Online Editing in SD and HD

Of the two editing methods with Final Cut Pro, online editing is more straightforward. A typical online workflow path is to capture media from a video tape, edit the material, create effects, color correct, and finally, output the edited sequence from your computer.

Because video is the basic medium for online editing, the most common video formats used for online editing are standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD).

Because you use final media in an online workflow, you can immediately see the result of a given task. If you make a change in color, you are directly affecting what will end up on the final output. For instance, in an online workflow, you can concentrate on making an effect look perfect on your screen, because what you see on your screen is exactly what others will see when viewing your material. In theory, in an online workflow the effect is treated only once.