Print Back To Tape

[JohnRoderick]

Can the sony HDR-FX1E print back to tape with DV footage, not HD footage? Im trying this is in Final Cut and it doesn't seem to work.
Thanks
And my second question is if im recording DV Wide Record Mode, when i go to print a project edited in Final Cut Pro will the picture be distorted on a 4:3 TV or will it letterbox, what I want it to do?
Thnaks again

[princigalli]

Printing back to DV tape... I'm not sure. I tried today from Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and Windows Movie Maker. All could capture and none could export. I set the VCR mode in the FX1 to DV but still nothing. I suppose it just doesn't work like that. There are 3 possible explanations.

1. I'm doing something wrong.
2. SONY did not add this feature.
3. Only the FX1E is disabled (the way it was on many other prosumer cameras) because on EU laws and taxations. European governments figured out, in their infinite wisdom, that crippling video cameras input would better protect and serve the European electronics industry by forcing European movie makers to pay more. Incredible that we have people like that making laws.

With the weak US$, one more reason to buy your equipment in the US.

[mgalvan]

Can the sony HDR-FX1E print back to tape with DV footage, not HD footage? Im trying this is in Final Cut and it doesn't seem to work.
Thanks
And my second question is if im recording DV Wide Record Mode, when i go to print a project edited in Final Cut Pro will the picture be distorted on a 4:3 TV or will it letterbox, what I want it to do?
Thnaks again

I don't know about HDV footage in Final Cut Pro as it currently doesn't natively support it. I'm sure if you get your hands on the new Final Cut Pro HD Express or iMovie HD (which both do support HDV), you can export out to tape somehow or at least convert to DV, but I can't truly say because I have yet to work with HDV or those programs ...

As for your DV widescreen footage, it depends. If you are editing it in an anamorphic 16:9 timeline in FCP, when you export out to tape, it will lay it on tape as anamorphic, therefore it being distorted. This would allow you to reimport the tape back into FCP and be able to retrieve back the 16:9 aspect ratio if need be.

If your intention is for final output to tape (a master for 4:3 veiwing), then what you would want to do is capture your footage (remember to capture with advanced pulldown removal if working with 24pa) but lay it in a 4:3 timeline. Final Cut Pro will automatically letterbox your footage to fit into the frame and when you export out to tape, it will lay it on tape in letterbox. Just know though that you have turned your footage in a 4:3 frame though when doing this as if you were to bring this tape footage back into Final Cut Pro, it would be captured as regular 720 x 480 DV NTSC, and not anamorphic as it wasn't layed to tape that way.

Hope that wasn't confusing ... to sum it up ....
work in a 4:3 timeline if you want to master out a 4:3 letterbox final product. Or work in an anamorphic 16:9 timeline if you want to preserve your work in that true aspect ratio.

Hope this helps,