Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 868)

868 Part X Real Time and Rendering
About Unlimited Real-Time Playback
If you’d rather lower the playback quality of your video to increase the number of real-
time effects that can be played back, you can select the Unlimited RT mode. In this
mode, Final Cut Express HD attempts to play as many frames as possible, even when
the effects in your sequence exceed the processing power of your computer. Real-time
effects that can play back without dropping frames still appear with green, dark green,
or yellow render bars as appropriate. However, when the number of effects exceed
your computer’s processing power, an orange render bar appears, indicating that real-
time playback will occur, but that frames might be dropped during playback in this
part of your sequence.
Playback performance using Unlimited RT varies greatly depending on the effects in
your sequence and the capabilities of your system. Some segments of your sequence
may play back without dropping any frames, while other sections may rarely update
frames. This mode is useful when you are editing or doing effects because it allows you
to play your sequence without rendering.
Orange video render bars
indicate Unlimited RT playback.