1280 x 720 vs 960 x 720

When I import footage into fcpx shot on HVX200A HD it comes in at 960 x 720. I know this is the camera size image for 720p and Legacy FCP thru pixel shifting would expand it to 1280 x 720 upon playback.

My question is: Should I create the project at 1280 x 720? If I let the clip decide the project setting it keeps it at 960 x 720 and looks different than if I set it to 1280 and then drag the clip in.

The proper resolution for 720p is 1280x720. 960x720 is used by the DVCPro HD format for acquisition, as far as I know it's only DVCPro HD that uses it. I've never worked with non-square pixels in FCPX so I don't know how it deals with the conversion, but if it does a good job I'd get it straight into a full 1280x720 square pixel project.

Yeah, thanks NocoDave. I have been manually setting my projects to 1280 because the footage looks great and the aspect ratio seems perfect. As I understand it, the Panasonic DVCPRO HD codec recording in the 200A achieves the full 1280 x 720 resolution with a pixel shift technology that expands the luma grid of the video signal somehow, so it's not just upscaling a smaller image.

I just never really had to give this a thought in legacy FCP....it seemed to recognize the 16x9 aspect, whereas fcpx seems not to if I don't manually set the project.

I don't know the camera, but I used to have a Sony HDR FX1000, it had 1920x1080 sensors and done something along a similar line, but down to 1440 to get to HDV tape.

Using Avid MC at the time I always converted it straight to 1920x1080 DNxHD and always got beautiful results. Converting made sense as in my case it was a long GOP acquisition, this issue you of course won't have.

Sounds like your doing the right thing.

Thanks again...
FYI...the Panasonic HVX200A (like the HPX170) has a 3 CCD imager that records everything in 1920 x 1080. All other HD, as well as SD resolutions are downrezzed in camera from there. So the quality is quite amazing.