myfriendimage
Carbonite Member
The Sarlacc said:
hahahaha it is called Final Cut PRO
Final Cut Pro Universal version now shipping
- Thread starter jeffyjones
- Start date
hahahaha it is called Final Cut PRO
darwinandpaine
Well-known member
What about those of us still on PowerPC machines? Obviously, I don't need the Universal Binaries, but do we get the 5.1 upgrade (and benefits) free? I just checked Software Update and there's nothing there for any of my FCStudio products?
GlassSidewalk
Active member
It's not free, it's a $49 crossgrade. You need to send in your old Install Disks and they will send you new ones. Cool thing about the crossgrade is if you only have the stand alone FC Papp you can get the complete studio for $99 instead of the $49. I'd jump on that if you don't have the studio.darwinandpaine said:
Complete details of the bug fixes in 5.1 can be found here:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Final_Cut_Pro_5.0_lbn_z.pdf
I guarantee there will not be any upgrades to the non UB FCP, so if you want to move forward, send in the disks.
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Barry_Green
Moderator
Because the mxf unwrapping/quicktime wrapping is a goofy workaround that really calls into question the whole tapeless workflow.aquafox said:
Here's an example: say you're shooting your masterpiece independent feature film, shooting an hour of 1080/24P footage a day, that's maybe 20 card offloads per day. Say you do that for three weeks. 6 days a week. 6 x 20 = 120 cards per week, 360 cards total. You offload using a laptop, saving the footage on external drives. That's 1.5 terabytes of data.
Now you go to the edit suite. If you're on Canopus (which supports MXF files) what do you do? You plug in the drive and start editing. Immediately. All 360 cards worth are immediately available to you -- just drop 'em on the timeline. Any file, from any card, is immediately accessible. JUST START EDITING.
But with Apple, not so fast. First, you'd better have another 1.5 terabytes of storage somewhere, because you're going to have to duplicate all the files when copying and converting them to quicktimes. Second, you have to go through one by one, telling it to import the P2 files and convert them to quicktimes on the capture scratch disk. How long will that take? 4 minutes per card? 360 cards? Three 8-hour days of importing? It's like digitizing tape all over again... we're not supposed to have to do that!
Now, let's pretend that you were diligent in your shooting. You used the metadata, and you had your script supervisor annotate the metadata in the P2 Viewer, logging the take name, the scene number, the location, whether it was a good take or not, annotating notes for the editor in the metadata. On Canopus, all that info is immediately available to you -- just click and it pops up. You can search for clips, search for scene and take numbers, and all that is available.
On Apple? Gone. Well, not "gone", it's still on your source drive somewhere, and if you want to go through the hassle of revealing your clip in the finder so you can find the name of it and then go search through the 360 "contents" folders to find where the metadata file is, you can probably dig up the file and view it.
But why should you have to? It's tedious, and inefficient, and unnecessary.
With Canopus, if you're doing a small project (like a quick news story maybe) you could plug a P2 card in, and import the files straight to the timeline, edit your piece right from the card, and write the file back out to the card, ready to air. Never has to touch the hard disk at all.
With Apple? You can do none of those things.
If Apple would add MXF support, it would be the nearly perfect editing platform for HVX footage. Canopus has shown us how it should be done, how it could be. I want it that way on the Mac too. So do you. If you haven't seen how it works, you're missing out.
I appreciate all that Apple's done, they really have a nearly perfect solution here. But it's so close, yet so far away. Native MXF support would change all that. It would be IDEAL.
As it is, when I'm doing something small & quick, I reach for Edius before I reach for the Mac's power switch already. And I don't even know how to run Edius yet.
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Barry Green posted a thread long before with a title similar to this:
"How you can request Apple to support Mxf Files in FCP"
Here's the link to Apple's Final Cut Pro feedback page.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/finalcutpro.html
Send them a mail explaining the hassle of non-mxf support, and while you're at it, tell them to put 720p 50 support in the next update! (5.1.1?)
"How you can request Apple to support Mxf Files in FCP"
Here's the link to Apple's Final Cut Pro feedback page.
http://www.apple.com/feedback/finalcutpro.html
Send them a mail explaining the hassle of non-mxf support, and while you're at it, tell them to put 720p 50 support in the next update! (5.1.1?)
xray
Well-known member
Interesting read, and who does not want more speed and ease during work? I think Apple needs to think this over, the tapeless systems and workflow differ from the old.
MXF is here to stay, broadcast stations and archive systems are based on it, new tapeless approach. But it is not all sunshine. Like MPEG with its variants (see HDV by Sony and JVC) MXF files also differ, one product may not be accepted by another product without data mapping or modification. There are more than 10 formalized structural variants of MXF, called OP´s.
While many rules apply to all OP´s, there is freedom for companies to assemble it somewhat differently. Successful MXF interchange between two products depends on the relative compatibility of their MXF implementations. So MXF is not a panacea, some vendors like Canopus or Avid use it to their advance right now. (AVID is slowly drifting away from its own OMF files).
Quicktime itself is a dynamic container format, it is hiding all forms of data, structures en metadata, Apple is building Quicktime during the years by adding new features and is using the container to convert, use and communicate with other software, and tools. Once it is QT you can bring it into editing, grading, etc etc . It is core business too, so they need a solution for this 'unwrapping rewrapping thing', and give us more speed and a compatible solution with all the strengths QT already has.
Metadata implantation is one of that nonconform structures that needs to be discussed over. Ever tried to rebuild a database and spend hours work dealing with the with of columns, how to devise them and where you can find them?
MXF is here to stay, broadcast stations and archive systems are based on it, new tapeless approach. But it is not all sunshine. Like MPEG with its variants (see HDV by Sony and JVC) MXF files also differ, one product may not be accepted by another product without data mapping or modification. There are more than 10 formalized structural variants of MXF, called OP´s.
While many rules apply to all OP´s, there is freedom for companies to assemble it somewhat differently. Successful MXF interchange between two products depends on the relative compatibility of their MXF implementations. So MXF is not a panacea, some vendors like Canopus or Avid use it to their advance right now. (AVID is slowly drifting away from its own OMF files).
Quicktime itself is a dynamic container format, it is hiding all forms of data, structures en metadata, Apple is building Quicktime during the years by adding new features and is using the container to convert, use and communicate with other software, and tools. Once it is QT you can bring it into editing, grading, etc etc . It is core business too, so they need a solution for this 'unwrapping rewrapping thing', and give us more speed and a compatible solution with all the strengths QT already has.
Metadata implantation is one of that nonconform structures that needs to be discussed over. Ever tried to rebuild a database and spend hours work dealing with the with of columns, how to devise them and where you can find them?
jeffyjones
Well-known member
Thanks for the post, Barry. That certainly gives Apple the business case of why they should provide that support. Hopefully they're listening.
xray makes some important points to, including one that really is core to Apple, in that QT really is a platform that they've been pushing for all of time. In that respect, I've often wished that everything would conform to QT, not vice versa, but that's a pipe dream.
Avid support works, but it's really kind of awkward. And I'm just so annoyed at the fact that Xpress Pro HD only works right on Intel processors with certain video drivers. It's completely annoying. Although, I guess before I act on any new purchases, I need to find out (perhaps in another thread) what the HVX recording format gaps are that remain in Avid (since 5.2.3).
xray makes some important points to, including one that really is core to Apple, in that QT really is a platform that they've been pushing for all of time. In that respect, I've often wished that everything would conform to QT, not vice versa, but that's a pipe dream.
Avid support works, but it's really kind of awkward. And I'm just so annoyed at the fact that Xpress Pro HD only works right on Intel processors with certain video drivers. It's completely annoying. Although, I guess before I act on any new purchases, I need to find out (perhaps in another thread) what the HVX recording format gaps are that remain in Avid (since 5.2.3).
[QUOTE=Barry_Green
But with Apple, not so fast. First, you'd better have another 1.5 terabytes of storage somewhere, because you're going to have to duplicate all the files when copying and converting them to quicktimes. Second, you have to go through one by one, telling it to import the P2 files and convert them to quicktimes on the capture scratch disk.
Barry, why would you do it that way? I'd bring a Powerbook with large external drive to the set, and import the cards directly into FCP the first time.
I do agree however that MXF support would be great, especially the ability to retain all metadata.
But with Apple, not so fast. First, you'd better have another 1.5 terabytes of storage somewhere, because you're going to have to duplicate all the files when copying and converting them to quicktimes. Second, you have to go through one by one, telling it to import the P2 files and convert them to quicktimes on the capture scratch disk.
Barry, why would you do it that way? I'd bring a Powerbook with large external drive to the set, and import the cards directly into FCP the first time.
I do agree however that MXF support would be great, especially the ability to retain all metadata.
snarton said:
OS X is now at 10.4.5.
Can anyone find out if the upgrade path from FC express HD still exists? we have an extra copy of Express HD here are work and previously I could find an upgrade on Apples Site to FCP studio for $599 or so. Now that they have come with the Universal 5.1 there seems to be no upgrade path from HD express anymore. The shame is I have been holding off so I would have to upgrade 2 times....now it looks like I cannot upgrade at all!!!
Justyn
Veteran
I sent some feedback to apple.. thanks for the link. I had to convert some footage over yesterday.. it was easy to do, but a pain as far as the time it took and also the extra drive space....and no metadata... This just plain sucks.
One card took almost 10 minutes to inport. That's like digitizing.. which I never want to have to spend the time doing... Last night I had to shoot 4x3 DV with the camera.. and that was horrible too. Man, it's great to be spoiled ...
One card took almost 10 minutes to inport. That's like digitizing.. which I never want to have to spend the time doing... Last night I had to shoot 4x3 DV with the camera.. and that was horrible too. Man, it's great to be spoiled ...
the boxed version is at 10.4.3.
remember it is always best to download the combo update
remember it is always best to download the combo update
GlassSidewalk
Active member
icicle22 said:
I don't see express on this page
http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/
But I'd give them a call and ask anyway..