These guides offer useful info, methods and resources for people who make FCE as an ideal program to edit their heart content digital videos. Enjoy!

Background Knowledge about Final Cut Express

Final Cut Express (FCE) works with a wide range of digital video qualified devices and formats, including tape-based camcorders that like DV camcorders and HDV camcorders as well as the latest AVCHD tapeless camcorders that record to Flash Memory, Hard Disk Drive (HDD), and DVD media.?

a. Tape-based DV camcorder support

Final Cut Express works with most mini DV tape-based, DV formatted video (standard definition) camcorders that use a FireWire cable (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link).

b. Tape-based HDV camcorder support

Final Cut Express works with some mini DV tape-based HDV camcorders that use a FireWire cable (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link).

compatible-camcorders

c. Tapeless Camcorder Support

Final Cut Express supports AVCHD-based tapeless camcorders that use a USB 2.0 cables to record to Flash Memory, Hard Drive (HDD), and DVD media.?

Note: Some Final Cut Express compatible random access devices have both a USB and FireWire port. These camcorders should be connected using only the USB port.

Scenario:

I have a problem when importing mpg to FCE

I'm having some trouble importing MPG files into Final Cut Express; when I go to File > Import, none of them are selectable. None of them want to play in Quicktime either¡­'

Well, if you got a digital camcorder like JVC Everio, Panasonic or Cannon and a FCE at hand, it doesn't necessary mean that everything you import to FCE should be footage captured in DV, HDV or AVCHD off the camcorder. But you are able to export iMovie video to FCE as well. And there is one more thing that the Final Cut Express manual does not mention or avoid mentioning is that you can not directly import mpg to FCE, nor can many other regular video files like avi, wmv or flv etc.

Can't FCE just import non-digital mpg files?

Even if you have the latest version of FCE with all the updates, I am sorry to say ¡®no' if you don't use any third party plug-ins or necessary codecs installed to your system. FCE is not FCP; FCE can't import mpg directly the way as FCP does.

Don't be upset, there are clues we can take advantage of, at least we know that what formats FCE likes to import, right? Again, as I mentioned above, Final Cut Express likes to import DV, HDV and AVCHD, as well as videos compatible with iMovie.

So why can't we just convert mpg to DV that compatible with both FCE and iMovie, and then it will be reasonable to import mpg to FCE. Actually, that is the point we are looking at. Video converter for Mac should be one of ideal choices that allow convert the mpg file to a DV file that FCE can handle. It is the perfect combination of powerful codec pack, video editing tool and free player. After many experiments and test, video converter for Mac has proved to be a stable and excellent converter that can do what you liked to do. Check it out for more specific info.