Final Cut Pro X previewed at NAB 2011

[ustein]

The biggest news is the new $299 price point. Here are some first highlights:

Rebuilt from ground up
Fully Color Manages
64 bit
Focus on image quality
Render dialog is gone (background rendering)
Up to 4K formats
Auto color balance, non-destructive
Rolling shutter fixes during import
Metadata attached to time ranges
Smart collections (will need to learn more later)
"Compound Clips": collapse chunks of media into a single clip on the timeline.
Auto-syncing audio waveforms
Ken Burns Effect (from iMovie)
Automatic people and shot detection
Functionality of Color and Motion seems to get integrated into FCP X (all or some ?)
Price: $299 for full version in the Mac App Store

Release: June

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Thank you for posting this. I was just about to pull the trigger on CS5 Production Premium, but with this price cut, I think I'll go for Final Cut and Aperture instead, continuing to use Photoshop CS3 when needed. And that's exactly what Apple wants, I guess; stealing customers from Adobe. If they are lucky, I'll even spend the savings on a more expensive but also more powerful MacBook. That's what's called a win-win situation, isn't it?

 

[ustein]

>That's what's called a win-win situation, isn't it?

I like to work with FCP 7. But the price is way to high to recommend it for people who do not know they want to get serious with video. At $299 the game is changed. Pro video editing at enthusiast price. I also expect FCP X to be a step up from FCP 7 in terms of workflow. Can't wait.

All what is disclosed of FCP X is only just covering the surface (for good or bad). I clearly go for it.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Even for those who are getting serious about video (like myself), the investments are significant, and any saving is very welcome.

A question:
Is there any problems mixing H.264/AVC from a Nikon with AVCHD from a GH1 or GH2 in FCP? I would have liked to go all m4/3, but I can't use a camera with an EVF for pannings at motor races, so I consider buying a D5100 for combined use at the race tracks (photo second camera and video).

 

[ustein]

>the investments are significant, and any saving is very welcome.

Of course. Think that about 12 years ago Avid costs about $50K . What we call expensive today is dirt cheap for some movie productions. I think the $299 are a very interesting price point because many more people can now afford FCP X.

 

[kevinparis]

check out the videos here

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/13/unofficial-videos-of-final-cut-pro-x-arrive-online/

unofficially shot from the back of the room at the sneak opeak - but gives you an idea of what all the fuss is about

exciting times.....almost wish I was back working for Apple

K

 

[ustein]

>exciting times.....almost wish I was back working for Apple

I can understand this. Really exciting.

 

[kevinparis]

I joined Apple in 2000 , and took every version from version 1 through to 7 out on the road doing events just like this all across Europe....as well as Asia and africa. It will be odd seeing this one go out the door and not being part of its first steps into the big bad world..

Worse still I might finally have to buy a copy...good job they have dropped the price


K

 

[ftbt]

But ... there are also some unknowns. This is from Larry Jordan's blog:

"There are too many unanswered questions. For example, here are some questions the answers to which are still unknown:

* The retail price for FCP is $299 – but what is the retail price of the other software parts of the Suite? Are we back to ala carte pricing?

* The application will be sold through the Mac App store. What happens to all the great data files that were available with the suite in earlier versions?

* How does FCP X work with existing FCP 7 projects?

* What other applications ship with Final Cut and how do they integrate?

* How many of our existing plug-ins, peripherals, hardware, and other gear need to be updated to work with the new software?

* Editing does not exist in a vacuum, how do we share files, clips, metadata, and project information with other software tools?

* How does it handle media?

* How has QuickTime changed to support what Final Cut Pro X can do?

* Real-time, native video processing is great for editing – however, we still need to encode to get files on the web. How?

As of tonight, Apple hasn’t provided answers to these, or many other questions. As they do, or as I’m able to find them out, I’ll share them with you in this blog and my newsletter."

See: http://www.larryjordan.biz/goodies/blog.html

And, I don't believe that there is native support for MXF or R3D (Red) files.

Nonetheless, you can't argue about the price.

 

[ustein]

>But ... there are also some unknowns. This is from Larry Jordan's blog:

I know, there are many unknowns. I would be that this version is really nice. That does not mean that top pros may have their issues (I am one of them).

As much as I know FCP 7 (not really in-depth) all the things shown made a lot of sense to me.

>And, I don't believe that there is native support for MXF or R3D (Red) files.

There was no such support in FCP 7 and still many Red projects were edited on FCP. Also the RED is a bit out of my league. You have one?

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Me thinks Apple is trying to corner the volume market here. There has been some criticism of FC Express not being up to it for advanced amateurs, a growing market, while FCP has been to pricey for most. With FCP X, they probably cover the needs of 90-95% of the market, amateurs as well as professionals, at a price anybody can afford. And here in Asia, where they have probably sold very little due to pirating, buying the real thing clearly makes sense with the new pricing. Around 60% of the world population lives in Asia.

There will always be users who want more and need more. In most other areas, getting those last 5% of quality and/or functionality will often cost two or threefold the off-the-shelf product. I guess that might be the case with FCP as well.

 

[ftbt]

... There was no such support in FCP 7 and still many Red projects were edited on FCP. Also the RED is a bit out of my league. You have one?

True. Most projects shot on a Red and edited in FCP use a work-flow involving either QuickTime proxy files, or Red QuickTime files (and not the Red Raw files) or a transcode to some form of ProRes. I don't have a Red, (was hoping to get a Scarlet ... ) but I have been involved in Red shoots and semi-involved in the editing of Red projects.

Also of note is that apparently the new Avid Media Composer 5.5 will allow you to work directly with Red files without going through MetaFuze through a re-engineered AMA (Avid Media Access) + native support for 5D and 7D files. HOWVEVER ... the real winner is Foundry's Storm v. 1.1 that comes in at $375.00 and it allows editing, grading and delivery using not only R3D media and metadata, but also additional formats, like QuickTime, 5D and 7D files, and Arri Alexa ProRes ... and the ability to use all of these formats on the same timeline ... along with 64 bit Windows support. All for $375.00!

 

[ustein]

>but I have been involved in Red shoots and semi-involved in the editing of Red projects.

This is way beyond my scope. I follow Red more as a reference.

>the real winner is Foundry's Storm v. 1.1 that comes in at $375.00

Interesting project. Right now Red only. They plan to support more soo though.