Ingesting HD video with FCE

I am having issues ingesting HD video with FCE as well as with iMovie. I have a Sony HDR-HC3 HDV CamCorder. I am using my MacBookPro 2GHZ, 2GB 667 Memory with an external WD Hard Drive. While ingesting my Mac falls behind "real time capture". If I let it run overnight - ultimately it times out without completing the capture. Is this a settings issue? A external HD issue? of simply a MBP processing issue?
macbook pro Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2GHZ, @GB 667 Memory

What's the external drive exactly? Was the drive zero erased and reformatted before you began to use it? How's everything connected?

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Using 4:2:2 Uncompressed standard definition video with FCE 4.0

Hi all,
I'm preparing to get some old Super 8 Film converted to Digital Video. I'm looking at a transfer that ends up as 4:2:2 Uncompressed standard definition video on a USB Hard Drive. Has anyone had any experience with this format using FCE 4.0.1?
I'm running a MAcBook Pro, OS 10.6.2, 2.4 Ghz Intel Core Duo, 4GB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM.
Cheers,
Doug

Not with FCExpress.
You didn't say what format/codec you plan on using, but FCE works with DV-NTSC and Apple Intermediate Codec, both of which are 4:1:1. And both are compressed. (FCE also works with DV-PAL which is 4:2:0 but Belize is not a PAL country.)
You could do 4:2:2 in Apple ProRes, but you will need FCPro to work with that.
If you are using FCExpress, then I'd suggest having your supplier provide you with QuickTime files using Apple Intermediate Codec.

Resizing videos with FCE

I have been attempting to upload some of my videos to wildcast.tv using FCE. The web page wildcast.tv allows 100mb per video and up to 30 minuets. I have been exporting 4 to 6 minuet videos to quick time conversion. I have got some of the videos under 100mb but im not sure whats a good conversion. When I try to upload the video to wildcast.tvnothing seems to happen, i have even let it sit over night and nothing. any help would be great.
thanks jim k.

okay that infor seems to help great. i can ge the videos under 100mb with no problem. but i still cant upload them is it my end or theres?

I edited Ozzy's video with FCE

Ozzy has a contest on his website where you can download footage they shot on a green screen and edit it yourself. It took me about 25 hours to put this video together. It should be on the Ozzy website in a couple of days. In the meantime you can check it out on youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyloSXA2Anw

Oh, drat! So you can either use just the iPod AV cable, which transmits both video and audio, from the iPod's headphone port to the TV, or...
... you can use the AV cable and an S-Video cable (in which case you also need the Dock with you)? With this second option, does the S-Video connection override the AV's capabilties to transmit video - so the AV cable is purely being used to transmit the audio??
Sorry to sound dumb, I have no experience with connecting an iPod to a TV.
Basically, what I want to know, is what I require to connect my 5G iPod up to my TV, to view photo slideshows and videos (both video and audio) - in the best/highest quality format possible. As I said above, I will be purchasing a Universal Dock.
Thanks for your help and quick reply.

Is there a preferred Video Camera in the forum for use with FCE?

I am on the hunt for a new HD camcorder in the 800 to 1200 US dollar range. Is there a preferred recording format or anything specific to look for that will help my camera work best with FCE or better yet are there things I should try to avoid?
I am looking for something compact so that I can carry it with me on trips easily, but still give a good quality HD image. Thanks

The main consideration is that AVCHD is a hard drive based format whereas HDV is tape based. The nature of tapes is that they're relatively inexpensive so it's not such a big deal to save your tapes as backups in case you ever need to restore your project from the original footage. For AVCHD on the other hand, you'd need to make a backup by copying the whole file directory to an external drive for safe keeping, and if the drive fails or gets corrupted then you are out of luck.
There are other less important things to keep in mind. AVCHD can reach a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, whereas HDV by comparison reaches its peak at 1440x1080. I've heard some say that AVCHD cameras generally work less well in low lighting conditions, but I personally haven't noticed too much of a difference. Finally, the market seems to generally be moving away from a tape based workflow. Not that AVCHD is exactly the format of the future (and you'll certainly be able to purchase DV tapes for a while to come), but it's something to keep in mind. FCE deals with the two formats differently as well, and it might be wise to skim over both the section in the User Manual about capturing and the one about the "Log and Transfer" process.
As far as bugginess is concerned, I wouldn't say that one format is prone to more problems than the other. As long as you read up on the capture or ingest process before attempting anything you should be fine.
Finally, keep in mind the fact that FCE transcodes both HDV and AVCHD into the Apple Intermediate Codec upon capture or ingest. AIC usually runs at about 41-50GB per hour, so you'll want to make sure that you have a fast external firewire drive to use as a scratch disk when editing to store your media.
Sasha

Working with HD video in FCE

Okay, here goes nothing...
I've worked pretty well with FCE on my Macbook Pro when using SD video. Just got a new Canon Vixia hf11 and all of a sudden, I'm at a loss with trying to work with HD video. From reading through these forums, I think I need to import the video clips into the computer and then convert them somehow into workable clips but I'm not really sure how to go about doing this. Also, I'm not sure that I can actually work with this format, even though both iMovie and FCE say they are ready for HD.
I'm looking to see if somebody can give me a quick rundown of what I will need to do to be able to import and edit my new HD video in the same manner as when I worked with SD.
Thanks in advance.

Hi(Bonjour)!
FCE 4can handle DV NTSC-PAL, HDV and AVCHD (through Apple Intermediate Codec for HDV and AVCHD). All other formats must be converted to a format supported natively by FCE.
I don't know the spec for your camcorder model but sometimes conversion with Mpeg Streamclip app is the only way to go. Search this forum with +Squared5 MPEG Streamclip+ keywords.
Michel Boissonneault

Best way to sync (shift to match) audio with video in FCE 1.01?

What is the best way to sync (shift to match) audio with video in FCE 1.01?
Step by step in simple wording please, since I am new at this.
Thank you so much.
Walter

As you probably know by now, DVD camcorders are not compatible with FCE or pretty well any other DV based editing system.
Possibly the simplest (though not cheapest) route would be by using an Analogue-Digital converter.
Streamclip and other similar programs are supposed to work but I have had no experience with them.
In the long run probably the best (but costly) solution would be to buy a Mini-DV camcorder - it doesn't have to be a top of the range model - even the cheapest ones can produce high quality video. Then you would not have to mess around converting DVD files with the inevitable loss of quality it entails.
A cheap DV camera need be not much more expensive than an A/D converter.
Ian.

Cut videos before editing with FCE ?

Hi,
This might be a dumb question and I may tackle this the wrong way : basically, I have several Video cameras (HD, non HD, etc etc) and when I shoot something, I usually store it all on my Mac and save it for later editing. Problem is that amongst all the footages, a lot is not usable but I keep it all anyway and as a result :
- It takes plenty of space on my HD
- it makes it painfull to edit in FCE when I want to make a project later.
As such, what I want to find is an easy (and cheap) way to roughly cut raw footage as soon as I transfer it on my IMac and keep only the usable things (I also thing it is a good thing to do it when the "event" is fresh in my memory). It will save space and make it easier to edit. Of course, I could do that with FCE but it's quite long to open and use and I feel it is a bit painfull to use it for such a simple task. I see that QuickTime alows to trim the footage but you can only cut from the start and from the end, not to cut a piece in the middle and also converts it to .mov after trimming while I'd rather keep it in the original format as I'm affraid to lose quality on HD videos.
Also, I was wondering what wa sthe best format to use to edit video in FCE ? because depending on the format (.mov , .mp4 ,...) it can be very long to render.
Anyway, is this makes sense and if anyone as an idea, it;ll be welcome,
Cheers,
Jean

>what wa sthe best format to use to edit video in FCE ? because depending on the format (.mov , .mp4 ,...) it can be very long to render.
That is most likely the reason you feel FCE is too difficult to work with for cutting footage. FCE only works with DV and AIC. All other formats must be converted to one of those two BEFORE importing into an FCE project.
Once you've converted the footage to the proper format, cutting in FCE will be a breeze.
-DH

Poverty - Quick video I made with FCE

Hello,
Here is just a quick video on Poverty I made with Final Cut Express. If you are wondering I am not affiliated with either of the organizations mentioned in the video.
It would be much appreciated if you guys could let me know what you think of it:
http://www.vimeo.com/2641894
Thanks.

Nice little movie, short and to the point. Demonstrates your skill in working with FCE.
On the original I found there was a bit too much movement with the titles that made it necessary for me to watch it twice ........... but that may be just me being a slow reader!
I have the same problem with commercial movies - a computer monitor, newspaper headline or document (important to the plot) appears briefly onscreen and I don't have time to take in what it says.
Decades ago, whenever text appeared, it was left on for so long that even dyslexic members of the audience could sound out every letter!
Anyway, well done Brenden.

Transfer video problems with FCE and Quicktime 7.6?

Are there any problems tranferring video with the new Quicktime (7.6)? I stopped downloaded upgrades to Quicktime last year when I could only transfer 5 mins of video at a time with Quicktime 7.3 (or 7.1.3).
Apple makes these upgrades so now I can't use iTunes or new Pages without upgrading Quicktime. However, i've heard there are still problems with digital video transfers etc.

Just for your info: I bought FCE HD3 in 2006, I had Quicktime 7. But when Quicktime 7.1.3 came out a year or so later - that's when I had to go back to using QT 7. Which meant I had to spend several days rebooting the entire system back to what it was when I bought it.
That cost me a lot more than what the Xpress was worth.
But I really do appreciate your advice. It saves me doing the same again. My complaint is, why can't Apple answer these questions themselves? My dealer could not even get an answer.

Formats compatible with FCE......

Is theer a list of formats that are compatible with FCE?
Im after a small camcorder where the format is something like MOV or MP4 so that I can easily view the footage back on my system without having to mess about with other players etc.
Ive seen a couple of camcorders that output as MP4, but am wondering if I will be able to import this easily into FCE and iMovie?

To supplement Tom's response, FCE can capture/ingest DV, HDV and AVCHD from camcorders or decks that have appropriate connectivity (FireWire in the case of DV/HDV or USB in the case of AVCHD).
However you can import almost any other video *provided you convert it to QuickTime first* using either *Apple DV/DVCPRO* (NTSC or PAL as necessary) or *Apple Intermediate Codec* compression. Most people in this forum use MPEG Streamclip to convert other & odd video to QuickTime for use in FCE.

Capturing Footage From Composite / S-Video into FCE

I want to capture some footage from analogue sources into my Mac. It can either be via composite or S-Video but my question is : Which gizmo should I use to convert the analogue signal into DV?
The Canopus range seems like it would do the trick (ADVC55, 110 or 300, with the 55 closest to my price-point.) But the specs say it's compatible with FCP, and don't mention FCE explicitly. If I buy it, will it work, or is there some particular difference between FCP and FCE, that means it won't?
Mac Mini 1.42 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Canopus works just fine with FCE. I've been using my ADVC 110 with two versions of FCE for two years and it works fine ... the 300 should be even better cuz of the built in TBC. I know from others that you will have no compatibility probs.

Few questions on exporting out with fce 3.5 for web distribution

Hello I have been trolling here for a few months reading up on things and I know my way around a search pretty well I have gotten some of these answers from reading but id like to have my own thread so I can keep it all in one place...
First..
I run websites that need video's for surfers to be able to view.. these videos are in length from 20 min to 1 hour or longer... now I have figured out that when I render with the h.264 out sorry fce calls it export... I choose the quicktime setting of lan and it seems to be about right for what im used to in high quality from rendering out with pinnacle studio for a wmv or an mpeg.. now heres where I get confused with fce
I see there is a wmv setting to export to.. but when I do it.. it only exports a bit of it...
now these are the formats I want for video...
.mov
.wmv
.mpg
I have compressor but I have no idea on the settings in there and can't find what I need
in those formats I would like to have a
high
med
low
as far as quality go's
can someone help me out so my life is easier please... in fact I have 50 bucks via paypal if I can get someone get my settings down right maybe even in compressor so I just have to edit... this part always messes with my head when it comes down to render out...
there has to be some editors on here that know excatly what im talking about without having to say it on here... if you want to chat in private you can email me chris (at) themibcorp (dot) com I will give you my ichat name from there maybe you can help me and ill help you with some paypal
I want the video to play on all forms of computers..
our's and the other kind.. LOL

This isn't something someone can decide for you. It's up to you ti make up your mind. Either will do the job. If you want to spend the time to experiment with settings to better suit your media and you know what you're doing and want to spend the money get the more expensive version. If you'll be happy to use the basic presets based on average media and file sizes then get the cheaper version.

Can I use a MY Book Pro external 500 gig Triple interface HD with FCE?

Hey everyone,
I just recently bought a Macbook pro and purchased FCE HD 3.5. I want to purchase a high capacity external HD. I want it mainly for my projects with FCE and other members of the family will be backing up to it. I want to keep my projects on the external and work on them from there not my main HD.
After doing some online research I was about to purchase the LaCie Big Disk Extreme. However there seemed to be a lot of bad reviews about early disk failures. The G Technology drives sound great but are a little pricey.
I came across the MY Book Pro addition 500 gig Triple interface HD from Western Digital and found that the 500 gig pro had similar spec to the LaCie but they never mention in the specs that it can be used for video editing. They only mention "Fast enough for video editing" in the 1TB raid 0 version. I'm just wondering if anyone is having success using the My Book Pro Edition. I checked the forums first and even check specs from apple on external drives and FCE but I was hope for some real use advise. I'm not trying to cheap out, I'm just trying not to buy a lemon & get the most storage and speed for my buck. I'll buy they higher end if I should. My video productions right now are 10 minute long movies with some video clips and stills but I'm hoping to advance to bigger (High Def) things. Any advise in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
The specs from Western Digital are as follows:
My Book™ Pro Edition™
External Hard Drives
500 GB, Triple Interface
Rotational Speed
7,200 RPM (nominal)
Average Latency
4.20 ms (nominal)
Seek Times
Read Seek Time
8.9 ms
Track-To-Track Seek Time
2.0 ms (average)
Serial Transfer Rate
FireWire 800
Serial Bus Transfer Rate (1394b)
800 Mbits/s (Max)
Macbook Pro 17" 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)

The 500GB MyBook Pro should work fine. Just be sure to use a Firewire connection (not USB) to your Mac and format the drive as Mac OS Extended - Journaled. It will come from the factory as FAT32, so you'll need to reformat it. But wait - don't reformat it until you offload the ButtonManager, FW Driver and Retrospect software. You will need the first two to install your drive.
And that's one of the reasons I stay away from the MyBook drives - they were really designed for Windows systems, not Macs. For one, they have their own FireWire drivers and I see no reason to be required to install device-specific drivers on my Mac in order to use a consumer-grade hard drive. As far as I'm concerned, that's just bad design (or, perhaps design for systems other than Macs ...).
The 500GB Lacie Big Disk did get a bunch of bad reviews. However, the 500GB Lacie d2 Extreme is the same price and has much better reviews. The Lacie d2 Extreme drives are quite reliable; I have many and not one of them has failed me over the years. The 320GB d2 Extreme is currently $140 at newegg.com. See how that compares to the price of the MyBook.

When i crop a video using FCE, how can i export just the selection?

When using the cropping tool with FCE 4, say i just crop out a single square from near the top of the video. if i were to export this video now, the new video would consist of the cropped out selection surrounded by black. is there anyway i can export the cropped out selection without the black? i'm not looking to rescale the image, just to remove the selection at it's original size without all the black around it.

FCE's a fixed-resolution editor and there's no way to export at the resolution of your cropped image unless it matches one of the sequence presets. In FCP you could set a custom resolution and export as that.

Ingesting HD video with FCE

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