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fcp2.png


Apple held a private Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) briefing for enterprise contracts in London on July 6th. One first hand report has been posted to the internet detailing what Apple discussed during the event. Alex4d summarizes tweets by @aPostEngineer which reveals the following points:
1. FCP XML in/out is coming via 3rd party soon...no FCP 6/7 support project support coming ever it seems...
2. Ability to buy FCP7 licenses for enterprise deployments coming in the next few weeks...
3. FCPX EDL import/export coming soon...
4. FCPX AJA plugins coming soon for tape capture and layback...capture straight into FCPX [events].
5. XSAN support for FCPX coming in the next few weeks...
6. FCPX Broadcast video output via #Blackmagic & @AJAVideo coming soon...
7. Additional codec support for FCPX via 3rd Parties coming soon...
8. Customizable sequence TC in FCPX for master exports coming soon...
9. Some FCPX updates will be free some will cost...
Notably, the event reveals that Apple is working on allowing existing Final Cut Pro 7 licensees to purchase additional licenses. One of major complaints about the FCP X launch had been Apple's discontinuing sales of Final Cut Pro 7 even before video professionals had been able to become comfortable with FCP X.

Final Cut Pro X was released as an App Store title on June 21st for $299. Apple later posted a FAQ to address concerns of video professionals, and has promised a number of new features and fixes in the coming months.

Article Link: Apple to Allow Additional FCP 7 Enterprise Licenses and More on FCP X
 
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adrian.oconnor

macrumors 6502
Jan 16, 2008
326
3
Nottingham, England
The FCPX saga is getting a little tired now (for me at least), but I appreciate some people are concerned about the future of software they depend on. These things usually work out pretty well in the long run -- look at the initial reaction to OS X, for instance, as highlighted by HP the other day. As a programmer I've personally been through several major shifts in the platforms I work with over the years. Again, it always worked out pretty well, and I'm actually very glad that people are always trying to change and improve stuff that we come to take for granted. It keeps things fresh and interesting.
 

Reach

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2006
577
0
Norway
"XSAN support for FCPX coming in the next few weeks..."

Next few weeks is nice to hear. Coming from a Lion-launch, or FCP X update you guys think?

Also, will not XML in/out perhaps allow for some migration of projects between FCP 7/X? Or at least enable third parties to make utilities for opening old projects?
 

Heilage

macrumors 68030
May 1, 2009
2,592
0
Closest thing to an admission of fault we'll ever get from Apple, I'd say.

People will still need to keep FCP7 installed, since they might have to go back and work on older project. What a silly thing to leave out...

I suspect a third party might release some kind of conversion tool.
 

179202

Cancelled
Apr 14, 2008
939
217
So now that Apple will let current users buy additional seats (well, soon they will), can everyone shut up whining so much now? Use the system that works for you.

FCP7, as it currently stands, was developed over 10+ years. FCPX has just come out. Development time makes a big difference.
 

Lone Deranger

macrumors 68000
Apr 23, 2006
1,894
2,133
Tokyo, Japan
The FCPX saga is getting a little tired now (for me at least), but I appreciate some people are concerned about the future of software they depend on. These things usually work out pretty well in the long run -- look at the initial reaction to OS X, for instance, as highlighted by HP the other day. As a programmer I've personally been through several major shifts in the platforms I work with over the years. Again, it always worked out pretty well, and I'm actually very glad that people are always trying to change and improve stuff that we come to take for granted. It keeps things fresh and interesting.

Very well spoken. Thank you.
 

The Phazer

macrumors 68030
Oct 31, 2007
2,997
929
London, UK
So now that Apple will let current users buy additional seats (well, soon they will), can everyone shut up whining so much now? Use the system that works for you.

FCP7, as it currently stands, was developed over 10+ years. FCPX has just come out. Development time makes a big difference.

It won't let small shops who don't qualify for enterprise licences buy additional seats.

Phazer
 

Aiwaz418

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2011
34
77
Burbank, CA
9. Some FCPX updates will be free some will cost...
Some will cost?

That is pretty much the final straw for our facility. Between the disastrous release itself, dependence upon third parties for partial functionality, and now the prospect that there will be additional Apple costs on top of it all for this amateur piece of junk to even approach the necessities of a professional NLE, it will soon be time to jump ship.

We will play out FCP7 for a few more months, but certainly will not be spending any more money with Apple for their ill-considered, poorly designed hobby software ever again. The dream of those of us who supported FCP for years, putting up with the Avid users mocking the upstart software is over, and it hurts even more that the Avid crowd was eventually justified.
 

179202

Cancelled
Apr 14, 2008
939
217
It won't let small shops who don't qualify for enterprise licences buy additional seats.

Phazer

For small shops, you can just buy the boxed product from wherever you can find it. It's in plenty of places still.
 

Reach

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2006
577
0
Norway
Some will cost?

That is pretty much the final straw for our facility. Between the disastrous release itself, dependence upon third parties for partial functionality, and now the prospect that there will be additional Apple costs on top of it all for this amateur piece of junk to even approach the necessities of a professional NLE, it will soon be time to jump ship.

We will play out FCP7 for a few more months, but certainly will not be spending any more money with Apple for their ill-considered, poorly designed hobby software ever again. The dream of those of us who supported FCP for years, putting up with the Avid users mocking the upstart software is over, and it hurts even more that the Avid crowd was eventually justified.

You have no idea what kind of updates they are talking about, so I can't understand why you would get upset about this. FCP 6 to 7 cost, didn't it? If FCP X 10.2 will cost you something (or 10.1, if they have fixed the main issues with 10.0.x-updates), that makes you mad?!
 

Will_reed

macrumors 6502
May 27, 2005
289
0
Oh dear...

That one doesn't surprise me, the way you edit a project in FCPX is so radically different that FCPX just would not know how to deal with any previous FCP project more complex then some media in a bin and one sequence.
 

unlinked

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2010
698
1,217
Ireland
You have no idea what kind of updates they are talking about, so I can't understand why you would get upset about this. FCP 6 to 7 cost, didn't it? If FCP X 10.2 will cost you something (or 10.1, if they have fixed the main issues with 10.0.x-updates), that makes you mad?!

It makes him mad because he is mad. If he wasn't he would realize it is just a meaningless statement.
 

179202

Cancelled
Apr 14, 2008
939
217
Some will cost?

That is pretty much the final straw for our facility...

We will play out FCP7 for a few more months, but certainly will not be spending any more money with Apple for their ill-considered, poorly designed hobby software ever again. The dream of those of us who supported FCP for years, putting up with the Avid users mocking the upstart software is over, and it hurts even more that the Avid crowd was eventually justified.

Big software upgrades always cost. Remember that Final Cut Pro X is a hell of a lot cheaper than Studio used to be. Apple just recognises that not everyone needs some things, so why not get a great basic functionality and let third parties handle those things?

All of these NLE software options are just tools for doing the job. Choose the one that suits you based on that and be done with it.
 

Aiwaz418

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2011
34
77
Burbank, CA
You have no idea what kind of updates they are talking about, so I can't understand why you would get upset about this. FCP 6 to 7 cost, didn't it? If FCP X 10.2 will cost you something (or 10.1, if they have fixed the main issues with 10.0.x-updates), that makes you mad?!
Yes, it upsets me because they sold a piece of software that is basically useless for film professionals and are planning on charging additional fees for functionality. It borders on criminal.
 

Reach

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2006
577
0
Norway

Aiwaz418

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2011
34
77
Burbank, CA
Big software upgrades always cost. Remember that Final Cut Pro X is a hell of a lot cheaper than Studio used to be. Apple just recognises that not everyone needs some things, so why not get a great basic functionality and let third parties handle those things?

All of these NLE software options are just tools for doing the job. Choose the one that suits you based on that and be done with it.
Not to use the same, tired-sounding argument, but they shouldn't have tagged the 'Pro' moniker on this if it was lacking some of those 'things'.

As for choice, I had done, for almost a decade, and now have been forced into choosing something else due to seeming utter incompetence on the part of coders who have no understanding of how films and television are actually finished.
 
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manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,219
3,031
Some will cost?

That is pretty much the final straw for our facility. Between the disastrous release itself, dependence upon third parties for partial functionality, and now the prospect that there will be additional Apple costs on top of it all for this amateur piece of junk to even approach the necessities of a professional NLE, it will soon be time to jump ship.
It will not cost you anything extra if you don't buy FCP X before these updates are included. Everybody buying FCP X now (or anytime in the last two weeks since the the first detailed reviews were in) knows they buy a preview of what FCP will become in the future, not a fully-featured new version.
 

nubero

macrumors regular
Mar 25, 2003
187
0
Zurich
You have no idea what kind of updates they are talking about, so I can't understand why you would get upset about this. FCP 6 to 7 cost, didn't it? If FCP X 10.2 will cost you something (or 10.1, if they have fixed the main issues with 10.0.x-updates), that makes you mad?!

You said it yourself: You can't understand. You can't understand because you don't use the tool. Imagine having Photoshop taken away and have it replaced with Preview.app that has two more buttons on it than it has now. And I'm not even talking about the missing XML and OMF capabilities.

There is a horrible misconception at Apple regarding what makes a software smart and easy to use recently. They think they have to cater to the kind of idiots that don't even get, that they can load music to their iPhone (I have met such people, really).

The problem is, that they will always loose that battle. The power users are pissed because logical concepts and features are taken away and the idiots… well, they still are just that.
They won't fully (or even halfway) understand any kind of software, so they just get lost either way. Look at the questions some people have with FCPX in the forums…

No camera maker was ever able (or will ever be) to make a camera (cheap or expensive), that let idiots take National Geographic quality pictures. Same thing.
 

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,219
3,031
Yes, it upsets me because they sold a piece of software that is basically useless for film professionals and are planning on charging additional fees for functionality. It borders on criminal.
Nobody forced you to buy a new version of your main software tool before enough reviews (and 'roadmaps' from Apple) are in to make it clear to you what you would get from it.
You can only accuse Apple of false advertising if you fell for it.
 

Aiwaz418

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2011
34
77
Burbank, CA
It will not cost you anything extra if you don't buy FCP X before these updates are included. Everybody buying FCP X now (or anytime in the last two weeks since the the first detailed reviews were in) knows they buy a preview of what FCP will become in the future, not a fully-featured new version.
Oh, 'everybody knows' that, eh?

That's like being sold a car without a working transmission and then being told afterward that it is simply a 'preview' of what is to come.

I'm an unabashed Apple fan, but these kinds of nonsensical apologies are simply sad.
 

Reach

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2006
577
0
Norway
You said it yourself: You can't understand. You can't understand because you don't use the tool. Imagine having Photoshop taken away and have it replaced with Preview.app that has two more buttons on it than it has now. And I'm not even talking about the missing XML and OMF capabilities.

I've used FCP for 10 years, and have now tested FCP X. I use and understand the tools, and wasn't defending the new version.

I was saying that I can't understand how he could get mad about something he knew nothing about. Quite different, no? "Some updates will cost". If that means that a new big update to FCP X in a couple years will cost some money, how is that a surprise? That could be all that was meant by "some will cost", that's all I'm saying.
 

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,219
3,031
You can't understand. You can't understand because you don't use the tool. Imagine having Photoshop taken away and have it replaced with Preview.app that has two more buttons on it than it has now.
A more apt comparison would be between PS and Lightroom. Most people were absolutely delighted at the arrival of Lightroom. And most people ditched PS as their raw converter for LR.

LR is far from having all of PS' capabilities (though it is is gaining with local edits and via plugins). I think FCP X will be much, much closer to being able to replace FCP X (in terms of features) in one or two years time than LR is now in replacing PS.

But note that PS is not really evolving much. Sure it gains new advanced features and its included features are getting better and it progresses in a lot of small details but a lot of its progress comes in form of feature that could also be delivered as plugins. That means the vessel PS stays fairly stable but its actual pixel-level tools advance.

Closest thing to an admission of fault we'll ever get from Apple, I'd say.

People will still need to keep FCP7 installed, since they might have to go back and work on older project. What a silly thing to leave out...
I wonder whether Apple really was that stupid thinking they could get away with not keep selling FCP7 licenses. Or whether they just thought some serious shock therapy was the best thing to do (and they had planned all along to re-instate FCP7 later).
 

Northgrove

macrumors 65816
Aug 3, 2010
1,149
437
Some will cost?

That is pretty much the final straw for our facility. Between the disastrous release itself, dependence upon third parties for partial functionality, and now the prospect that there will be additional Apple costs on top of it all for this amateur piece of junk to even approach the necessities of a professional NLE, it will soon be time to jump ship.

We will play out FCP7 for a few more months, but certainly will not be spending any more money with Apple for their ill-considered, poorly designed hobby software ever again. The dream of those of us who supported FCP for years, putting up with the Avid users mocking the upstart software is over, and it hurts even more that the Avid crowd was eventually justified.
So what are you moving to and how are the transition costs lower than those to FCP X with some additional costs? Also - how does the release of FCP X make a move from FCP 7 more urgent to you? Or were you planning to switch software even before the release of FCP X? Finally - FCP X is not the end of the road, bur rather the OS X for movie professionals.

I think you would save money and a lot of pain by considering to wait and see whether the version following FCP X makes a move less necessary. Unless you're in an urge to leave FCP 7 NOW, whatever the price. This software is very much alive.
 
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