transitions in 24p in fcp7

I am editing 24p video and simple transitions result in a momentary freeze, followed by a jump. How do I fix this?

Could be a playback issue. I've never seen 24p footage have any problems with transitions at all.

Be sure both clips and the transition are fully rendered, there should be no render lines at all.

What hardware are you running it on, what is the format of your footage?

I'm using a macbook pro ('07) mac OS Z 10.4.11. The footage was shot in HD 1920 x 1080 Compressor H.264. at 23.98 fps. I've used video from this source before with video shot at 30 fps and have rendered with no problem. Whether I use a dissolve effect or modify opacity with keyframes, the result is the same, a freeze followed by a jump. Even after re-rendering the problem persists.

OS 10.4? Seriously? That doesn't even support the App Store. So how did you get FCP X on that machine?

The machine came to me on loan for a totally separate project, so I'm limited to OS X 10.4 and fcp7. The files are from a DSLR. I've had some luck using other files, rendering within a 30 fps timeline. This is the first time I've tried to use solely 24p sequence.

Oh, my bad, I'm thinking FCP X. FCP 7, that's dif... nope, not different.

Right, so 24p still shouldn't make any difference in a transition.

What are the Sequence settings?
What are the clip specs?
How much do you have for Handles on these clips?

FCP 7 does not officially support H.264, which I suspect is the total problem. Convert to ProRes.

I assume this is from a DSLR, which should go through Log & Transfer and made into ProRes LT. That will take care of it.

Have you checked your Render Settings?

Select Sequence > Render All and make sure ALL render options are checked, including the dark green (Full) option. Then press CMD+R to render your timeline and see if this makes a difference.

Ronny is correct, and also do the same for Render Selection, too.