Last week Apple introduced Final Cut Pro X, a new and highly anticipated version of its professional video editing software that is widely used in news and professional video applications.
Built on a 64-bit architecture with up to 4K resolution file support, Final Cut Pro X is now available for download from the Mac App Store for a reduced price that is certain to have a major impact of the makers of editing software.
The new software borrows from the consumer level iMovie. Its Magnetic Timeline allows editing on a flexible, trackless canvas. Clips can be added and arranged wherever desired, while other clips instantly slide out of the way. Content Auto-Analysis categorizes content upon import by shot type, media and people; and background rendering allows editors to work without interruption.
Clip Connections link primary story clips to other elements like titles and sound effects. A new Auditions feature allows editors to swap between a collection of clips to instantly compare alternate takes.
Content Auto-Analysis scans media on import and tags content with useful information. Final Cut Pro X then uses that information to dynamically organize clips into Smart Collections, so one can easily find the clips by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot.
Final Cut Pro X uses multithreaded processing and the GPU on a graphics card for fast background rendering and real-time playback performance. A ColorSync-managed color pipeline ensures color consistency from import to output.
The software provides native editing from a wide range of broadcast formats, including DVCAM, DVCPRO, Panasonic’s AVC-Intro, Sony IMX, XDCAM HD, Canon XF MPEG-2, AVCHD and HDV.
Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by two companion apps, Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding.
