final cut studio vs Final cut express??

No. Use Final Cut Pro. DVCPRO-HD support is absent, so it will Transcode your P2 footage into AIC.

Final Cut Express has the same codec sets as iMovie but a normal FC Pro edit interface, so yeah you'll be able to edit,
but when the time comes for final output or moving this project to Final Cut Pro after, you'll have to re log-and-transfer all your material to a more proper/professional grade
Codec. You'll have an easier time using iMovie for free then doing XML transfer, since you'll need to re-log your AIC proxy footage anyway.

If you're okay with AIC and 29.97 timebase - and are just making DVD's then go right ahead. There are a few other "features" missing from Express that are vital for pro grade production.

My Own Opinion, Not Fact. Choice of edit software does not determine the final outcome of your product if it has a story/message/meaning , and via EDL you can then professionally master it in FCP PRO etc.. It the quality of what you've got that matters most. But having native support for what your camera records, helps a lot.
 
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so then your saying the Final cut express is a joke and that i should buy, Final cut Studio pro......where can i get it for cheaper....im not looking to spend a grand as advertived on apple website
 
Final Cut Express is not a joke...it's just as described above by DJDecay. Works OK depending on what you're doing, but if pro production is your game, you'll need Final Cut Pro. The price you are referencing is for Final Cut Studio, which includes FCP, Color, Motion, Soundtrack, Livetype and Compressor as well as DVD Studio Pro. FCE only includes Soundtrack and the editor.
 
TimTheFoolMan said:
So in spite of the FCE 4.0.1 docs saying that it supports DVCPRO HD, it actually doesn't? - Tim
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Given the fact that only Final Cut Pro supplies the codecs for DVCProHD, I don't see how FCE can support DVCProHD without those codecs.

Do you have a source for that info?
 
ERproductions said:
so then your saying the Final cut express is a joke and that i should buy, Final cut Studio pro......where can i get it for cheaper....im not looking to spend a grand as advertived on apple website
Click to expand...

FCE is nice application, but more limited that FCP in several ways.

Where have you looked to purchase FCS on the internet?
 
David S. said:
Given the fact that only Final Cut Pro supplies the codecs for DVCProHD, I don't see how FCE can support DVCProHD without those codecs.

Do you have a source for that info?
Click to expand...
The FCE 4.0.1 user manual that ships with the product. I'll know for certain soon enough. - Tim
 
TimTheFoolMan said:
So in spite of the FCE 4.0.1 docs saying that it supports DVCPRO HD, it actually doesn't? - Tim
Click to expand...

It "supports it" by transcoding to AIC on import, but only at 60i/ 29.97fps

The BIGGEST deal-breaker about FCE for me is that it doesn't work with 24p. And i really miss the 3-way color corrector with the limit function.
 
Tim Joy said:
It "supports it" by transcoding to AIC on import, but only at 60i/ 29.97fps

The BIGGEST deal-breaker about FCE for me is that it doesn't work with 24p. And i really miss the 3-way color corrector with the limit function.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tim. I presume then it's just storing the data in a 2:3 or 2:3:3:2 pulldown?

Good to know in advance. - Tim
 
ERproductions said:
so then your saying the Final cut express is a joke and that i should buy, Final cut Studio pro......where can i get it for cheaper....im not looking to spend a grand as advertived on apple website
Click to expand...

Well to be honest, $1,000 isn't really all that much considering everything that program does. If you're professionally making projects, the cost of that should be offset by what you charge your clients.

Of all the gear/programs out there, Final Cut Studio is really a good price. Think about everything you get. Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Compressor, SoundTrack Pro, Color, and Motion. I can guarantee you'll use all of those programs at some point or another making professional projects.

I bought Avid Media Composer 3.5 via a student discount at $350.00 It's a great program, but it's also a different beast. You can do a lot with it, but Final Cut Pro is a little easier to tackle for someone who has never edited with Avid. Avid also doesn't pretend to be anything more than a video (and basic audio) editor. It does that really well, and that's all it does. Final Cut Pro on the other hand, pretends and sometimes succeeds in doing all kinds of other things in addition to Video/Audio editing. Therefore, while Avid is a choice among certain professionals, Final Cut Pro is the choice among many because it is a sort of "universal program" that has a very forgiving user interface.

Bottom line is, $1,000 isn't really that much to spend on that editing software. If you're a professional video/film maker, you'll definitely need it at some point. If you're just doing a one-time thing, maybe you'd be better just doing your editing at another editor's studio that has the software you need, and then you just pay them.
 
I did a slo-mo test tonight withe HVX200.

The MXF files drop into FCE 4.0.1 directly, and list "Panasonic DVCPRO-HD" as the compressor. If it's transcoding them into AIC, there's no indication that it's done so. I've only been playing with it for a few hours, but it seems to have not lost anything. I'm not saying that it definitely ISN'T transcoding them, but saying "you can't import MXF files directly into FCE" doesn't appear to be true anymore.

Regardless, I'll probably be moving to FCP soon, for a variety of other reasons. In the meantime, this seems perfectly usable once you've installed the P2CMS and necessary drivers. - Tim
 
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