Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1711)

• DV: There are several DV codecs available for NTSC, PAL, and other varieties such as
DVCPRO HD. A DV camcorder uses a DV codec to turn full-resolution image data into
compressed media, which is then stored on tape. The raw data stream from tape can
be captured to your hard disk in a file format called a DV stream. Applications such as
iMovie can capture and edit DV stream files, while applications like Final Cut Pro capture
media into tracks within a QuickTime media file, allowing for more flexibility such as
adding and manipulating timecode tracks.
Time in QuickTime Movie File Tracks
Each track in a QuickTime movie file has its own playback rate and duration definition.
Usually, the rate and duration of each track are the same, or related, because the various
tracks (such as audio and video) are intended to play back in sync.
Because each track has its own independent definitions of time, you can assign a video
track a frame rate of 29.97 fps and the timecode track 23.98 fps. One example of how this
is useful is when you are editing film (24 fps) transferred to NTSC video (29.97 fps).
Formats Supported by QuickTime
QuickTime supports a lot of media formats and codecs, with many more coming all the
time. Some examples of formats and codecs supported by QuickTime follow.
Movie File Formats
File formats are the overarching structure used to store data. Different movie file formats
place video and audio media in different parts of the file, as well as the associated
metadata. The most commonly used media file formats supported by QuickTime are
described below.
AVI
AVI, or Audio Video Interleave, is a PC-compatible standard for digital video. This file type
is no longer officially supported by Microsoft, but it’s still frequently used. The AVI format
supports fewer codecs than QuickTime for video and audio and is mainly useful for
Windows delivery of video for multimedia use.
DV Stream
DV Stream files multiplex audio and video together digitally on a DV videotape. These
files are primarily for use with iMovie. Final Cut Pro converts DV streams to QuickTime
movies with independent video and audio tracks during capture.
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a video standard used for modern digital video format, including digital
television broadcast and DVD.
1711 Chapter 103 Learning About QuickTime