Is FCE or FCP the one for me?

Question

Hi,
I'm new to the video editing world, and my main reason for getting into it at all is to prepare DVD demo reels of my film score work. All of my source material is QT movies.
I recently assembled just such a reel using iMovie. Got quite the education in basic techniques of assembling footage, adding titles, transitions, etc. But I also quickly realized that I'm going to need a more "pro" program to do this kind of work more quickly and efficiently (also, once in iMovie, the picture quality went into the toilet for some reason). So I'm considering some version or other of FC.
I'm a music composer first and foremost, and aside from the need to generate promotional materials like my demo reel, I can't make it my life's work to learn a whole new skill. But I do know I need a better tool to dot he job. So I'm looking for advice on what the best program would be for me: FCE or FCP.
I'm going to assume (hopefully correctly) that anything I can do in iMovie can be done in some version of FC. So here's a list of what I'd be looking to achieve from FC. Which is best for me, and, are these things possible?
1. when clips are imported that the picture quality remains identical to the source
2. ability to mix QT clips at different frame rates (24 fps and 29.97)
3. have multiple tracks of video and audio
4. ability to add video clips and lock them to the timeline so that their placement is more or less permanent (unless I decide later to "unlock" them) and, that their position won't be moved or "rippled" when I edit other clips
5. ability to maintain permanent lock between video and audio extracted from the video file (iMovie isn't predictable in this aspect)
6. ability to edit audio with a high degree of precision (see proper waveform displays, maybe even a tempo grid?)
Thanks to anyone who can share their thoughts.
-=iS=-

Answer 1

Hi Ian,
That link was very helpful. Just one more question... from my original post, "when clips are imported [into the program] that the picture quality remains identical to the source", what feature of FC would indicate that characteristic?
(To be more specific, all of my various footage is the output of various well-known animation houses, and is all top notch in appearance even in QT format. But when those QT's are imported into iMovie the appearance becomes grainy, backgrounds become splotchy and pixelated, and edges become aliased...)
Cheers!
-=iS=-