I just finished editing a 48 minutes long sit-com movie! Yah! Some gliches with final cut:

When export the 720×480 (anamorphic) video to web format, change the geometry to be 853×480  (the stupid non-square pixel stuff) if you use square pixel….annoying that I have to deal with it every time, back and forth.

The best way to burn a DVD using DVD studio pro is to export the movie using compressor to Apple->DVD->DVD Best Quality 90 minutes.  This will out put two files, one for video one for sound. For this movie, the export time is about 1.5 hr on my MAC Book Pro (2.93 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB DDR3, Firwire external hard drive) . I don’t think I set the geometry. If you look at it, it is grayed out with the following values: Frame Size: 720×480 Automatic, Pixel Aspect: 0.8438 NTSC CCIR 601/DV (16:9) I guess that worked.

(If you just export to QuickTime movie (the final cut pro version), you might not be able to set the anamorphic thing. And if you export using the DVD:Fastest Encode 90 minutes, the video might not show)

To Prep DVD studio pro for 16:9,  follow this guide: http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/16-9_dvdsp_setup_stone.html Basically, change the System Preferences ->General and simulator to use 16:9 letter box. Click on all the menus and tracks in the Graphical tab, change Display Mode to 16:9 letterbox.

If you get an “unknown format error” when burning a DVD using DVD Studio Pro, it’s probably because your DVD-R is low quality (like my Memorex), use File->Advanced Burn ->Build instead to build the two folders: VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, then make a burn folder, drag these two folders in and burn (this way, you can control the burning speed at least). It works very well as long as my DVDs are not scratched.  (You just cannot treat DVD-R carelessly like CD-R, wrap them in paper and shove in your purse, carry them around for 2 days definitely don’t help)