Pro rez speed up HDV editing?
 

I'm using a Macbook (not Pro), 2 ghz core 2 duo to do faux multicam. Wondering if pro res 422 would help, having not experienced it. Basically shooting footage of live theater performance with an FX-1 at 1080i, capturing a downrezzed DV file, then recapturing in HDV format. I create a Standard Def DV timeline/project, using the DV footage for the wide-shots and the larger-frame HDV footage, resizing up to 100% and pannning around for the close-ups.

The technique doesn't work very well in FCP 5, works smoother in PPro 2 under bootcamp, but still nowhere near realtime. Would FCP 6 with pro rez be a possible solution? If I could get one track of HDV to run is realtime, resized to approx. 45% for the wide-shots and up to 100% for the close-ups, but running in realtime, I'd be very happy. Fuzzy unlimited RT would not be helpful, however.

Do you have FCP 5.0 or the Universal Intel 5.1 version?

I really don't think you'll be able to do all those motion effects in realtime. Can you even put HDV in a DV timeline without rendering?
Anyway, what I really wanted to point out was that (in my opinion) FCP does a horrible job of putting HDV in a DV timeline. I also zoom into HDV, except I do it in after effects where I can properly "interpret footage". Look at the filters tab in one of your HDV clips in your DV timeline. Sometimes it automatically adds a shift fields filter to compensate for HDV being upper and DV being lower (which is ugly). Maybe you should de-interlace the footage before you bring it in?

Nate- the Universal Intel 5.1 version.
Aric - I don't bother with this technique in FCP. I have had OK results in PPro, but I've never tried converting my HDV footage into progressive, that would really slow things down. Generally, these shows range from 1/2 hour to 2hr long performances and I shoot two shows. So AE is out as well. Thanks for the intersesting tip though.

Both PPRo and FCP define their formats via their projects. I was wondering if the new ProRes codec speeded up playback enough that HDV would playback a realtime, even in a SD timeline.

I'm looking in a different direction as well, both Edius and Speed Edit import to a seperate codec that the timeline handles 'resolution-independently'. I've tried Edius and it works like a champ realtime-wise, except the toolset keeps me from panning & scanning. (So close and yet so far away.) And I have to drive an hour to see a dealer demo Speed Edit, NewTek can't license trial versions.