Video Formats Compatible with Final Cut Pro
Long before editing begins, the most basic decision you need to make is which format
to shoot with. The format you choose affects the equipment needed for editorial work,
as well as how the finished product will look.
Final Cut Pro uses QuickTime technology, allowing you to use almost any digital video
format available. This flexibility ensures that your Final Cut Pro editing system always
works with the latest video formats.
 DV editing: Final Cut Pro supports DV video natively, using your computer’s built-in
FireWire port for capture and output. DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, and DVCPRO HD
are also natively supported. Therefore, your system requires no additional hardware
to edit DV material on your computer. You can capture, edit, and output exactly the
same data that is recorded on tape, resulting in no quality loss.
 Broadcast and high definition (HD) video formats: Final Cut Pro supports the latest
broadcast and HD video formats. With appropriate equipment, you can capture, edit,
and output uncompressed standard definition (SD) and HD formats such as Digital
Betacam, D-5 HD and HDCAM.
 Project interchange: Support for project interchange formats allows Final Cut Pro to
integrate into existing broadcast and post-production systems. Final Cut Pro is
compatible with formats such as EDL, OMF, and the Final Cut Pro XML Interchange
Format. For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 10, “Importing and Exporting
EDLs.” You can also refer to Volume III, Chapter 10, “Exporting Audio for Mixing in
Other Applications.” For information on the Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format,
see Volume IV, Chapter 11, “Using Final Cut Pro XML and QuickTime Metadata.”
 QuickTime-compatible files: Because Final Cut Pro uses QuickTime technology, almost
any QuickTime-compatible file format can be imported and exported. This allows you
to import files created in video editing, motion graphics, and photo editing
applications. For a list of all formats that you can import, see Volume IV, Chapter 16,
“Learning About QuickTime.”