Apple Final Cut Express 4 - Manual (Page 36)

36 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Express
Video Formats Compatible with Final Cut Express
Long before editing begins, the most basic decision you need to make is which format
to shoot with. The format you choose affects the equipment needed for editorial work,
as well as how the finished product will look.
Final Cut Express uses QuickTime technology, allowing you to use almost any digital
video format available. This flexibility ensures that your Final Cut Express editing system
always works with the latest video formats.
 DV editing: Final Cut Express supports DV video natively, using your computer’s
built-in FireWire port for capture and output.
 Broadcast and high definition (HD) video formats: With Final Cut Express, you can
capture or ingest HD video which is transcoded by the Apple Intermediate Codec.
 QuickTime-compatible files: Because Final Cut Express uses QuickTime technology,
almost any QuickTime-compatible file format can be imported and exported. This
allows you to import files created in video editing, motion graphics, and photo
editing applications. For a list of all formats that you can import, see Chapter 65,
“
Learning About QuickTime ,” on page 1001.
Using Multiple Video Formats in a Sequence
A mixed-format sequence is a sequence containing clips whose media files don’t
match the sequence format. Any number of formats can be combined together in a
single sequence. For more information, see Chapter 58, “
Working with Mixed-Format
Sequences ,” on page 919.
Audio Formats Compatible with Final Cut Express
You can use a variety of audio with Final Cut Express, including audio files captured
from tape, imported from audio CDs, or provided by musicians and sound designers.
Final Cut Express is compatible with audio files with sample rates as high as 96 kHz and
a bit depth of 24 bits. You can work with most audio devices, such as audio CD players,
DAT machines, digital multitrack recorders, or audio from videotape.