Are QT files lossless?

I got a surprise call that I have to deliver my project on digibeta. I don't have a digibeta, so I have to take my program to somebody who does. (And I have to do this in like an hour.)

If I export to QT, are they going to be the highest quality? Or do I need to output to tape?

Another option would be to move all of my files to their system and let them do it directly, but I'm on FCP 5 and they're on 4 (maybe 4.5) -- are there going to be any forseeable problems? I don't do anything terribly fancy in my edits, just a few alpha channels, some multi-layer stuff, but nothing crazy.

Thanks, freaking out,

Mike

Most QuickTimes damage the picture or compress to some extent. You will not be able to export a "lossless" QuickTime from FCP5 and have it open in FCP 4.5 or before.

As a desparation move, I would export the show PhotoJPEG with the quality slider all the way up. That should open anywhere and what compression there is, is invisible.

I think there's a way to do it in XML, but I have no experience with that.

Koz

if you to a quicktime export for the audio and video and just keep your export settings set at current project, you'll have the same compression you have in your computer, which is you are working off of dv tape, it will just standard dv compression. you can test to make sure they can accept this by just going to the middle of your project and setting the ins and outs 3 seconds apart. do a test export and email it to them. if they can read it. set full ins and outs. export. it'll do you wont have to worry about any future rendering or dropped frames. just play that little movie out.