At NAB2007, Apple announced it had worked with KCAL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles, to beta test a new Final Cut Server application that works with the company's Final Cut Studio 2 to provide media asset management and workflow automation capabilities.
It's a scaleable server application that supports workgroups of any size while enabling content browsing, review and approval from within a studio or over the Internet. Final Cut Server automatically catalogs large collections of assets and enables searching across multiple volumes via intuitive user interface. Final Cut Server is designed to manage the entire production process.
The program automatically catalogs content, generating thumbnails and low-resolution clip proxies in the process. Broad search capabilities extend from simple keywords to complex combinations of IPTC, XMP and XML metadata. Final Cut Server can configure a range of highly specific access controls that define user permissions on an asset or project basis.
Final Cut Server includes customizable templates that manage the flow of work typically found in broadcast, post and education environments. Sophisticated watch-and-respond systems can be configured to track the progress of assets, alert editors as projects move through the production pipeline and automatically notify producers by e-mail when a project is ready for evaluation.
An offline/online workflow enables editors to work with HD proxies in the field on a MacBook Pro. Final Cut Server integrates directly with Compressor 3 for delivery and provides high-quality format conversions for publishing to a variety of platforms, including TV, Internet, iPod and mobile phones.
For more information, visit www.apple.com.
