All imported clips appear unrendered

Throwing money at a problem is rarely the best way to solve it.

The key here is your sequence settings. If they do not match your source clips, you will be forced to render.

Select item properties for the clip and for the sequence in the browser. Make sure they match in every respect audio and video.

You said you imported dv clips. This is not a format that works in FCE. This is an iMovie format. FCE works in QuickTime. Could you put up somewhere screen shots of the item properties for one of the clips and for the sequence you're working in.

where are the files you're putting in the timeline originating from?

As far as I am aware, FCE doesn't have a project setting for DVC pro (mine doesn't), but you seem to be importing DVC pro files into your timeline - hence the need for rendering.

If you're using mpeg streamclip to create the files you want to edit in FCE, then use the Export to DV function rather than export to AVI

TOM: DV format is dv format, not a format that's unique to iMovie. It works in every home NLE. Quick Time is just the container file for the DV. A Quicktime File can be all sorts of formats including DV. You can import and edit DV natively in FCE

Message was edited by: alicanlondon

Wrong. .dv is the DV Stream format. It's a multiplexed format with the audio embedded in the video. This is the native format that DV cameras shoot in. When you capture into Final Cut the native DV file is converted to a QuickTime movie file with separated audio tracks. The codec is still DV, but the file structure and the format is different.

The format can be either DV or DVCPRO. The latter is the Panasonic flavor of DV25, the standard DV format. It's identical to DV. You cannot edit DVCPRO50 in FCE, but that's a higher resolution, less compressed form of DV.

If you look at item properties for a DV sequence you'll see the compressor type listed as DV/DVCPRO.

Do not use the Export to DV function. That creates a DV Stream file, suitable for iMovie. The audio will need to be rendered in FCE. Create a QuickTime file with the DV codec as seen above.

Just set the frame rate to 29.97.

http://web.mac.com/kimandj/iWeb/ItemProperties/forFCE.html

This screen shot shows that the file is in the DV Stream format. Also the data rate is very high. I don't know what that's about, but it's the wrong format and the audio will need to be rendered when it's inside an FCE sequence.

If you export to QuickTime using the settings here

http://web.mac.com/kimandj/iWeb/ItemProperties/Streamclip.html

It will match the sequence settings seen in the item properties in the first image.