Apple today unveiled Final Cut Studio 2
, a significant upgrade to the industry’s leading video production suite that delivers new creative tools designed expressly for editors. Final Cut Studio 2 includes Final Cut Pro 6, which introduces Apple’s ProRes 422 format for uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes and support for mixed video formats and frame rates in a single Timeline; Motion 3 featuring an intuitive 3D environment, paint and new behaviors; Soundtrack Pro 2 with dozens of innovative tools for multitrack editing, surround mixing and conforming sound to picture; Compressor 3 delivering powerful batch encoding for multiple formats with a single click; and DVD Studio Pro 4.2 for SD and HD DVD authoring. Final Cut Studio 2 also introduces “Color,” a professional color grading and finishing application for ensuring consistent color and creating signature looks.
“Final Cut Studio 2 was specifically designed to enable the rapidly growing community of over 800,000 Final Cut editors worldwide to animate, mix, grade and deliver their work as a natural extension of the editorial process,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing, in the press release. “Final Cut Studio 2 is the most powerful production suite on the planet.”
At the core of Final Cut Studio 2 is Final Cut Pro 6, the latest version of Apple’s Emmy award-winning editing software which includes a new Open Format Timeline that lets editors mix and match virtually any video format and frame-rate in a single Timeline without transcoding. ProRes 422, a new full raster, 10-bit 4:2:2 post production format produces stunning HD quality at SD file sizes, making it ideal for working efficiently across a SAN or on a MacBook Pro in the field. Companies including Panasonic, Sony and RED are embracing ProRes 422 as they continue to innovate on the next generation of cameras. Final Cut Pro 6 also includes optical flow based SmoothCam technology to remove unwanted or jarring camera movement with simple, easy-to-use tools. Deep integration with Motion includes the ability to edit Motion templates with video drop zones and editable text fields directly in Final Cut Pro.
New to Final Cut Studio is Color, which puts a logical task-based color grading and finishing workflow in the hands of every Final Cut Pro editor. The primaries in Color include advanced color correction tools such as gamma, lift and gain adjustments, as well as custom R, G, B and luma curves, and the secondaries provide the ability to isolate specific areas of an image with soft-edged mattes and custom-shaped vignettes, which can be tracked with ease. Pro- fessional scopes provide precise monitoring of chrominance and luminance values via waveforms, histograms and new 3D scopes. Color includes over 20 signature looks which can be customized to create a unique mood for any given project, and offers a seamless roundtrip workflow where projects can be sent from Final Cut Pro 6 directly to Color for grading, finishing and final rendering with 32-bit float 4:4:4 image processing.
Motion 3, the latest version of Apple’s groundbreaking motion graphics software, takes all the familiar Motion tools and extends them to a 3D environment. New camera behaviors add depth and realism with drag-and-drop simplicity. Vector based paint tools allow editors to easily create brushes with color, particles, video or pictures. A simple, yet highly precise match moving tool automatically maps any image or effect to the path of any other object. New retiming behaviors enable editors to slip and slide retiming effects on the Timeline without keyframes, while new audio behaviors allow users to easily create animations that respond to soundtrack volume and frequency. Motion 3 includes over 1500 new design elements including professional stock imagery, beautifully animated line drawings and stunning vector artwork.
Soundtrack Pro 2, a brand new version of the audio editing application in Final Cut Studio 2, features powerful new multitrack editing and recording tools in a streamlined interface that simplifies every aspect of the audio post production process. Soundtrack Pro 2 introduces a breakthrough heads up spotting display that lets editors precisely align effects and dialog with picture. Advanced take management tools enable editors to quickly combine pieces of the best takes to craft seamless performances. Stereo and surround mixing tools enable users to create 5.1 and stereo mixes in the same project, saving time and eliminating costly errors. Editors can work with a royalty-free library of over 5,000 professionally produced foley and sound effects, including over 1,000 surround sound effects and evocative multi-channel music tracks. A powerful new Conform tool enables users to synchronize and track changes between picture and sound editorial.
Compressor 3, the latest version of Apple’s industrial strength encoding tool, comes with a new streamlined interface and simplified workflows that make encoding and delivering in multiple formats easier and more efficient than ever. Powerful batch processing and job chaining capabilities enable edi- tors to create pristine quality output for a wide range of delivery formats with a single click. Compressor 3 extends support for industry-standard codecs such as MPEG-2 and H.264 to include new drag-and-drop presets for delivery to broadcast television, web, iPod, Apple TV, DVD and mobile phones. Dynamic filters applied during pre-processing now support timecode overlays, audio/video fade in and out, and animated watermarks that can be applied directly from Motion projects.
Apple today also introduced Final Cut Server, a powerful new server application that works seamlessly with Final Cut Studio 2 to provide media asset management and workflow automation for post production and broadcast professionals.
Final Cut Studio 2 will be available in May through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of US$1,299. Registered users of the current version of Final Cut Studio can upgrade for $499 (US) and registered users from any previous version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699.
Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Studio 2 can be found here: Final Cut Studio 2
@Mindless fanboy
So you just come here to rain on everybody’s parade? You are just a naysayer, wringing his hands crying how Microsoft has won? I would rather endure the fanboys than listen to whiners like you.
Mindless Fanboy, if it makes you feel any better, I think you are a very superior and special person.
That said, someone saying “Windows is toast” could mean a number of things. That might just be their way of expressing how much better they think Leopard will be than Windows. This is just a casual comments section. Not some sort official testament given under oath by penalty of perjury. No need to take it with so much weight.
But like I said, you are a terrific person and a deep thinker, and I hope me saying that will help you with your self esteem.
Hey all! Just checked: Yep . . . still DOUCHING!
Alright, guys and gals, help me out here…. I have Final Cut Studio 5.1, which includes DVD Studio Pro 4. However, according to the new and improved Final Cut Studio 2, DVD Studio Pro remains at…..4, but Apple is touting new features for it….
I am confused…. Shouldn’t it be called DVD Studio Pro 5?
Well DL Meyer aint here to grace us with a link to his dumbass webpage, so we get some self important buffoon called andrew hamilton !
Gee thanks for your link bozo !
I am so angry with myself for they way I treated you guys. After dinner at BK, I fired up my Dell, got a .dll error and had to reboot. Now it won’t start.
I never should have bought this dell.
I am such a yahoo.
Oh, well…
Thanks again, Andrew. I just added your name and Hamilton International Productions to my list of personas non grata. Sometimes advertising doesn’t pay, especially when you make the mistake of huckstering to the wrong audience, jerk.
@oops
Sorry for my rude post. It was ripe with punctuation errors,
which I thought IE 7.0 would catch.
I really love this site, but I get so riled up when I know the the Windows dynasty is ending.
I will work on my posting skills so I don’t look like a high-school dropout.
I hate acting like a douche…
MF
The Real Mindless Fanboy ROCKS!
The other Mindless Fanboy Impersonators really do need to DOUCHE.
You’ll find that Final Cut is now at version 6 up from 5.1. Soundtrack Pro stays the same as it seems the new features, like most other software vendors, hasn’t been given a new numbering because the new features are small and therefore to my mind does not warrant a new version number.
Final Cut Studio 2 is correct as this is version 2 of the bundle. As you can buy each application separately.
Think of Adobe, they are the same with Creative Suite 3, with Photoshop at version 7.
Mindless,
it’s silly to pull age. I’m 59 but it doesn’t make me better or wiser than you.
It’s also silly to put down people who enthuse about something, whether it’s a football team or a computer firm – exaggeration is, I think, an understandable part of being a fan.
But even sillier, is to be so cock sure that Apple will remain a niche player in the computer field and not get more than 10% of the market.
I’m sure you’ll eat those words in the near future – at a guess, in three to five years.
Porn movies will never be the same. ” New camera behaviors add depth and realism with drag-and-drop simplicity”
Mindless dear boy,
nomen est omen.
@Toby
Best post in an age…
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I just want to apologize to you all. I’ve been thinking about it and, really, if you guys are so excited about Mac things who am I to complain?
Actually I think it’s quite cool, all the enthusiasm on here. I was wrong before, and you know… I guess I’ve just realized that if all I want is news I can just pick the articles I’m interested in and then just read the snippets that MDN posts.
I guess that’s why I’m the most sorry… because I was complaining about something that I had complete control over, like I expected all the world to change just to suit my habits, rather than being willing, myself, to change.
So I promise I’ll be a better community member from now on. Please forgive me. Thanks ya’ll. Peace.
@The Real Mindless Fanboy
Your actual operating system software has just been open-sourced.
Cancel or Allow?
I had mindless, rampant opinions once.
@iMaki
And, of course, it applies to about 1% of the total Mac user market.
According to Apple, there’s 800.000 FCP registered users.
A FCP Studio 2.0 license costs US$ 1,299.00.
Now tell me, what company doesn’t want that business?!?
Of course those users can pay upgrade prices, but that market is huge anyway.
Try thinking wider.
@ Macjammer.
“Final Cut Studio 2 is correct as this is version 2 of the bundle. As you can buy each application separately.”
No you can’t.
Since they went universal, the apps are only available as a frickin’ bundle.
Great release!!!
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Best Wishes
Document Management Software