Unrendered Final Cut

That frame size is not supported by FCE. You should either use the free [MPEG Streamclip|http://www.squared5.com> to convert to DV-NTSC or render it out by clicking Option-R. Either way, you should edit in a DV-NTSC sequence. The Streamclip method is preferable.

Sounds like the clips may be iMovie "Large Size" which is a dumbed down HD size.
Try it in iMovie.

It will, as mentioned, require resizing to FCE dimensions to operate without serious rendering.

Al

iMovie is a different application. It works differently.

You shouldn't use this media in FCE. The only way to work with it is to scale it up to twice its size, but you don't want to do that. The media will go soft and show artifacts. Either recapture the media in the correct size or edit it in iMovie.

hey tom, you seem like the guy to answer my question. first, i am experiencing the unrendered problem in the canvas as well in FCE 4.01. i read your other blogs saying to match my settings, but when i did that it still wont work. i get only the audio, and not the video playing back. this is completely opposite from most posts i have read, and even video tutorials. i have a canon vixia hf m30 camera.


second, the browser will not let me drag and drop into the timeline. the clips wont drag, but also the effects wont either. all the tutorials i have seen show to drag the clips and effects into the timeline to enable them to be edited. please help as soon as possible. i am under a very strict deadline for work. thank you very much

Please give the exact item properties of the clips you're editing and the exact item properties of the sequence in which you're editing.

How exactly are you dragging? Are you using the Selection tool? Is the Browser in List view?

I am thinking of getting a Canon Vixia HF M30 and I'm wondering if it will work with FCE (Final Cut Express). I know it has issues with iMovie like not being able to shoot without distortion in Cinema mode and not being able to use image stabilization correctly (iMovie will mess both of these up). Will I have these problems with Final Cut Pro?

Re the original question: You can open your clips in iMovie and then export them as Quicktime movies, changing the size to 1280x720, then import the QT movies into FCE. If you originally created these clips in iMovie, then the quality of the exported movies will depend on the quality of your original clips.

Steve

I know I can do that, but if the problem is with iMovie, then exporting a movie from iMovie won't help me much. 🙂