FCP playback problems - need help ASAP

S

stevevaus

Active member
Using FCP 7.0.3 I'm editing a 1920 1080 sequence (matched to the footage which is also 1920 1080 - out of a DSLR)

Working on a Powerbook 10.6.7 (2.53 ghz Intel core duo) - 4gb ram

As soon as I add a basic cross dissolve, even if the dissolve is not happening at the moment footage shows visual stutters. I also should add though on other projects cross dissolves don't require a render, in this project they do for some reason.

I've tried everything I can think of to improve performance to no avail and I'm about to get out the rusty razor blades. (And yes, footage is on an external drive)

Sure would appreciate any suggestions
 
Additional info - I've found it has nothing to do with the dissolve necessarily - I can lay a clip by itself and it plays fine in the canvas - but if I slide another clip next to it playback goes to crap
 
You can't edit H.264 natively in FCP without issues. YOu need to transcode that DSLR footage to ProRes. MANY ways to do this: MPEG STREAMCLIP, Magic Bullet Grinder, Log and Transfer (after you install the EOS L&T plugin)...Qt export...Compressor.
 
How is your external drive hooked up to your computer? If you're using USB but can switch to FW800, then go with FW. It could also be the speed of the external drive.

Then again, it could be you're using H.264 and that doesn't play nice in FCP.

There really are lots of things that could be inhibiting the smooth playback.
 
It is indeed Canon h.264 footage. So here's my dilemna - I've already spent too many hours building the sequence. Is there a way (without taking many steps backward) to convert/transcode given where I am now. I fear I know the answer . . . and in any event which of the many ProRes options do I want? The stuff was shot 29.97
 
You can always try creating a folder with the transcoded clips and the h.264 and then try relinking the media thru syncing all ur clips with the pro res clips. If you dont like how mpeg streamclip is working, u can always try Magic Bullet Grinder if u got the bucks
 
mmka1985 said:
You can always try creating a folder with the transcoded clips and the h.264 and then try relinking the media thru syncing all ur clips with the pro res clips. If you dont like how mpeg streamclip is working, u can always try Magic Bullet Grinder if u got the bucks
Click to expand...

Or use Compressor, which he should have already.
 
Would it accomplish the same thing (as using compressor or streamclip) by just creating a ProRes timeline, adding the h.264 clips to it and then rendering the new timeline?
 
stevevaus said:
Would it accomplish the same thing (as using compressor or streamclip) by just creating a ProRes timeline, adding the h.264 clips to it and then rendering the new timeline?
Click to expand...

No because you aren't transcoding the original files permanently. You're asking FCP to do the encoding on the fly and that is what's taxing your system. Anytime you move a clip in your timeline you will have to render again. Unless you lay all of clips in the timeline, then render out a quicktime movie to ProRes. But you'd be much better off transcoding first through streamclip, compressor, etc.
 
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