FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

I've been trying to find how a Project can be exported and burned to a PAL format DVD but I can't find the work flow solution in FCPX nor in searching all over the Internet.

It appears one has to export the Project file to Compressor 4, but I'm not sure. Compressor obviously can convert between formats but if FCPX can be used without having to buy Compressor then that would make my day.

There are a number of video formats around the world and PAL is just one of them - but it's the one I want to export to.

From Share>Export Media and "Video codec:" there are choices that can be made but PAL isn't one of them.

Surely others must have been down this path so the question is, How did you do it?
Plan B: If someone hasn't done this before but is willing to share some ideas.

P.S.: okay, so the Apple/FCPX department like to use the word "Share" but I like Export better

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

Why you are doing this, I am not sure but here's how to do it without any extra expense. Export the project as is in NTSC. Open a new project but custom set it to PAL and import the NTSC file into the PAL project. Now you can use the share function to make a PAL DVD with a menu.

Why am I doing this? I've got friends in Europe
 

That's the short answer. I'll mail them some DVDs for them to watch.

The "without any extra expense" I really like. Let me work on this workflow and see if I can get it to work for me and I sure hope it will.

Thanks again William! You've been a big help.

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

Quite frankly, whoever they are should be able to watch NTSC DVDs unless they have a truly ancient DVD player.

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

Hmmm..... that's very interesting. So they can probably view NTSC DVDs? I'll have to look into that.

Some time back I read that there were about a half-dozen video formats in the world and the reason for that, if I remember correctly, was to help prevent the transfer of videos from one continent to another in order to make it harder on the bootleggers. That could also be true for keeping "grey market" hardware from being distributed outside designated distribution channels.

If they could view a NTSC disk that would certainly make things easier for me. that way I could preview it and make sure there was no problem before mailing it.

Very good! Thanks again William.

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

on FCP 6.06 one can export with Quicktime to PAL. not sure about FCPX, but it would be strange if it couldn't also...
but if that indeed is the case, an easy, FREE way would be to export an uncompressed NTSC mov, and transcode in Mpeg Streamclip (a free encoder that works fairly well and much faster than Compressor). i think it needs Quicktime 7.6 installed to work. and now that i think about it, if you have QT 7.6 it should have the option in FCP to convert to PAL, but maybe i'm wrong...

Export FCPX video via iDVD to PAL format
 

In the meantime I found something interesting based on another suggestion of using iDVD for a DVD menu. When I used iDVD to create a DVD with a menue I found that one of the export options was to the PAL format. However, I've learned not to believe everything I read in drop-downs so the jury is still out on this. i.e., It can't be done until someone can actually do it.

As an aside, I'm in the market for a DVD burner so I've been exploring the options, one of which is Blu-ray. Basically all the searches are turning up with negative comments about using a blu-ray burner with a Mac because they either say it can't be done or it causes problems or one needs 3rd party software to make it work. Granted, basically all the comments predate FCPX 10.0.5 or the commenter may not have caught up with the latest version and tried it. In any event, it doesn't look good.

But open FCPX 10.0.5 and go to Share and in one of the next tier drop-down options it appears one is allowed to export, oops, Share, (there I go again) to a Blu-ray (format/burner, or?). Since my old FCPX version 10.0.3 is no longer available to view I can't check if this option is new or if it was always there.

Plus, there is one other question: Do I really want to burn blu-ray disks or should I just stick with the standard DVDs?

Ultimately, it would be nice to have a burner that burns DVDs, blu-rays, and have the LightScribe option all in one unit.

Brian - thanks for the feedback and if things don't work out the way they should I'll definitely be checking that workflow out.

As long as I'm on the subject, I also want a burner that will really do a good job burning. The current opinion is that home burners really aren't up to the job for burning long-lasting CDs and that commercial units to a better job. A decade or so ago it was thought that CDs, and by extension one would assume DVDs too, would last a lifetime but that seems to have changed to a life expectancy of just a matter of years.

So this is where I am today, busy cranking out more video Projects to burn to DVDs and, depending on their lack of importance, deleting the old files off the hard drives.

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

FCPX 'shares' instead of 'exporting'? wow. that is so much nicer! it is a kinder, gentler NLE!

as for DVD burner, i have been using a Lacie lightscribe but i can't recommend it... it worked for about 3 years and then just died. like my Lacie big disc extreme... one would think the lifespan should be longer! i am also interested in a recommendation for a solid lightscribe burner!

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

Never stated is why you're choosing DVD in the first place so maybe you're not aware of the alternatives.

Generally I share things via YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox (or other file sending service).

YouTube allows unlisted and private video if need be. There are ways for viewers to download the YouTube compressed file although not immediately obvious to most.

Vimeo allows password protection and easily allows the download of their encoded file or the file you upload source for a few days for free accounts and as long as you want for Plus accounts.

DropBox would allow you to easily share your files to individuals so they can download.

All the above work in HD and none care about PAL or NTSC compatible. They'll play fine regardless of country.

Anyone telling you Blu-ray has problems on Mac probably doesn't have much experience with them. Granted authoring is limited but the format works fine. FCPX and Compressor can export to Blu-Ray right to disc. The menus are limited but if you're just doing a basic but very good quality screening disc, it works fine.

To me it's far more important that my video look good than having fancy menus so DVD would be the last thing I use. Yes there are a few advantages of DVD for some but they are diminished for most. People with poor internet connections and/or old computers are the only areas I can see for DVD.

Re: FCPX 10.0.5 How to Export Project to PAL format?
 

Lightscribe has never excited me, it takes a long time to etch a full image and I have had big problems with Lightscribe discs from other people. So I recommend a regular DVD/BluRay burner, a $100 Epson Artisan 725 printer (it has a motorized CD/DVD printing tray built in besides the regular paper printer and a scanner) and some quality ink jet printable DVD/BluRay blanks. Taiyo Yuden for DVDs and Verbatim for BluRay (that's for now, my BluRay preference may change). Sure the ink can add up but the speed and color makes up for it.

Can't keep up with you guys! Here it goes.....
 

For Brian: you said "FCPX 'shares' instead of 'exporting'? wow. that is so much nicer!..."
True, but.... there is just so much terminology to keep track of and when they keep changing or tweaking what they call stuff/actions/etc. it's hard on me. My brain gets wired for "exporting" and now I've got another vocabulary word to deal with. Maybe it'll keep my neurons active?

Craig: "Never stated is why you're choosing DVD in the first place..."
In the case of PAL it was to share (not export) with some folks in Europe. At least one of them is fairly old and either don't have a computer or isn't that savvy. His daughter bought him an iPad for Christmas but that's not CD/DVD friendly, but they do have a TV and a DVD player (at least I'm pretty sure about the player).

As for hosting (this is not X rated) videos, I'm obviously aware of one option (Vimeo) but also aware of YouTube. My preference of the two is for Vimeo but the others I am unfamiliar with and thank you for all the suggestions.

As for burning DVDs, blu-ray or regular, I forget the term for a blu-ray DVD at the moment, basically I just want to have a copy and have it off my hard drive(s). I'm not yet "warmed up" to the concept of saving stuff out in cyber space. What if something happens? I have a hard enough time keeping track of passwords - anybody got a good system? Pen and paper you say??? I only have a few videos on Vimeo and already I've lost track of the darn passwords! Open for ideas on this problem.

Speaking of saving, be it sharing, exporting, or just saving something, this brings up a good discussion point. As we become more "technologically advanced" our information is becoming less permanent. Heck, back in the cave man era they wrote on the cave walls, and this was tens of thousands of years ago, and their writings still exist. Ditto the Egyptians, and that city that was buried by ash from Etna. Tin types are still around but black-and-white pictures made on paper wind up becoming discolored and the color slides, film, and pictures are slowly fading. Magnetic media on floppies and CDs have a half-life of only years, not centuries. Will this be an age where writing and pictures have disappeared?

In spite of this I'd like to have CDs and DVDs and worry about making copies of them every, say, 5 years or so to preserve the data, assuming there is still an application that can read it. Multimate or Word 2.0 anyone?

Currently: I have some videos on Vimeo with varying degrees of permissions but I'd really like to burn more to DVDs.

Re: LightScribe
 

So, "All is not gold that glitters"? And here I thought that LightScribe would be the cat's meow. Perhaps the technology is kinda okay but just not perfected. When printers came out there was a lot of paper feed problems but over the years while not perfect at least printer feeding is better than it was.

I'm really anxious to get a burner for my Mac Pro. It's a really nice machine but this is one thing it has to have. I've been using my MacBook Pro for a burner and all the processing prior to burning is generating a lot of heat that is damaging to electronics.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. In the meantime if you happen to come up with any more please pass them along.