Apple Final Cut Express HD: Installing Your Software - Manual (Page 6)

6
Choosing an Initial Setup
The first time you open Final Cut Express HD, you must specify certain settings
that determine how Final Cut Express HD works with your particular video setup.
You can do this by choosing an Easy Setup, which is a collection of settings
Final Cut Express HD uses for controlling your video device, capturing media, editing,
and exporting video.
Final Cut Express HD comes with Easy Setups for some of the most common video
configurations, and you can create your own custom Easy Setups. Choose an Easy
Setup based on the system and media you’re using and the type of project you’re
working on. For example, if you have an NTSC FireWire DV camera, choose the Easy
Setup that includes those settings, DV-NTSC. The DV-NTSC Easy Setup includes the
following settings:
 Sequence Preset: DV NTSC 48 kHz
 Capture Preset: DV NTSC 48 kHz
 Device Control Preset: FireWire NTSC
 Playback Output Video: Apple FireWire NTSC (720 x 480)
 Playback Output Audio: FireWire DV
 PTV Output Video: Same as Playback
 PTV Output Audio: Same as Playback
To choose your initial setup:
1 Double-click the Final Cut Express HD icon in the Applications folder to open
Final Cut Express HD. The Choose Setup dialog appears.
Note: This window only appears the first time you open Final Cut Express HD. You can
change this setup later if necessary. See “ Choosing an Easy Setup ,” next.
2 Specify the following settings, then click OK.
 Setup For: This pop-up menu lets you specify the Easy Setup to use.
 Show All: Selecting this checkbox presents a longer list of presets to choose from in
the Setup For pop-up menu.
 Primary Scratch Disk: This is the hard disk where the clips you capture in
Final Cut Express HD are saved. It’s also where render files are saved.
Final Cut Express HD generates render files when you use transitions and effects.
For more information, see Final Cut Express HD
Help, Chapter 4, “Specifying User
Preferences, System Settings, and Easy Setups.”
Note: If you reinstall Final Cut Express HD, your settings are cleared and you need to
choose an Easy Setup again.