strange cropped image size in FCP problem
 

I wondered if anyone can help with this frustrating problem:

I'm working on a project in 4:3 PAL. Most of my footage is shot native SD 4:3. I recently started using the XH-A1 and converted the HDV 16:9 footage to DV-PAL 4:3 cropped. However when I import it to FCP (4.5) the images are slightly narrower then all the native 4:3 stuff though in the browser it says all images are 720x576. When viewed in QT though the cropped images are the correct size. (I should say that I have the same problem with images converted from my HDR-HC3 so it looks very much like a FCP issue)

I can't seem to get round this.

Any thoughts?

Geoff

What size does QT report the files at?

Personally I would downrez from HDV to DV in-camera to 16:9 DV then drop it into a 4:3 timeline. This means I can pan the shot of the framing is off.

Thanks for the response Duncan. QT sizes the clips as format: 720x576 (768x576) with normal size: 768x576. All the clips I'm using say the same. I admit I'm confused by the difference between the two (720 and 768 - I always thought 4:3 was 768). Btw in FCP the problem clips have very thin black side bars in the Viewer which disappear in the timeline but the clip remains slightly narrower which is especially noticeable when sing transitions.

I tried downrezing in camera but definitely noticed poorer resolution than when converting in QT as raw footage (i use QT to input from camera).

Geoff