I am quite serious about buying a high specification iMac (2.8GHz, i7 processor, 8Gb RAM), plus external 2TB 7200rpm video drive (Firewire connected) and acquiring FCP-X, although a bit nervous about its reputation for crashing and losing hours of edited footage!
Any knowledge from forum members on its effectiveness at importing HDV and DV tapes from camera via the Firewire connector? Once imported as a 'stream' (there is no tape 'batch capture' as Apple consider we should now all be using card-based cameras) can you 'cut' the file into a series of short files i.e. shots so they can individually be placed on the timeline - exactly what you do on for example Premiere Pro, and I believe also FCP-7?
kind regards
Ian
Premiere Pro 1.5, PC user currently
You will be able to edit HDV and DV with iMovie which comes pre-installed with your iMac.
Maybe try this out before investing in FCP X when hopefully de-bugged. You can move iMovie files into FCP X.
When I import HDV or DV into iMovie each clip is given its own thumbnail in the clips browser. These can be trimmed/cut w.h.y. before being dragged and dropped into the timeline in whichever order you want. Quite simple, like FCP X, but iMovie a bit more reliable!
FCP X gives more export options when you've finished editing.
Ron
Many thanks Ron, this is great reassurance! In fact iMovie looks pretty impressive considering it is effectively a 'one track' NLE! The most important aspect of your response is that each clip i.e. shot is 'discrete' in iMovie and hopefully (now/future) in FCP-X. For my documentaries and training movies I rely greatly on putting shots into different labelled 'bins' in Premiere Pro prior to dropping onto the timeline, and would not want to lose that capability in moving to a Mac!
Ian
For FCP X, I can't speak for iMovie, I first upload clips off the CF card directly into a Folder, sorted with sub folders as appropriate. Stuff you don't want can of course be deleted. These Folders are stored on my Hard Drive(s).
Then the folder or sub folders can be imported into a FCP "Events Folder", dedicated to a particular project or to ? a series of related topics.
Click on the Folder name in "Events" and it will open with a display of thumbnails based on the first frame of each clip. Click on this and hit "play" and you see the whole of the clip.
Ron
Thanks Ron for this. Any other DV Doctor forum member experience on editing HDV or DV tape-sourced files on FCP-X most welcome!
Ian
Now that FCP X has settled in and has moved up to 10.0.2 updates. I have one question.
Is it possible to import tape base material into the new software or is it a question of importing tape material into iMovie and then transferring the material into FCP X.
This is an issue which i'm not certain on.
I still have a large collection of DV tapes. On paper and the glossy presentation of FCP-X has Apple made any strides in persuading us to convert.
I just found the following on Creative Cow which is from a professional editor - proving you can import DV and HDV direct into FCP-X via Firewire. A firiend also successfully tried this a few days ago! Here is the quote:
For what it is worth, I've done a fair amount of capture in FCP X, mostly HDV footage, and some older SD DV footage. I find that although the options appeared dummed down, I was surprised that it works far better than my workflow in FCP 7. In FCP 7 I found that my work went faster if I captured an entire tape and then did my logging and notes after the fact. This sometimes became complicated as I had to rewind the tape, and do a "capture now" and hope I didn't get timecode breaks, especially the first take on a tape.
With FCP X, rather than use the transport controls and import for a tape, I just choose "create archive" and it will take care of rewinding the tape and capture in the background while I do other work. If I need to edit, I just use my MacMini reserved for clients to capture to an external drive. Even on tapes that perviously had timecode breaks, the Create Archive function just captures the whole tape without trouble. This also moves tape be on the same "level", i.e. file based, as solid state media. Capturing a tape is now something even an untrained assistant can do.
Once the Camera Archives are created they behave just like solid state media which each take is timestamped and broken up into individual clips and edited as if mastered on solid state e.g. card media
Ian, can I ask - where it says above that "each clip is automatically timestamped": is that with:
(a) the real time of day shot, or
(b) the camera timecode?
Thanks.