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Make sure and also check the support page as there are additional information there too (including some information on HDV and Tiger support).

Does FootTrack run fine on Mac OS 10.5?

Version 2.3.x works fine on Leopard minus a few minor glitches. All known issues were fixed in version 2.3.5.

Now that iMovie 08 has cataloging functionality could you compare and contrast the two - and do you plan to integrate with iMovie's catalog so I can use my FootTrack footage in iMovie 08?

I am working on a document that compares/contrasts iMovie 08 and FootTrack's cataloging strengths/weaknesses. It should be on the web site soon.
There will also be an update to FootTrack that will allow increased interaction between the FootTrack catalog and iMovie's catalog.

When will FootTrack support HDV?

The current version of FootTrack does not support HDV capturing. The next major version (3.0) will.

The best workaround in the current version of FootTrack is to set your camcorder so it downconverts the HDV to DV as it sends it over firewire. When you've captured your footage in FootTrack you can compress and throw away the DV captured clips. Then when you want to edit a movie you can generate a FCP XML list and recapture the HDV clips using Final Cut Express or Pro. You could also capture the HDV clips using Final Cut/iMovie HD and then import them into FootTrack. The downside of this method is you lose the date recorded and timecode information (which may or may not be important to you).

Can I use the new H.264 codec in QuickTime 7 with FootTrack?

Definitely. Version 2.1 adds built-in compression settings that use H.264. See this page for a quick comparison of H.264 vs MPEG-4 (the old default compression settings in FootTrack).

Why doesn't my license key for version 1.x work with version 2?

If you purchased version 1.7 or later then you get a free upgrade license for version 2.0. Everyone entitled to the free upgrade should have been sent a new license key already. If you bought an older version then you can purchase an upgrade license to use FootTrack 2.0 past the 30 day trial. It costs $19.95USD. The reason for this is because a large amount of development effort has gone into the new version. If you purchase the upgrade you'll also get every version of 2.x (version 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc) for free too.

How do I tell the difference between my version 1 and 2 license keys?

All version 1 licenses start with either 4 or 5. All version 2 licenses start with a 6 or 7.

Why do I have to be 'approved' to be added to the foottrack-users mailing list?

Spammers started posting garbage to the list which left me with no recourse but to require approval before joining. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I just purchased a license to FootTrack but haven't gotten an email yet with my license key. It's been hours and I want satisfaction!

The most common reason for the delay when using paypal is that the email address associated with your account is no longer valid. Soon after purschasing a license you should get an email from paypal stating what that you bought a license. If you haven't received this email then log into paypal and verify the email address they have for your account.
Purchases of Educational licenses are also not fulfilled immediately as proof of Education status needs to be verified manually.

If I've already logged some clips in Final Cut Pro or Express will the log information be imported into FootTrack's catalog along with the clips?

In Final Cut Pro 3 and Final Cut Express the logging information is stored within the project file. This file is not easily readable and Apple has not made available an API to read the information inside. In Final Cut Pro 4 there is an XML interface which will allow access to the logging data needed. A future version of FootTrack will take advantage of this new XML format.

Is the Educational version of FootTrack any different than the regular full price version?

No, they are identical.

I tried using 'Capture Now' in Final Cut Express to import my tape but it will only import 30 minutes and then stop. Can I only import 30 minutes at a time?

In the preferences window (in Final Cut Pro/Express) on the 'Scratch Disks' tab at the bottom there is a checkbox that says "Limit Capture now to xxx minutes". Either make sure that is unchecked or make sure the 'xxx' minutes are greater than the total minutes of the tape you plan to import.

When FootTrack starts up it connects to the FootTrack web site. What info is it sending and why is it doing this?

FT is requesting a file that contains the current release information of FootTrack. That way it can tell you if there is a newer version available. No personal information is transmitted along with the request. As of version !.2 you can disable this if you don't FootTrack to do this (in Preferences).

Does the compression of the footage have the same quality as the original DV ?
Is the compression lossless?

Unfortunately no. The compressed footage is of much lower quality than the originally imported footage. As with all video there is a size/quality tradeoff and we made it a goal to store as much video as possible on your hard drive while also having good playback quality.

Can I use FootTrack to catalog non-DV (Digital Video) QuickTime movies?

Though it's not supported with the current version it does work (importing at least). Make sure, in the Import Preferences tab you turn off the two preferences "Only imports filenames that start with 'Clip'" and "Only imports clips with correct type/creator". If you are interested in seeing FootTrack support cataloging non DV quicktime movies do let us know.

Where does FootTrack store the catalog data (compressed movies and clip images)?

In your user folder in Library/Application Support/FootTrack. If you want to change the catalog location (say to an big external firewire drive) you can use change it using the "Folder Locations" tab in the Preferences window.

How well does importing original analog footage work?

It works fine, though you generally have to do two extra steps: You'll have to manually split your clips after importing into FootTrack. You can even use iMovie to split your clips as of version 1.2.
Then you'll need to set the date for each clip. You can specify how accurate the date is too.

How much space does it take to compress a 60 minute tape?

That depends on the compression settings you choose:
(These are all approximate)

Low: 96MB/hour
Medium: 180MB/hour
High: 420MB/hour

Will I always have to use iMovie/Final Cut to import my video footage?

No. Version 1.5 allows you to import directly from your camera/capture device.

What does FootTrack give me that I don't get if I just import my entire video tape into iMovie and export it as a small quicktime movie?

Your footage won't be cataloged, broken down into scenes, nor easily searchable. Plus when newer versions of FootTrack come out you won't be able to take advantage of them
:-)

Will FootTrack be Applescriptable?

Feedback will determine how soon this gets implemented but it is planned for a future release.