Codecs for Vidding NTSC DVD Source in Final Cut

[frayadjacent]

Hi all,

I vid with Final Cut Pro, and most of my vidding thus far has been with NTSC DVDs, which I rip to my computer and then use MPEG Streamclip to convert clips to mov.  I use the Apple DV/DVCPRO NTSC codec for my clips, but I'm starting to wonder if there's something else that would work better.  In particular, I've had some issues with non-square pixels in my final export, especially when the source's frame aspect ratio is 16:9 (it doesn't seem to happen in 4:3).  My understanding is that the DV codec doesn't use square pixels, and I'm wondering if there's a good, high quality editing codec that works well for NTSC DVDs that does use square pixels, so I can just nip the issue in the bud.

Thanks!
Fray

Comments

[rhivolution]

Aye, from my experience with both, FCE's really just stripped down FCP--less bells and whistles and filters, and none of the extra studio software. Which sucks, because Compressor would have gotten me out of a lot of trouble on occasion, but hey.

ETA: wrt timestamps--I've always thought that troubles I've had with syncing with DV have been either due to the conversion process being a strain on my processor, or the fact that DV's so damn bulky a format that doing anything too funky with it in FCP/FCE (which already takes up a chunk of memory) means stability goes to hell. I've sort of always ascribed that to the fact that I'm on a fairly old MacBook (2008 2.4 Ghz Intel dual) though, as DV's got to be stable in FCP overall or it wouldn't be used professionally for footage filmed/taped in DV format, right? Right?

(oh god are they lying to me walter murch noooo)

I could just be completely off base, though.

[frayadjacent]

Oh, I think I was misunderstanding you. For some reason, when you said "ripped to DV format", I thought you meant that you clipped your source as .DV files, rather than .MOV with the DV codec. But that's probably not what you meant! Yes, DV codec has been totally stable and reliable for me in FC. Sorry about that!