Choppy Video- Hard to watch in Quick Time

[RS4425]

I'm ready to give up video if I can't get this problem fixed. I have a Canon HF200 and I use Apple Final Cut Express. After I ingest and view the video on my 3 yr old Macbook Pro laptop, the quality seems OK. I export to QuickTime, hoping to burn a DVD from there. The images on QT are jerky and hard to watch. I've set my HF200 to shoot at 1440x1080 (the manual is not clear). Is there any rule that I'm missing? Seems the camera and software folks ought to develop a standard.
THankshttps://forum.videohelp.com/images/smilies/confused.gif
Steve

[johns0]

Thread moved to the mac forum.

[Case]

I export to QuickTime, hoping to burn a DVD from there. The images on QT are jerky and hard to watch.

Perhaps FCE uses tricks for smooth playback, that QuickTime doesn't use. Maybe the hardware has trouble keeping up in real time.
Try burning a DVD anyway (e.g. on re-useable DVD-RW), the lower resolution (Standard Definition) of DVD-Video should help with smooth playback.

I've set my HF200 to shoot at 1440x1080 (the manual is not clear).

Recording mode "MXP" and "FXP" record in 1920x1080, the other modes ("XP+", "SP", and "LP") record in 1440x1080 (page 47). Seems clear to me.

[RS4425]

Thanks for your help, Case. I'll try that.

[terryj]

I export to QuickTime, hoping to burn a DVD from there. The images on QT are jerky and hard to watch.

Perhaps FCE uses tricks for smooth playback, that QuickTime doesn't use.

Brother Case is correct...On Page 121 of your Manual, it clearly states that this
camcorder records it's videos using the AVCHD codec.
and a quick cursory glance on the web tells us:

from wikipedia:
Playing back AVCHD video

Recorded AVCHD video can be played back in a variety of ways:
1. Directly from a camcorder on an HD television set, through HDMI or component-video cable
2. Burned onto DVD disc in AVCHD format, then played on most Blu-ray Disc players[8] or on a Playstation 3 gaming console
Recorded on an SDHC in AVCHD format, then played on select Panasonic and JVC Blu-ray Disc players and HDTV sets and on a Playstation 3 gaming console
3. On a computer, played from the camcorder connected via USB as an external storage device, or from removable media or from the computer's internal hard disk drive. Presently, the default media players from Apple (QuickTime) will not play AVCHD natively, additional (free) software is required

Most recommendations I found through Google follow Case's suggestions: down convert the video to SD
and playback in QT is fixed. I would hazard a guess, but I bet FCE is using AIC ( apple Intermediate Codec)
to re-interpolate the AVCHD encoded video to offer smooth playback for the timeline,
where as Quicktime would (try and) access the files in their native codec, and is having problems.

[RS4425]

Thanks to terryj (and brother case) for all the research and advice. It's clear that you guys know this stuff-thank you for trying to educate us. Your help is appreciated.