Final Cut Pro X Tidbits: Software Add-Ons, Graphics Card Requirements, Supported Cameras

[MacRumors]

With Apple having released Final Cut Pro X and associated Motion and Compressor versions today, more details are starting to come out.

We previously pointed to Macworld's "First Look" feature that outlines many of the new functionalities in Final Cut Pro X, and a full review from Macworld is set to be posted soon. Other users who were given early access to Final Cut Pro X have also been speaking out to fill in some of the blanks now that they can speak publicly about the release.

While Apple is offering Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 through the Mac App Store, where they have quickly become the top grossing applications, the company has also pushed out some ancillary updates via Software Update for users who have already installed the core applications. Among the add-ons:

- Final Cut Pro X Content (637.5 MB):

- Sound Effects: Over 1300 rights-free sound effects installed into the Audio Browser of Final Cut Pro X.
- Audio Effect Presets: Additional preset effects for the Space Designer plug-in.

- Motion 5 Content (1.15 GB)

- Motion Templates: A variety of professionally-designed, customizable templates.
- Motion Library Content: Animated vector graphics, backgrounds, template media, sample Motion projects, and royalty-free still images.
- Motion Sample Media: Clips and images for use with Motion Help examples and tutorials.

- ProApps QuickTime Codecs (1.2 MB):

This update adds the following video codecs for use by QuickTime-based applications:

- Apple Intermediate Codec
- Apple ProRes
- AVC-Intra
- DVCPRO HD
- HDV
- XDCAM HD / EX / HD422
- MPEG IMX
- Uncompressed 4:2:2

Apple has also released details on graphics card requirements for Final Cut Pro X, noting that at least 256 MB of VRAM on an OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later integrated graphics package are required. The support document also lists a number of graphics cards and their corresponding machines that are not compatible with the release.

Finally, Apple has also published a database of cameras that are supported on Final Cut Pro X. In addition to a wide variety of still cameras and camcorders, the iPhone 3GS/4, iPad 2, and fourth-generation iPod touch are also supported.

Article Link: Final Cut Pro X Tidbits: Software Add-Ons, Graphics Card Requirements, Supported Cameras

 

[bdkennedy1]

I don't understand how Motion's content goes from 7gb for the previous release to 1.5gb for the new one.

 

[Small White Car]

I'll be interested to see if the sound libraries are mostly the same or if there's any new stuff in there.

I don't understand how Motion's content goes from 7gb for the previous release to 1.5gb for the new one.

Maybe more of the effects are vector-based graphics instead of saved rasterized videos?

(No idea, just a guess. Maybe there's just less stuff in there.)

 

[the vj]

Nice

I will have it install it this week for a test drive and eventually (2 month from now) run it in the rest of the systems if everything is fine.

The first thing to run will be Compressor since we are having (as we speak) problems compressing entire movies to send it to the cable operators at the TV station I work.

 

[the vj]

I'll be interested to see if the sound libraries are mostly the same or if there's any new stuff in there.

For sure new stuff. Even I have the entire SoundTrack, Logic and every sound package Apple released and is very extensive even a bit limited in a few things.

 

[pillbotgrr]

Motion Stand Alone

I haven't seen anything that says whether Motion projects will work in Final Cut Pro 7. Curious thought whether some will try to just buy Motion or Compressor for $50 and wait on FCP. If it doesn't you could still export it and use it in FCP.

The only issue may be some FCP engine that is needed for Motion.

 

[metatrox]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I wonder if my canon hv30's will work. They don't show supported but hard to tell.

 

[akm3]

I don't understand how Motion's content goes from 7gb for the previous release to 1.5gb for the new one.

It's very simple "there is less"

 

[akm3]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I wonder if my canon hv30's will work. They don't show supported but hard to tell.

It does say almost any MiniDV/DV/HDV camcorder with firewire is supported.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I'm kind of pissed that they're removing support for iMac models so recently released. Guess neither my school nor my house will be upgrading to FCP X.

 

[SimonMW]

What isn't clear is whether FCP X simply won't work at all with cards that are not OpenCL compatible, or whether it simple won't use the GPU if it is installed on such a system.

 

[illegalprelude]

I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that there is zero 3D support in FCX?

 

[baryon]

Is the integrated nVidia 9400M compatible, in the Late 2008 MBP?

 

[R2D2 xx]

Is this new version of FCP better than the latest Adobe Premiere? Should I switch?

 

[timothevs]

Does anyone know whether FCPX supports AVCHD editing natively, or does one need to go via ProRes422 still?

 

[applewins]

What does the upgrade from Final Cut Express 4 to Final Cut Pro cost?

 

[BreuerEditor]

Does anyone know whether FCPX supports AVCHD editing natively, or does one need to go via ProRes422 still?

According to the System Requirements and Tech Specs:

Native editing3 support for: AVCHD, including Panasonic AVCCAM and Sony NXCAM

 

[jontech]

Probably shouldn't have installed on 3 Mac's at once this morning

Looks like slow internet till all the updates come in lol

 

[baxterbrittle]

Is the integrated nVidia 9400M compatible, in the Late 2008 MBP?

Yes

What isn't clear is whether FCP X simply won't work at all with cards that are not OpenCL compatible, or whether it simple won't use the GPU if it is installed on such a system.

It is pretty clear when it says in the minimum system specs that an Open CL graphics card is required:

http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/specs/

I am pissed that none of the graphics options from the original Mac Pro are supported and yet there is no official upgrade path that is compatible. Why buy a supposedly 'Pro' machine that is 'upgradeable' when it is phased out at the same time as an iMac?

Will be looking into Radeon 5770, has anyone had any experience with this on Mac Pro 1,1? It appears to work according to the overall web, but I have seen some concerning things around Quartz Extreme and Open GL - seems like the 'tests' that have been ran are 'oh yep, the monitor shows a desktop, moving on'.

 

[BreuerEditor]

I'm kind of pissed that they're removing support for iMac models so recently released.

Where did you read that????

 

[odedia]

I don't understand how Motion's content goes from 7gb for the previous release to 1.5gb for the new one.

It is possible that previously the videos were ProRes, while now they are h.264, since it is supported natively.

 

[pdpfilms]

what does the upgrade from final cut express 4 to final cut pro cost?

$299

 

[Kanthony]

I'm kind of pissed that they're removing support for iMac models so recently released. Guess neither my school nor my house will be upgrading to FCP X.

no

 

[jclardy]

So the camera database includes the Canon Rebel T3i...I assume the T2i will work as well since they encode in the same h.264 format? The T2i isn't listed.

 

[BreuerEditor]

Yes



It is pretty clear when it says in the minimum system specs that an Open CL graphics card is required:

http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/specs/

I am pissed that none of the graphics options from the original Mac Pro are supported and yet there is no official upgrade path that is compatible. Why buy a supposedly 'Pro' machine that is 'upgradeable' when it is phased out at the same time as an iMac?

Will be looking into Radeon 5770, has anyone had any experience with this on Mac Pro 1,1? It appears to work according to the overall web, but I have seen some concerning things around Quartz Extreme and Open GL - seems like the 'tests' that have been ran are 'oh yep, the monitor shows a desktop, moving on'.

I'm in the same boat. I've got a 1,1 Mac Pro with an ATI Radeon 3870, and looks like I have to buy a 4870 to make it OpenCL-capable. Just another few hundred bucks I don't want to spend to make it work......