Okay, it's exporting now. I'll let you know what happens. So, in the future, should I always pick 30i for a project type?

Damn, it didn't work. Same thing, strobing. Were there any specific options you set in DVD Studio Pro or Compressor?

I'll need to try these settings as well since I occasionally have this problem.  Thanks.

Kenton, just so you are aware, any dvd of a movie (and recent tv) shot on film or 23.976 video, gets encoded as such.  The dvds are 24fps and the dvd player puts the pulldown into the signal being sent to the dvd.  Rip a copy of a dvd you own and you will see that the resulting video is 24fps.  Whether it's progressive or not is a different deal.  So, when shooting 24p it helps to finish in 24 for dvd, thus taking up about 15% less room on your dvd vs finishing in 30fps

I'm honestly beginning to think that there is a deeper problem regarding the situation I'm having. I've been sitting at my computer since 9 this morning and have burned close to 15 DVD's and it still looks strobed. What kind of problems can occur when putting 24P footage into a 23.976P project? Does strobing naturally occur? The weird part is that the DVD always plays fine on my computer. WTF?

Try making a new timeline with a short section that looks bad.

Apply a timewarp effect to the video. Set the speed to 80%  (from the frame rate conversion chart on 24p.com for 23.976P to 29.976)  Set source to Progressive and output to interlace.

Render and output as a QT, frame rate 29.976.

Encode for DVD and check for strobing.

If it works then post back if you want help with how to work with the whole video timeline and keeping audio in sync whilst using this (time intensive) method.

Thanks Andrew, I'll try that. New development: As a test I exported completely uncompressed from Avid and straight pulled it into an iDVD menu and hit "burn." It's still having the same strobing issues. When you export uncompressed isn't that supposed to take the file 100% as is and not change anything? Shouldn't it have looked fine after being burned onto iDVD?

WTF?!?!?!?

I am just guessing the strobing that you are seeing is the fact that your eye is quick enough to see movement between two sharp frames one 24th of a second apart.

Interlace on the other hand has a slight bluriness as each field (59.97 fields per second) displays every second line of the vertical information. So with interlaces you get 59.976 changes per second and your brain is better able to see the results as smooth motion.  The brain also has a great ability to fill in the gaps and make half the vertical resolution look ALMOST as good as the full frame resolution of a progressive frame.

RANT

Roll on technologies ability record and process 2K (or 1920) frames at 48P, 50P or 60P frame rates and establish a true universal HD standard.

That makes sense. Right now I am desperate. I'm going to do a digital cut, output to 24, redig into a 30i project and then export. Will that work? Also, what should I choose for "Dest. TC Rate"? 29.97 or 30.00 fps? I'm sorry if that is a stupid question, my brain is mush right now.

Output mode is greyed out too. Damnit. It's time for Jack Daniels right about now.

My answers have been mainly generic as I am predomonantly PAL based. For the intracasies of adding and removing NTSC pulldowns I usually go and spend some time with white papers on 24p.com  This website is an invaluable instantly available resouce for these subjects. Here it is a bit hit and miss as to when any of the helpfull experts in a particular subject pass through.

FYI The author of many of the white papers on the 24p.com site is a very helpfull Avid Moderator here who freequently visits the Film and 24P forum here  if you want to post the question over there

Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. I know Michael Phillips. Thanks Andrew, you are the best. I'll check it out!

On what camera was this all shot? There are a lot of odd 24p formats out there.

I would just create a quicktime reference of the project to eliminate format problems with your export out of AVID.

Using a two pass encode in Compressor and creating a progressive, 24fps MPEG2 should also help.

Yeah, I already did all that David. I have exported in a million different ways to no avail. I have been told that the reason for the strobing has to do with editing in a 23.967P timeline instead of the 30i one. It is creating field order problems. I think my only altenative is to digital cut out to tape and then redigitive in a 30i timeline.

For anyone who cares to know, a friend of mine helped me to figure out the problem. I captured the footage into the incorrect timeline. I am creating a new 30i project and then importing my sequence (using EDL's and ALE's) and then batch capturing. It sucks but at least I don't have to rebuild the whole sequence. Thanks to everyone for all of your ideas and suggestions!

I was away from my computer for most of the weekend, so this is first chance I've had to respond.

Erin, glad you got it sorted out. 

gumbaedit:

Kenton, just so you are aware, any dvd of a movie (and recent tv) shot on film or 23.976 video, gets encoded as such.  The dvds are 24fps and the dvd player puts the pulldown into the signal being sent to the dvd.  Rip a copy of a dvd you own and you will see that the resulting video is 24fps.  Whether it's progressive or not is a different deal.  So, when shooting 24p it helps to finish in 24 for dvd, thus taking up about 15% less room on your dvd vs finishing in 30fps

But, if you shoot on 24p MiniDV (ie, fake 24), then you're really shooting at 30i and should capture/edit as such.