It is easiest than that.
As I have told in other occasions the main problem is the h264 codec.
I never liked video edition but I had to make a few works, and my work flow was:
1. Record the footage with my Samsung Galaxy S1 at 720p @ 30fps in MP4 format ( not h264 ).
2. Transfer the video files to a Mac Os 9 machine through USB.
3. Edit and Mix them directly with VideoShop.
4. Save a QuickTime file, with the non destructive mix, without rendering.
5. Render the final work with 3IVX codec (inside a QuickTime file).
6. The final file can be converted to avi or mp4 without re-rendering the video, only the audio. (AAC for MP4 and .MP3 for .AVI).
During all the process the video fragment as played and edited "as is" in mp4 format, without conversion. Only some effects and transitions are rendered, optionally the final work can be rendered to a "monolithic" QuickTime file.
You have to forget FC and Premiere to understand that Real Time 720p video editing in Mac Os 9 is possible (and 1080p with M-JPEG codec).
... and forget DV and DVD too. Especially the last one, it was an awful format since its inception.
I really hope you guys, start seriously with video edition ...
Since the first version, the QuickTime technology was the better video technology ever made, and when AVID realized this fact, begin to sabotage it, Adobe joined AVID a bit late, with the same target.
Foot Note: Since the first version, the QuickTime technology was the better video technology ever made, and when AVID realized this fact, begin to sabotage it, Adobe joined AVID a bit late, with the same target.
Final Cut was incorporated later, and comes with a totally alien technology, that is really worse than QuickTime based Apps. Even though Premiere have some Quicktime enabled version, it loose this heritage and began the Apple QuickTime sabotage.