Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1481)

Note: A clip’s Field Dominance property can also be Not Set, which means that the clip’s
media file is likely interlaced but Final Cut Pro couldn’t determine which field dominance
to set when the clip was imported. You can also manually change the field dominance
of a clip in the Browser or the Item Properties window, but you should usually do this
only if the clip’s Field Dominance property is Not Set.
If the field dominance is set incorrectly for a clip, the fields of each frame are played in
reverse order, producing a rapid stutter in which the overall video motion is forward, but
the fields of each frame are played backward.
Using the Shift Fields Filter
When you add a clip to a sequence, Final Cut Pro checks the field dominance settings of
both to see if they match. If both the clip and sequence are interlaced but use opposite
field dominance, Final Cut Pro automatically adds a Shift Fields filter to the clip so that
the clip field dominance matches the field dominance of the sequence.
Shift direction of Shift Fields
filter
Sequence field dominance Clip field dominance
–1 Upper (Odd) Lower (Even)
+1 Lower (Even) Upper (Odd)
In most cases, the Shift Fields filter is applied automatically, so you rarely need to apply
this filter yourself. However, you can modify, add, or delete the Shift Fields filter just as
you can any other filter. The Shift Fields filter is located in the Effects tab and Effects menu
within the video filters Video category.
Mixing Interlaced and Progressive Footage
The scanning method of a clip or sequence is determined by its field dominance setting.
There are three possible field dominance settings that determine clip and sequence
scanning methods.
Field dominance setting Scanning method
None Progressive
Upper (Odd) Lower (Even) Interlaced
Interlaced clips added to a progressive sequence are deinterlaced during playback.
Progressive clips added to an interlaced sequence are interlaced during export or output.
Note: Computer displays are inherently progressive, so you should always connect an
external video monitor when testing interlaced video issues.
For the highest quality, you can use Compressor to deinterlace interlaced footage before
editing it into a progressive sequence. For details, see the Compressor User Manual, available
in Compressor Help.
1481 Chapter 86 Working with Mixed-Format Sequences