Major issues while editing in FCP7

Hi Folks,

I recently got a new Macbook Pro and the only reason for that was to use Final cut pro.
now that i have the software and have started editing i have realised that fcp is sosooo slow I mean when i import my video for some basic editing also nothing complex it hangs and takes a long time.

The user expericence is just not what i expected honestly, earlier i was using corel video studio on the PC even though it wasnt as slick as FCP it so fast as compared to what i am facing in fcp.

Can anyone help me out by giving any tips... is there a setting i am missing.
I am using video which i can from my cannon hf 200.. they output in .mts format and i use a video coverter called Xilisoft to make them in HD Mov video and then import them in FCP.


Even scrubbing the time line hangs and i get a circular read symbol..... and a basic chromo key video takes 3 hours to render!!

My Macbook has 2.53 Ghz and 4 gb ram with 250 hard drive space.

Any help is appreciated coz as of now i am moving along in snail's pace...

-A

Are you working from an external HDD?
That is pivotal, if you want speed.

@ Sur2mac

Thanks a lot for helping me our bro... and no I am not using an external HDD i am working off the internal drive... so u think if i get an external HDD say maybe (500 GB) it will speed things up even though I have about 220 Gb fre on my internal Hard-drive?

-A

Hi!

Welcome to the forums.

A few things that I think need to be gone over to help you with your experience:

1) As Sur3Mac pointed out - are you using an external drive for your scratch disk, or are you using the internal HDD? If you aren't, and as you said you are using a Macbook Pro, then you NEED to get yourself an external FIREWIRE 800 drive (don't get a usb). Your internal system drive is the last choice drive you want to use for video scratch space, there just isn't enough space and you really don't want to share the system/boot drive with your scratch disk as it will degrade overall performance.

2) I'm assuming you're recording in HD, as AFAIK, SD recording on that camcorder does not store in AVCHD format. That camcorder stores in AVCHD, you shouldn't need to use ANY OTHER software to convert the file, and if you're using a third party package to convert it, chances are you converting it into a format that is not FCP edit friendly probably causing a lot of rendering needing to be done. If you take the SD card out of the camera and plug it into a card reader and in FCP, under File launch Log and Transfer, it will take the AVCHD file and allow you to convert it into an easily editable format for use with FCP. There are a few major options, Apple Pro Res and Apple Intermediate Codec. If you're going full 1080, go Apple Pro Res 422. The major downside to this codec is that it takes a lot of space - it's easy to burn 180-300 gigs on a single 1 hour HD project. You will want a fairly large, fast external firewire drive to edit HD footage. If you HAVE to edit with the internal (and don't say you weren't warned of potential problems, including early drive failure due to heavy use) then get a 500 gb and if at all possible the 7200 rpm 500gb. But log and transfer into a format that FCP will put it into a format that should provide better performance. I don't see the types of problems your referring to on my Macbook 2.4 ghz with FCP and I use a canon HF100

Could not have said it better myself

@Netfel and Sur3Mac

Thanks to you guys now i am better informed and a little wiser when it comes to FCP7.. I just did a test and used the log an capture bought in my clip of 2 minutes under Pro Res 422 and it was 1.5 GB!!! and applied chroma key and all the stuff and it ran so fast I mean I could preview it so very well that I could not belive it!!

Thanks guys and yes I will definately get a external HDD now.. but u guys ROCK!!

Glad to help - getting used to FC and its way of doing things can be interesting, and yeah, Pro Res takes a TON of space, but the performance it offers makes it well worth it, especially considering how dirt cheap storage is

Good luck, and enjoy your editing!

Same here... U rock for saying we rock!!