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Applications and Services / Final Cut Pro

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Helpful articles for Final Cut Pro for Mac, Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera:

⏺ If Final Cut Pro doesn't work on your Mac after an update

⏺ If Final Cut Pro isn't working

⏺ If you need more storage for a Final Cut Pro library

⏺ If Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro isn't working

⏺ If Final Cut Camera isn't working

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⏺ If Final Cut Pro doesn't work on your Mac after an update

⏺ If Final Cut Pro isn't working

⏺ If you need more storage for a Final Cut Pro library

⏺ If Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro isn't working

⏺ If Final Cut Camera isn't working

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User profile for user: teamrusnac teamrusnac Author User level: Level 1 11 points What format should I record in?

Hi all,

First off, let me say I have spent quite a bit of time researching this on line and I still am not sure how to set my camera up for recording. I just purchased a Sony HDR-CX240 camcorder to shoot video of our baby that will be born soon. My dilemma is trying to figure out between shooting in 60i vs 60p. The manual does a horrible job of explaining which to do and what I've read online only makes my head spin more.

Here is my ultimate goal: to be able to edit video clips and add them together for little home video projects. I do not intend to share them on line. I will be viewing them on my personal computer and burning them to DVD, so no uploading to social media like Facebook or Youtube.

Will setting the camcorder up in 60i vs 60p work better for this simple project? I've been confused on wether you can burn 60p and 60i on DVD and/or Blue Ray.

Also, when setting the camera up in 60p, it gives me a warning that I cannot shoot JPEG stills while in that setting, and it automatically sets the video quality to the 1920x1080 FX. It also prevents dual recording in HD and MP4 format in this setting. Can any one explain to me why?

Any constructive guidance in which direction to go would really be appreciated. My past experiences of shooting 60i with a digital camera and having the jaggety appearance on my computer makes me worry about not being able to capture these precious first moments of life on camera correctly. I understand interlaced video isnt meant to be viewed on a computer. Should I be de-interlacing clips in that case? Does that make you lose video quality? Should I convert to other file formats? Should I have shot in 60p to began with ? Overall I am not sure what approach to take. Please explain it to my like a 5 year old! Thanks in advanced.

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MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Feb 22, 2014 10:04 PM

Me too (7) Me too Me too (7) Me too Reply Question marked as Top-ranking reply User profile for user: Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter User level: Level 7 34,098 points

Posted on Feb 23, 2014 12:04 AM

Avoid i, use p.

interlaced is of no use in the 21th cent.- * (why see below)

teamrusnac wrote:

... when setting the camera up in 60p, it gives me a warning that I cannot shoot JPEG stills while in that setting, and it automatically sets the video quality to the 1920x1080 FX. It also prevents dual recording in HD and MP4 format in this setting. Can any one explain to me why?

I'm no Sony engineer, but I could imagine, that the sheer amount of data while using 1080/p needs all proceesing power of your device, so no 'parallel processes' allowed.. just an assumption.

* if you're really interested why:

interlaced was a 'hack' in the 40ies of past cent, when arial broadcast of TV was enabled - the processing powers of 'tubes' were not strong enough to handle 25/30 frames per second. So, the picture was split into halfs/fields: a frame contains 480 lines, so first the even ones (2-4-6-8-..), than the odd ones (1-3-5-...) were transmitted.The picture originated on a tube, which has some 'after glow' = the two half pics were 'mixed' beforre your eyes.

back to the future: flat-screen, computer monitors = no after-glow; so - how should your poor telly handle those two, in lines split fields? With tons of electronic, mathematics and other stuff = by all means, those nasty 'combs' should be avoided! So, poor telly mixes the fields by 'blending' them; blending means loss of sharpness - which could be WANTED, when it comes to fast, horizontal action, such as football.

So, to create a stutter-free action video, interlaced could offer on final display a 'better' picture 😮

But the many disadvantages of interlaced vs. progressiv make that antique format obsolete.

.. hope, that was easy enough - but honestly: forget all that 'info', shoot p = future proof, done.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply User profile for user: Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter User level: Level 7 34,098 points

Feb 23, 2014 12:04 AM in response to teamrusnac

Avoid i, use p.

interlaced is of no use in the 21th cent.- * (why see below)

teamrusnac wrote:

... when setting the camera up in 60p, it gives me a warning that I cannot shoot JPEG stills while in that setting, and it automatically sets the video quality to the 1920x1080 FX. It also prevents dual recording in HD and MP4 format in this setting. Can any one explain to me why?

I'm no Sony engineer, but I could imagine, that the sheer amount of data while using 1080/p needs all proceesing power of your device, so no 'parallel processes' allowed.. just an assumption.

* if you're really interested why:

interlaced was a 'hack' in the 40ies of past cent, when arial broadcast of TV was enabled - the processing powers of 'tubes' were not strong enough to handle 25/30 frames per second. So, the picture was split into halfs/fields: a frame contains 480 lines, so first the even ones (2-4-6-8-..), than the odd ones (1-3-5-...) were transmitted.The picture originated on a tube, which has some 'after glow' = the two half pics were 'mixed' beforre your eyes.

back to the future: flat-screen, computer monitors = no after-glow; so - how should your poor telly handle those two, in lines split fields? With tons of electronic, mathematics and other stuff = by all means, those nasty 'combs' should be avoided! So, poor telly mixes the fields by 'blending' them; blending means loss of sharpness - which could be WANTED, when it comes to fast, horizontal action, such as football.

So, to create a stutter-free action video, interlaced could offer on final display a 'better' picture 😮

But the many disadvantages of interlaced vs. progressiv make that antique format obsolete.

.. hope, that was easy enough - but honestly: forget all that 'info', shoot p = future proof, done.

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User profile for user: hughmass hughmass User level: Level 3 592 points

Feb 23, 2014 6:07 AM in response to teamrusnac

Of course, every eye is different and the best way for you is to try several options and burn them to dvd to see what they offer you. Having said that, Karsten's comments above are great. I would only add that bit rates are important, and your camcorder (from the Sony page):

• Video Resolution : HD:1920x1080/60p(PS),60i(FX,FH), 1440x1080/60i(HQ,LP)
• Movie Recording Rate(Average Bit Rate/VBR) : HD PS:Approx.28Mbps/FX:Approx.24Mbps/FH:Approx.17Mbps/HQ:Approx.9Mbps/LP:Approx.5M bps; MP4: Approx.3Mbps
• Video Mode : HD: MPEG4-AVC / H.264 AVCHD 2.0 format.compatible; STD: MPEG2-PS; MP4: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264

records in differing bit rates. The higher numbers means more info is gathered and presented in the video, and motion looks smoother.

I have found that shooting in the highest bit rate possible translates into better dvds, even though the dvd is no longer HD but is standard definition.

Hugh

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User profile for user: zowenso zowenso User level: Level 1 5 points

Jun 28, 2014 9:34 AM in response to teamrusnac

Hello. Man, hoping i can get some help here too. I just got this same camcorder and so far its bumming me out. Like the original post says the instruction manuel is TERRIBLE. Let me start by saying im on a mac mini with a super drive. So, the quality is terrible when i put video into imovie. Ive tried the standard, high and highest quality and it still looks grainy and not sure crisp. The highest quality does look better but not great. Will setting it to highest take up more memory? To the original poster, did you have an quality issue when put into imovie? This digital stuff is all new to me. Ive never used imovie or idvd and im finding it to be a real challenge. I can get the clips into new events on imovie (lower box of window) but then i cant get it into the project window of imovie (upper left box). Im a mess over here...lol. Then trying to get it into idvd, no clue. All i want to be able to do is record some video and then put it on a dvd, no edits, nothing fancy, just put it on a dvd as is. Is there no easier way? Thanks.

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User profile for user: Russ H Russ H User level: Level 7 22,432 points

Jun 28, 2014 5:30 PM in response to zowenso

I would say both of the answers marked helpful would apply generally. Progressive is almost always preferred unless you're delivering for broadcast. And higher data rates mean at the very least that the video will hold up better after recompression. And yes; higher quality usually means files that take up more space. Progressive is also perfectly acceptable for DVD specs. If you're ever going to the Web, square pixels are best.

Hard to say what the issues are with the video quality. Could be the original material. Can you play it from the cam to a TV to check?

BTW, why are you posting here, rather than in the iMovie forum? Lots of very informed folks there.

Russ

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User profile for user: zowenso zowenso User level: Level 1 5 points

Jun 28, 2014 6:12 PM in response to Russ H

Sorry, Russ. I just saw that the original poster had the same camera and I got carried away. I have since posted in the appropriate place. Thanks.

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User profile for user: ErikWern ErikWern User level: Level 1 0 points

Jul 12, 2014 9:16 AM in response to teamrusnac

I just got the camcorder yesterday and first thing I did (as when buying anything electronic) is to go to manufacturer site to see if more docs available online.

I addition to the short operating guide that is included in the box, was a "Help Guide" - over 300 pages. Here is the link:

Printed:

docs.sony.com/release/HDR-CX240_PJ270_PJ275_guide_en.pdf

Interactive:

docs.esupport.sony.com/dvimag/2014/HDR-CX240_PJ270_PJ275_guide/en/index.html

Look at p 200, 250-254. Personally, I would just shoot in 1080p mode to get BEST image quality, then if I need a still from video I'd use another software to grab it, and if I need mp4 to upload to YouTube, I'd use a converter software. If you have 720p TV then guess1080i is okay. Yes, just make sure you have enough memory cards for your project.

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What format should I record in?

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