realtime in FCP3 help

[Wano]

I am running Final Cut Pro 3 on my 17" PB.
When it comes to real-time and background rendering it seems like my settings are set wrong or something...cause I have to render every little thing before I watch it. I do get real-time previews when I add an effect, but it plays back very choppy, and when i try to watch it in the timeline it says undrendered.

Also, isn't FCP3 suppose to have background rendering so that I can continue working while it's rendering?

Please give me any input/suggestions...thanks!

 

[LethalWolfe]

1. There is no background rendering in FCP 3.
2. Amount of RT depends on your proc speed (what are the rest of your system specs).
3. Are you just watching it on screen or are you outputting to an NTSC monitor (TV) as well?
4. Are the media files stored on the internal HDD (which is bad) or on an external FW drive w/the Oxford 911 chipset?
5. Is this a dedicated machine, or is this a laptop w/everything on it? There are many applications (espically utility apps) that will degrade the performance of FCP (or any NLE for that matter).

 

[Wano]

It's got the standard specs. I am upgrading to 1gb and getting an firewire hard drive with the 911 chipset, possibly 922 if i can afford it. I have nothing but productivity programs on it, right now I am runnning it on the system drive.
I do not have a NTSC monitor hooked up..but while we are on this note, can I just hook a regular TV up to it to see what the final output will look like?
This is gonna be fairly dedicated to video editing, but I will aslo be using it for internet and listening to music.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I can't remember where, but somewhere on the FCP pages at Apple.com it tells you how much RT you can get w/a given proc. I think your choppy playback is probably due to storing the media on your local HDD. Running programs plus searching for and playing back video files is a lot to ask of a an IDE HDD.

But I've never used a Laptop to cut w/so I'm not that great a source of info. I'd suggest either hitting the offical FCP discussion forum over at Apple Support or hit the FCP forum at Creative COW.


Lethal