I'm baffled

N

Norm

Member
Why does my free run tc import fine in imovie and not FCE?
Why does my footage look fine in imovie and not FCE?
Why does my footage export beautifully in imovie and not FCE?
Why does a reasonable simple program like imovie make FCE seem like a joke?
Of course FCE has way more options but why do I dread even importing because I'm going to get nothing but headaches and bad video.
Why do I just go to imovie to do simple editing because FCE seems to be too much trouble?
Maybe I'm just not taking the time to learn FCE. Maybe, but a simple capture looks like shi* in FCE and looks great in imovie. I'm not even a Mac guy! I've just moved over from PC.
I've used Vegas, Pinnacle and Ulead on a PC and had a much more intuitive experience with better results than I'm having with Final Cut.
24p for me looks awesome in imovie and shi* in FCE! I'm tired of sitting here reading tutorials and tweaking for crap results. Rant over, but for editing I'm seriously considering going back to PC. Let the backlash begin.
 
Sorry to hear you're having a tough time with it. Final Cut Express may feel unnecessarily complex compared to iMovie, but trust me, it's worth it to stick it out and get over the learning curve if you have the intention of doing this stuff at any sort of professional level. FCE to FCP will be an easy jump if you decide to tackle it.

Without specifics it's impossible to help you in any detail, but I can point you in the direction of a really important primer on the whole 24p workflow within Final Cut. I am assuming here that FCE is similar enough to FCP, never having used the Express version myself.

Read this. It should help. It sounds like your capture (and probably timeline) settings are all wrong and with the DVX, 24p and Final Cut, there's a lot to get wrong. The following doc should clear all of that up for you:

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/24p_in_FCP_nattress.html
 
Thanks for the link Jared.
Here's my problem. Sony Vegas does almost everything I need for 24p editing. What it doesn't do is everything a Mac does. Namely, great titling, audio and just a better all round quality product. But WTF? I stand in my living room with limited light just for testing.. Record some tape and import to Vegas (PC) imovie and Final Cut ... on a 60 timeline on all because I know FCE doesn't do 23.98. Vegas and imovie look great and I get a bloated fuzzy capture on FCE. Not only that but Vegas and imovie will capture a Free Run time code (for 2 camera editing) and FCE just freezes.
Not only that but on output with Vegas whether I'm exporting for DV or WMV or Flash or whatever I get clear options with very satisfactory results. With FCE I seem to be getting ****. Interlaced or not interlaced? 4X3 or 16:9, the result are just wrong. Believe me I've read up but it just seems every time there is just another question. NOT intuitive by any means. Obviously Final Cut is a quality product but Jesus Sony also has a quality product that is just more easy to use.
Here's the bottom line. This is what I want to know. WHY? When I've got my capture set to DV-NTSC. All settings according to what they should be does my capture and export in 24p mode using the DVX100b look worse than any other editing program (MAC or PC) out there?
Thanks
 
PC's are way more better for edting although they are not the fastest renders...but you still can make them better....GO PC!
 
Paulius said:
PC's are way more better for edting although they are not the fastest renders...but you still can make them better....GO PC!
Click to expand...

There's no question...Apple does video, and all it's applications, a thousand times better than any PC.

Unless it's a money issue. :happy:
 
Paulius said:
PC's are way more better for edting although they are not the fastest renders...but you still can make them better....GO PC!
Click to expand...
Lensmith said:
There's no question...Apple does video, and all it's applications, a thousand times better than any PC.

Unless it's a money issue. :happy:
Click to expand...

C'mon, folks. Statements like that are just begging for an argument. No need to state it so empirically. To each his own! Threads always have to be closed when things like that start.


Norm said:
Thanks for the link Jared.
Here's my problem. Sony Vegas does almost everything I need for 24p editing. What it doesn't do is everything a Mac does. Namely, great titling, audio and just a better all round quality product. But WTF? I stand in my living room with limited light just for testing.. Record some tape and import to Vegas (PC) imovie and Final Cut ... on a 60 timeline on all because I know FCE doesn't do 23.98. Vegas and imovie look great and I get a bloated fuzzy capture on FCE. Not only that but Vegas and imovie will capture a Free Run time code (for 2 camera editing) and FCE just freezes.
Not only that but on output with Vegas whether I'm exporting for DV or WMV or Flash or whatever I get clear options with very satisfactory results. With FCE I seem to be getting shi*. Interlaced or not interlaced? 4X3 or 16:9, the result are just wrong. Believe me I've read up but it just seems every time there is just another question. NOT intuitive by any means. Obviously Final Cut is a quality product but Jesus Sony also has a quality product that is just more easy to use.
Here's the bottom line. This is what I want to know. WHY? When I've got my capture set to DV-NTSC. All settings according to what they should be does my capture and export in 24p mode using the DVX100b look worse than any other editing program (MAC or PC) out there?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Short of you posting screenshots showing how your footage looks in each NLE, I'd echo one of the other comments and guess that maybe you could try adjusting your preview quality settings. It's hard to tell what you're doing wrong just by the statement that the footage looks bad in FCP.

Other than that, and honestly, I'm not trying to be flip, but why not stick with what works for you? There are a ton of users here who swear by Sony Vegas and its ease in dealing with DVX footage. I've grown accustomed to FCP over time, but its definitely not the most intuitive piece of software I've ever used. I personally hated Vegas even more, but if you're getting better results there why bang your head against the wall with FCP?

If you're intent on getting FCP to do what you want, give us more specifics about your workflow. What exactly did you shoot- 24pn, 24pa, letterbox, ana, 4:3? What capture preset did you use, what are your sequence settings and again, check your preview/playback settings.

To adjust the playback quality settings- there's a little drop down menu labeled "RT" in the upper left hand corner of the timeline, right under the tab of the current sequence you're working on. Or at least there is in FCP. I'm assuming FCE is the same. Make sure these settings are at their highest if you want the footage to look its best while you're editing it.
 
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I didn't mean to sound mean or act like I wanted a fight.

To me...a PC just doesn't cut it when it comes to video.

In my mind, it's the same as buying a good camera or buying something obviously lesser.

You're going to come up short in the long run and your final product suffers.

If I was producing documents, PC all the way. But Video, audio, music especially, Apple offers so many more options and the end product looks and sounds so much better.

Yes, it's more money but there are ways around that if you shop and network with others.

And let's not forget...I was responding to someone who made the statement...

"PC's are way more better for editing although they are not the fastest renders...but you still can make them better....GO PC!"

As a working professional with thirty years of paid broadcast shooting experience, I just couldn't let something which I felt was incorrect, go unanswered.

But...that's just me. :)
 
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