I'm working with HDV for the first time, using the latest FCP and a new Apple Cinema display.

Haven't exported or burned a DVD yet, but when I edit a test clip, I notice that shiny objects (like the buckle on my dog's collar) have a kind of shimmering effect if I zoom or pan across them (even very slowly).

If I stop on a frame and look closely, the affected area shows a kind of stair-stepping.

This happens with 3 different codecs, so I'm wondering if it's:

1. Caused by the LCD monitor.
2. A limitation of HDV.
3. Something else.

I can't swear this did NOT happen when I edited DV, but I'm hypercritical now that I'm getting used to the new format. Any thoughts?

Philip,
We just upgraded to FCS 2 (Apple Cinema Display) and have been noticing something similar that both myself and my editor swear we didn't notice before. It's almost like a moire pattern. We burned a DVD and it was fine. My guess is it has something to do with compression for display. Try burning a dvd and if it doesn't come out it may be it that particular piece of footage.
--JL

I wonder what you'd see in FCP if you connected a good CRT display. (I don't have one.)