Media100 to DV tape to Compressor mess...

Hello to all:
I have a client whose project has been plagued by compression encoding issues for both DVD and FLV movies (or any other web format for that matter).
Now, I suspect what is wrong and I would like to confirm it by getting a general poll of opinions from the rest of the forum.
First, the problem that occurs is a combination of lower quality video, and worst, scan lines and interlacing artifacting in fast moving shots. These types of issues come up both when using Compressor and using most others form of compression (FLV, Sorenson). Basically, anytime I tried to do anything with them. (resize them, export them, etc)
Here is what I think is the problem: My client is editing his material in Media100, still using the older 640x480, square pixels format Media100 codec. However, rather than exporting the file (it seems it makes his system crash.) he instead outputs the file to a DV recorder via s-video
Then I have to re-digitize it BACK to a Mac via firewire using FinalCut Pro or iMovie and THEN I compress it using Compressor (for DVD) or FlashVideo encoder for FLV's.
In any event, my theory is that by doing this three main problems occurs:
A) When we re-digitize from Media 100 back into DV for output we loose quality; Media100 codec is NOT a lossless codec, and neither is DV. When we digitize to Media 100, there is a tiny amount of data loss, when we digitize back to DV format, we loose quality again. It seems to me this doubling the video quality loss.
B) Media 100 codec is a 640 x 480 codec that uses square pixels, then gets digitized back to DV which is 720x480/ 720x486 with 0.9 pixel ratio. . Because the file is not being processed by the software as an export file but rather being digitize directly to a DV machine as a video input, the pixel ratio does NOT get converted, which accounts for the extra black space around the edge of all the videos and the inconsistent set of problems when trying to format the video to any standard sizes.
c) Field Render issue: Like the image resolution, the render field gets also messed up because it is not getting converted properly. It seems the DV copy made from the Media100 output looks fine at full size, but the moment you start resizing it, the odd scan lines resume.
I just want this settle for once and for all because we are wasting lots of time and is geting to be a rather frustrating thing, to say the least.
I never run into this problem with any other projetcs.
Thanks in advanced.

thanks for the response.
I am wondering though, what are you referring to when you say QT ISSUES. what is QT6?
When you download from you computer on to your DVX, what setting did you use on your DVX? I put mine on video, but get nothing other than a blank blue screen. As noted before, I know that the camera and computer are communicating because I was able to control the camera through the firewired in that mode.
I might just be missing a very simple step. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Jim

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Pixel Aspect: NTSC - CCIR 601
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Hi Nick...thanks for taking the time to reply to my question.
Nick Holmes wrote:
What you have there is a mess.
NTSC pixels are never square.
NTSC is 720x486, even when it is Anamorphic.
You shouldn't be using an already letterboxed master to make an Anamorphic version. Get the master that was made before the letterboxing stage.
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The same DVD will automatically letterbox on 4:3 TVs.
Um yeah...duh. That's exactly what I was trying to explain in the preface of my question. I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear...all these things you mention are the reasons I'm putting together a list of the technical specs of the DigiBeta I need so I can have them send that instead of the stupid letterboxed version.
Look, I'm sending this request to some intern at their offices in England, asking for a master with which I can make an Anamorphic DVD. They already sent me this master, which as you and I both agree is an idiotic asset to use for these purposes. As such, I was hoping for advice on a more precise way of requesting the master that I need than asking for "the master that was made before the letterboxing stage." Upon reflection, perhaps I'll just do that. If you or anyone else has a suggestion about something I should add to my request that would improve the odds of them sending the tape I need, please repond. Thank you!
BTW, It's been a long time since anyone has responded to something I've written or said as though I'm an idiot. I remember now that I don't really like it. (Moving along...)

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