Final Cut Pro X Is Coming In June
by Tim Chaten
April 13, 2011
Final Cut Pro is going to be coming to the Mac App Store in a few months. This time it will be more affordable and more usable. Imagine taking the ease of use of iMovie and combining it with the power of Final Cut Pro … that is what Final Cut Pro X is.
Final Cut Pro has had essentially the same user interface since it was released back in 1999. Final Cut Pro X not only makes it easier to use, but also adds some features the pros have wanted for years, such as 64-bit compatibility. Another big feature is background rendering. In the past you could not even start editing your videos until Final Cut Pro re-rendered all of your clips. Now you are able to start editing almost immediately.
The new update also focuses on improving video quality. As your media goes into the app, Final Cut will stabilize your video, apply color balance, and provide some audio cleanup.
Organization is another thing that was rethought with this app. As your media goes into Final Cut it will detect what type of media it is, provide people detection, and identify the type of shot. You may recognize many of these features from iMovie. Some organizational additions include smart collections and keywords.
The timeline has also been revamped in a big way. The interface will be familiar to iMovie users, but the power will remain for those accustomed to Final Cut Pro. The timeline is now what is called “magnetic.” Basically, your media is smart enough to move to a new track when you move it around, rather than colliding with clips already in the timeline.
There are many more features such as auditioning. The real takeaway is that Final Cut Pro is back in a big way. The app will be sold in the Mac App Store for $299 this June. Prior to this, you needed to purchase the entire Final Cut Pro suite for $999 (or the educational $899 price). It is unclear what is happening with the rest of the suite. Apple has only said they will have more to announce at a later date.
The trend of de-bundling suites is becoming more and more popular at Apple. We have seen this with iLife, iWork, and now the Final Cut Pro suite.
Apple has once again set the standard for how pro apps should look, as well as how they should be priced. Apple’s professional photography app, Aperture, made a huge splash at its reduced price in the Mac App Store earlier this year.
Are you excited by the new Final Cut Pro X? Let us know in the comments below!
Embedded below are two videos from the announcement event:
Part 1
Part 2