Apple exhibits Final Cut Studio 2
Apple received applause at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show here when demonstrating the upgrades to Final Cut Pro. The software now enables simultaneous editing of different video formats and the removal of unwanted camera movements. It also incorporates a speedier process for dialogue replacement.
The new server, along with 10 concurrent licenses, will go on sale in the summer for $999. Those wishing to buy a server with unlimited licensing will pay $1,999.
Final Cut Studio Pro 2, due to be released in May, will run $1,299 or $499 for an upgrade.
"We've been working hard to make this the biggest upgrade we've ever seen in professional applications," said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice president of application product marketing, who added that the number of Final Cut Pro users has grown from 500,000 to 800,000 in the past year.
At the start of the presentation, Schoeben dropped in multiple video clips shot on varying formats to show how easy it was to edit them together via Apple's new Open Format Timeline. In another example, a videographer jiggles the camera slightly when shooting a motorcycle racing down a street. Final Cut Pro 6 fixes that with a tool called SmoothCam.
"We took some of the great technology in Shake and brought SmoothCam down to Final Cut Pro," Schoeben said.
Also part of Final Cut Pro 6 is Apple's ProRess 422 format, a tool to help manage uncompressed high-definition video. ProRess 422 shrinks HD-quality files into standard definition sizes to make it easier to transfer and edit, Schoeben said.
Apple also introduced a new application for professional color grading and finishing.