Converting 24p HD to 30fps standard def

I have a DVCPro HD project in a 24p timeline. The edit is done, and I now want to make a 30fps standard def version for use in editing into my reel, which is all DVCam/30fps stuff.

I've tried exporting out of FCP, but the results are either blurry, or stuttery, or have random black frames. I've tried exporting to Compressor, but I've never used it and it's not terribly intuitive. I've also used QT Pro to export an HD QT movie of my project, but when I export out of QT Pro to my desired new format, again the image is soft and/or stuttery.

The stutter part I kind of get, as it's obviously adding frames, re: 24 to 30. But how do you do this without these artifacts? I see stuff on TV all the time that was shot/edited at 24, and looks great on my regular TV.

I'm using FCP 4.5, on a dual 2.0 G5, OS 10.3.9.

Thanks.

[Rolling up sleeves]

First, Standard Definition Television doesn't run at 30. It runs at 29.97 for reasons that are buried in ancient history (but if you're having trouble sleeping, I'll tell you all about them).

We hope to goodness that your 24 frame show was **really** shot at 23.976, not 24. If it was, then the skipping frames problem is easily cured by adding 3:2 pulldown to the show. 3:2 splits NTSC television frames and produces what is widely believed to be the best, most pleasant framerate conversion possible. This is done with Cinema Tools in the modern Final Cut, Nattress framerate conversion tools in earlier versions.

This is where I get fuzzy on you (pun intended) because I don't know the conventional best way to downrez video without losing too much quality. I don't know the exact process to use the Cinema Tools, either, but I do know that is exactly the correct tool to use.

Koz

I've had good results by making a reference QT movie of the 23.98 sequence. Then creating a new DV NTSC sequence and dropping the QT movie in it and rendering. Then make a self contained QT of that using current settings.

I'd already done that, and the result was okay, but definitely degraded, like it was slightly soft focus. I ended up using Nattress Standards Conversion, and even though it took 3 hours to render a 12 minute clip, it worked like a champ. The new NTSC version is crystal clear. I strongly recommend Nattress.

Jeff