Reasons for rendering – Apple Final Cut Express HD User Manual
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Reasons for Rendering
Any time Final Cut Express HD must perform more calculations than your computer can
handle in real time, you need to render. Final Cut Express HD processes your video and
audio when you apply filters, motion parameters, and speed, or when you mix clips with
size, codec, or frame rates that don’t match your sequence. For example, placing an NTSC
clip into a PAL sequence requires rendering before you can play back the sequence.
You don’t have to render the following:
 Sequences that contain clips with matching settings, such as image dimensions,
frame rate (editing timebase), audio sample rate, and so on.
 Sequences without any effects, transitions, and customizable parameters (motion,
speed, and so on). Such sequences can be played and output without rendering. You
can also turn off options such as effects rendering and frame blending for speed
effects to minimize the need to render.
 Sequences with video effects that are within your computer’s real-time playback
capabilities.
 Multiple mixed audio tracks that are within your computer’s real-time playback limit
at the selected audio playback quality.
 Audio effects that are within your real-time playback limit at the selected audio
playback quality.
Any processing beyond the practical limits of your computer requires rendering:
 Video clips or sequences with transitions and effects that exceed your computer’s
real-time playback capabilities.
 Video clips or sequences with transitions and effects that require rendering to output
at broadcast quality.
 High-quality final output. Real-time effects that play back at preview quality must
ultimately be rendered for high-quality video output.
 Video clips with frame rates that don’t match those of your sequence setting. For
more information about viewing and changing a sequence’s settings, see “
 Video clips using codecs that can’t play in real time.
 Multiple mixed audio tracks and audio tracks with effects that exceed your real-time
playback limit.
 Applied audio effects that require too much processing power.