Final Cut Pro 7-What does this mean for us?

sagedrummer

sagedrummer

Active member
I saw Apple is shipping Final Cut Pro 7 and was hoping it would edit AVCHD natively, but upon inspection of Apple's page, it looks like it still relies on Pro Res. Does anyone know if Final Cut Pro will improve the work flow for us HMC AVCHD users?
 
It supplies a pro res LT codec that considerably lowers data sizes without compromising quality, gets you to a i frame codec and speeds ingest.

Is that what you are asking?

RT, native editing just doesn't exist for AVCHD in any platform if you consider editing to embrace 720p and 1080 with multiple tracks, grading, FX and titling

Get to a i frame codec as soon as possible to assure your editing experience is full and pleasant
 
i was doing some testing with FCP7 transcoding to ProRes LT and for every hour of footage i get about 40GB worth of clips... The quality is not bad, in fact is hard to tell 422 and LT apart when playing the video, once is stop you can see the difference. But not bad for a smaller file size... Transcoding to LT is Faster too!
 
So do you just use the new codec to edit and then re-import with the higher resolution codec for the final version? Or is the quality difference minimal?
 
So do you just use the new codec to edit and then re-import with the higher resolution codec for the final version? Or is the quality difference minimal?
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I been messing with ProRes LT and the difference is minimal... haven't done a full project on FCP7 but the quality of LT is good for what i need, i don't think that would be necesary.
If i wanted to replace the files after editing i would use ProRes Proxy (is alot smaller)

how fast is the new transcode to the new prores compared to transcoding to prores in FCP 6 as we used to?
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I installed FCP7 on my 17inch MBP 2.4GHz I usually don't edit HD on this system (i use my Intel Quad that still is running FCP6.0.5) But for what i have done in the past with the MBP i could tell a difference.
I will install FCP7 on the quad soon (i need to finish a project first) and then i will do some benchmark testing on an hour long clip, Transcoding to all ProRes Formats... so I'll let you know times and file size!
 
David S. said:
native editing just doesn't exist for AVCHD in any platform if you consider editing to embrace 720p and 1080 with multiple tracks, grading, FX and titling
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Indeed.

Just think of AVCHD as simply an acquisition format only. So in that respect, it's like videotape. You still need to go through one more step before you can edit, but you don't have the hassle of dealing with the problems associated with a tape mechanism.
 
Indeed.

Just think of AVCHD as simply an acquisition format only. So in that respect, it's like videotape. You still need to go through one more step before you can edit, but you don't have the hassle of dealing with the problems associated with a tape mechanism.
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That's a great way of putting it. Also, on certain configurations (Premiere CS4 + 4.1 patch) it is possible to put together a decent rough cut without transcoding, so you have that benefit, too.

Also as computer speeds increase it will become an editing format more and more.
 
How about prores proxy as an offline format to work with when using laptops? I wonder what would be the size of 1 hour of avchd transcoded into that prores version.
 
D.R. Gates said:
Indeed.

Just think of AVCHD as simply an acquisition format only. So in that respect, it's like videotape. You still need to go through one more step before you can edit, but you don't have the hassle of dealing with the problems associated with a tape mechanism.
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I disagree. If you use Vegas like I do...you can just import the raw AVCHD files and edit. No transcoding ..no nothing.
 
sagedrummer said:
I saw Apple is shipping Final Cut Pro 7 and was hoping it would edit AVCHD natively, but upon inspection of Apple's page, it looks like it still relies on Pro Res. Does anyone know if Final Cut Pro will improve the work flow for us HMC AVCHD users?
Click to expand...


Apparently Apple did some 'deal' with JVC to allow JVC's 'MPeg2' media to be directly usable by FC-7, rather than supporting something like AVCHD.

I'm a little disappointed in Apple on a couple of points, but then I haven't been using FCP, but FC Express... but the points are 1) no 'native' AVCHD, 2) no further support for PowerPC machines. (And as I recall, even AVCHD isn't supported on PPC machines, even for transcoding...).

There is support for AVC-Intra in FC-7.

And I'm sure for the typical HMC-150 user, the fact that FC-7 supports 4:4:4+Alpha ProRes, will be a 'clear' advantage... right...

Since I have an Adobe CS4 Production Premium, I'm thinking it may be time for me to get skilled with Premiere Pro... and stay updated with Adobe...
 
Skilled said:
I disagree. If you use Vegas like I do...you can just import the raw AVCHD files and edit. No transcoding ..no nothing.
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I do use Vegas and that's simply not the case. Yes, I can technically edit the raw files, but their behavior and final output quality isn't at all desirable.
 
All I can tell you guys...is that you can take the footage directly from the camera and drop it in the timeline. With that being said you need to have power under the hood. Quad core or better. I use an i7 (8core) with 12gig of ram. I also recomend 64bit with AVCHD. And with this set up behavior is acceptable. I do it every day.


Edit: I am refering to Sony Vegas 9a Pro 64bit...using Window7 64bit. FYI
 
If someone could give transcoding times for the new Pro Res format in Final Cut Pro 7 I would appreciate it. On my Macbook pro it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to transcode 1 hour of footage, that is more painfully slow then importing mini-dv. I am hoping the new Pro Res will ingest the footage faster.
 
Skilled said:
Does great. And I got my copy on ebay for 380.00 Try to buy FCP for that....LOL

Here is one of my latest videos with it.

http://vimeo.com/5755048
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How many tracks of video with FX, titling and grading can you in RT, full frame, unrendered in Vegas using native AVCHD footage.

Just let us know, because no on else has reported this.

This isn't an issue of FCP or Vegas.

It's simply helping other users.

Barry Green has indicated here that he is unable to achieve much, if anything, past straight cuts editing with 720p footage.

People make hardware and software buying decisions based on what others report.

Specifics are really all our responsibility in my view.

"Does great" means nothing. Give us some specifics included 1080 or 720, etc. Scratch disc, etc. Number of tracks, how grading works, fx, titling, etc.
 
David S. said:
How many tracks of video with FX, titling and grading can you in RT, full frame, unrendered in Vegas using native AVCHD footage.

Just let us know, because no on else has reported this.

This isn't an issue of FCP or Vegas.

It's simply helping other users.

Barry Green has indicated here that he is unable to achieve much, if anything, past straight cuts editing with 720p footage.

People make hardware and software buying decisions based on what others report.

Specifics are really all our responsibility in my view.

"Does great" means nothing. Give us some specifics included 1080 or 720, etc. Scratch disc, etc. Number of tracks, how grading works, fx, titling, etc.
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Uh... Wouldn't ONE track of native AVCHD be more than any flavor of FCP could do? I can do one with Edius... drop clips right off the SDHC card into the bin and edit (straight cuts mind you).

I do transcode to Canopus HQ (multiple files at once.. very fast) but I at least have the option to straight cut AVCHD.
 
Yes, it would.

However, I've asked Skilled twice about what his PC set up is capable of doing with native RT AVCHD ingest.

FCP doesn't do native. But if there is a program that does:

multiple video tracks
FX
Titling
Grading
1080 and 720
real time
native
without rendering

then please provide the specifics so we all can assess what software and hardware we should use?

FCP is just tool. I would edit with a broom if it worked better than FCP.
 
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