitting events and so on. Trashing the plist file forces the app to generate a new one on the next launch, and this restores things to the Factory Defaults. Hence, if you've changed any of these things you'll need to reset them. If you haven't, then no bother. Trashing the plist file is Mac troubleshooting 101.
If that doesn't help you need to contact the makers of the Flip software.
Regards
TD

Iphotos into Final Cut Express?

How do I import photos from iphoto into Final Cut Express to make a hi-end slide show? I'm new to FCE, so I appreciate any help you guys could give!

Carolyn
Personally, I did use PhotoToMovie quite a lot. It has a nnice clean interface. I checked out the Fotomagico a few times, but the app seemed fussy and cluttered (YMMV). However, I needed to do a big project last autumn using a little animation (largely done with wipes) as well as the slides and I finally got - to some degree - comfortable with FCE.
Where FCE really began to shine was after the big work was done. We had a slideshow with motion graphics (pan and scan) plus a narration. When the client wanted to drop a sentence from the narration and change another it was a few seconds work. Literally. For that kind of control there is nothing in PhotoToMovie or the other apps that will even come close.
My advice is -and this and a dollar together might pay for a coffee - is to stick with FCE. When you have a problem it has many more ways to solve it than the others. Further, for my money, the time it takes to learn the app is well repaid: remember the learning you do on the montages will also feed into the video work and vie versa. You'll be learning one tool, not two.
Regards
TD

Does Final Cut Express 4.0.1 work on OS 10.7.5?

Deos Final Cut Express work on OS 10.7.5? Upgrading to a new MacPro and Final Cut Pro X, but have unfinished project on FCE that is not opeing properly.

Last officailly supported OS was 10.6.8.
There have beed mixed results with 7 but Apple does not support the marriage.
This forum has plenty of info if you wish to search.
My thoughts/advice are: fix your issue and finish your Project with existing gear.
FYI: Mavericks and FCP X 10.1 seem fine.
Al

Problem Installing final Cut Express HD 3.5

I am presently using Final Cut Express 2.0. Trying to upgrade to Final Cut Express HD 3.5. After the installer asks for the Product Serial#, it stops installing for lack of Hard drive space (never see a Custom install window where I could install Livetype, templates, loops, etc) on a separate disk.
I cloned my OS on a new drive. Tried to re-install Final Cut Express HD, The Installer never asked for the Product Serial # as before. It only loaded the LiveType, loops, templates, etc. The Final Cut Express HD option was blanked out. It never got loaded. Need Help. What am I doing wrong.? It seems that once you try to load FCE HD once, it won't let you do it again
PowerMac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) Dual 500MHZ CPU
PowerMac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) Dual 500MHZ CPU

Thanks Tom. I did call Apple last night but they kept me waiting for so long that I gave up. I will try to call them again. But, I don't think any of the FCE HD files were loaded since that option was grayed out (could not be selected). The Re-install was on a new Hard drive and I could select only loops, templates, etc. for loading. It's like the old FCE 2 could not be upgraded at all. Could that be a possibility ? I thought one could upgrade from FCE 2 TO FCE HD. Am I wrong?
by the way, I read your book on FCE and I think it's great.

IDVD problem - exporting from Final Cut Express

I'm have a problem with my iDVD that I am not sure how to fix. I created a movie in Final Cut Express...exported and burned a DVD in iDVD. I went back to that project in Final Cut and altered it...saving a new project. Then I try to open iDVD I get this pop up message that says it can't find Sequence 1-FIN-0000002f so the moive will not play properly. Seems that it is referencing the project that I burn previously. It gives me the option to search for the file or cancel. If I search I can't find it and if I cancel I get the spinning wheel...the program will not open. I'm new to working with Final Cut so I'm not sure but somehow I deleted a file that was embedded in the the first movie I created. It appears that when I open my video drive I have a Render File folder, in this folder are folders for all the projects I have created. I can locate the last project folder and see all the sequence files (all named like the one that was missing....Sequence1-FIN-0000002f) I just am not sure how I would have erased one of these rendered files. Is there a way for me to recreate a rendered file with this file name so the iDVD will recongize it or bypass this in iDVD so I can just open it and create something new? Any suggestion on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.....

Keep in mind you are working with QT Reference files. These files reference the movie files within your video editing app. If you opt to burn a DVD and then go back and alter these same ref. files then you confuse iDvd which normally requires that you delete the encoded assets and start again so iDvd can again recognize what you want in terms of a finished iDvd. Hope this helps but if not just come on back.

Final Cut Express will not start up - faulty CD?

I am trying to reinstall Final Cut Express 4 from the CD. I am getting the error message pasted below when the program crashes on start-up. Could this be down to a faulty cd?
Process: Final Cut Express [355]
Path: /Applications/Final Cut Express.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Express
Identifier: com.apple.FinalCutExpress
Version: ??? (???)
Build Info: FCPApp-711051055~9
Code Type: X86 (Native)
Parent Process: launchd [95]
Date/Time: 2010-05-26 23:22:14.477 +0100
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.6.3 (10D573)
Report Version: 6
Interval Since Last Report: 171845 sec
Crashes Since Last Report: 6
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report: 6
Anonymous UUID: 3F7E5A74-B1D5-468B-97E1-C7584227BD74
Exception Type: EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000002, 0x0000000000000000
Crashed Thread: 0
Dyld Error Message:
Library not loaded: /Library/Frameworks/ProFX.framework/Versions/A/ProFX
Referenced from: /Applications/Final Cut Express.app/Contents/MacOS/Final Cut Express
Reason: image not found
Model: iMac11,1, BootROM IM111.0034.B02, 4 processors, Intel Core i7, 2.8 GHz, 8 GB, SMC 1.54f36
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4850, ATI Radeon HD 4850, PCIe, 512 MB
Memory Module: global_name
AirPort: spairportwireless_card_type_airportextreme (0x168C, 0x8F), Atheros 9280: 2.1.9.8
Bluetooth: Version 2.3.1f4, 2 service, 19 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Serial ATA Device: ST31000528ASQ, 931.51 GB
Serial ATA Device: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5680H
USB Device: Hub, 0x0424 (SMSC), 0x2514, 0xfd100000
USB Device: Built-in iSight, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8502, 0xfd110000
USB Device: IR Receiver, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8242, 0xfd120000
USB Device: Hub, 0x0424 (SMSC), 0x2514, 0xfa100000
USB Device: Vendor-Specific Device, 0x0fd9, 0x0022, 0xfa130000
USB Device: BRCM2046 Hub, 0x0a5c (Broadcom Corp.), 0x4500, 0xfa110000
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8215, 0xfa111000
USB Device: Internal Memory Card Reader, 0x05ac (Apple Inc.), 0x8403, 0xfa120000
FireWire Device: OEM ATA Device 00, G-TECH, Up to 800 Mb/sec

Hi guys. I contacted apple support and have managed to solve this problem. For anyone else experiencing this issue the solution seems to be to recreate the proFX.framework folder in the library folder. This is an OS installation problem rather than a FCE installation problem, as you so rightly identified. The apple tech sent me a zipped framework folder which has now solved the problem. Thanks for all your help.

Final cut express and usb

I have a new macbook which I just discovered has no firewire port. In the fce easy setup it seems to only have firewire choices. How do I set it up for usb. I have a sony hdr sr11 which is usb. Also since my firewire audio interfaces don't work on the macbook I purchased a tascam us-144. when I try to select it in the voiceover I get a message saying it is unavailable and may be conflicting with an output device. Any ideas?

Final Cut Express only works with FireWire.
USB 2.0 can only be used with AVCHD footage in FCE 4.
There has been some correspondence in the last week over the unsuitability of the new MacBooks for editing DV from tapes.

Final Cut Express on last legs, it seems.

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