A step-by-step tutorial on how to convert H.264 footage for editing in Final Cut Pro smoothly.

Nowdays a ton of cameras like Nikon D810, D5200, Canon 5D Mark III use H.264 compression to record videos. However, you can’t directly edit H.264 in Final Cut Pro (even with FCP X) since H.264 is not an ideal codec for editing. To put your H.264 footage to Final Cut Pro, you first need to convert H.264 to a more editing-friendly format, such a Final Cut Pro’s ProRes.

To finish the H.264 to FCP conversion, Brorsoft Video Converter for Mac is a highly-recommended tool. With it, you can easily transcode H.264 to ProRes 422 codec, which ensures maximum editing quality and efficiency when working with Final Cut Pro. If you’re facing problems editing videos like VOB, AVI, MKV, MTS, MXF, XAVC, XAVC S, H.264 etc. in Final Cut Pro (FCP), chances are you already installed this great utility. If not, download it from here.

Tutorial: How to convert H.264 footage for editing in FCP

Step 1. Add H.264 files to the program

With the H.264 to FCP Mac converter, you can directly drag and drop the H.264 files to the converter, or go to Click Add Files button to locate the H.264 files you want to load.

Step 2. Choose ProRes as the output format

The Mac program supplies you optimized preset for Final Cut Pro, so that you can select “Final Cut Pro” > “Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)” as your output format directly, which will automatically set the resolution, bit rate and frame rate of the output file for you.

Step 3. Start H.264 to Final Cut Pro conversion

Click the “Convert” button and let this professional Mac Video Converter do the rest for you automatically!

After the conversion, you will click “Open” button to find the converted ProRes MOV files. And now you’re able to import them to Final Cut Pro to make engaging movies.

By the way, Brorsoft Vidoe Converter for Mac also has some simple edit functions like crop, trim, split and add effects to your videos.