Need Help Converting Video

Question

Hello - I have a couple of separate questions that I need help with.  I know basic FCP.  I have FCP7.  I recently shot a wedding with 2 different cameras.  Both are HiDef Cameras.  1 Camera is a Prosumer Camera where the files were taking off the camera and imported by Final Cut.  The second is a new, home camcorder which saved the files into a hard drive in MPEG 4 format.
I need to marry the two.  I can import the all the files (from both cameras) directly into the timeline.  But the ones from the camcorder (the mpeg4s) seem to have that "hitchy" feel to them when I play them back.  Also, both types of files (even the ones that were directly imported into Final Cut from the Prosumer Camera) have the "render" lines when they are in the timeline, so I constantly have to render which takes forever. 
The files that were imported directly into FCP from the ProSumer camera were imported on a different computer with a different version of FCP, so when I drag them into my timeline it tells me that they were from a different version and asks me if I want to update for my version.  If I click YES then it stretches the files from 16:9 to 4:3.  If I say NO then it keeps the 16:9 aspect ratio, but adds yet another layer of render I need to do.
Normally I do simple, Standard Def edits where I import things into the timeline via FCP7 with firewire from a deck and edit directly from there, then firewire back to the deck.  Simple - no rendering, etc.  My questions are as follows:
1 - Do I need to reset my timeline settings because I am now working with HiDef?  Or does FCP automatically know that it is HD and it doesnt matter how I drag it into the timeline?
2 - Do I need to convert the MPEG 4 files to quicktime format, or does it not make a difference
3 - When I export, what settings would I use to keep it in HiDef.  I am only going to make DVDs with it.
4 - Is there a way to do it so that I do not have to render constantly while editing
5 - To view, I am firewiring out to a deck which is then going into a Standard Def monitor.  Is that the reason the footage appears "hitchy"?
Any help is greatly appreciated.  If you have any help, please drop me a note at [email protected]
Thanks

Answer 1

YOu need to learn how to use FCP.  Sorry, no offense needed, and I know it sounds harsh. But from reading that I can tell you have no idea about how to properly import tapeless media into FCP...and don't know what formats FCP works with...nor know what formats the cameras record.  This is all basic stuff you need to know before you edit.  Editing isn't only creative, but lately highly technical as well...you need to know what your software is capable of doing, and how to get the footage into it properly. 
You cannot do what you did...directly drag from the cameras into FCP.  No...it needs to be imported, typically with LOG AND TRANSFER...and converted from the shooting format, which typically isn't natively editable in FCP (want native, use Adobe Premiere...).  It needs to be converted to ProRes.  And yes, the file sizes of ProRes are a LOT bigger than the camera originals.  4-5 times larger.  That's how FCP works.
Here's a quick tutorial to get you started.  But then I suggest getting to know the editing system better.
http://library.creativecow.net/ross_shane/tapeless-workflow_fcp-7/1