Apple rumored to update Final Cut applications in March or April

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Updated versions of Apple's Final Cut editing software are rumored to debut in the next few months in the form of an update said to be "substantial," but potentially lacking for "Pro" users.



French Apple website HardMac reported Monday that the entire Final Cut Studio, including Final Cut Pro, should receive an update in March or early April of 2011. It categorized the new software as a "substantial update when compared to the previous version," but cautioned that it may not bring new features expected by high-end "Pro" users.



"Two versions are already running at beta level, one for Snow Leopard, and one for Lion," the report said. "Some new features will only be available on Lion's version, due to the changes made on QuickTime layer."



The same site reported in September that the new version of Final Cut Studio has suffered setbacks in the development process. It was said that the scope of the project was reduced from its original, more ambitious plans.



The rumors have added support to an AppleInsider report from last May, which revealed that Apple was planning to scale final Cut Studio applications to fit the "prosumer" market. The significant software makeover was then expected to help the application suite better target the mainstream of Apple's customer base, rather than high-end professionals.



The report prompted Apple to quickly issue a statement in which it said the next version of Final Cut would be "awesome" and that pro customers would "love it."



In addition to Final Cut, HardMac also offered new rumors on the recently canceled Xserve hardware. Sources indicated to the site that among those unhappy about the change is Arthur D. Levinson, Genentech CEO and member of Apple's Board of Directors.



Apple announced in November that it would discontinue its rackmounted Xserve after Jan. 31, 2011. That change frustrated enterprise buyers, though many indicated they will stick with Apple hardware for their server needs.



Monday's report stated that "this storm is maybe not over" with regards to the Xserve controversy, but did not explicitly indicate any intention by Apple to change its mind.



Finally, the site also reported that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs remains unimpressed with the high-definition Blu-ray disc format. Jobs allegedly "feels ashamed" that Apple is a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which he is rumored to believe looks "more like Mafia than anything else."



"He thinks that Blu-ray is the last physical media that will be used to distribute movies and videos," the report said. "The next generation will entirely be through direct download from online stores or platforms."



Jobs famously panned licensing issues associated with Blu-ray in a public statement made in 2008. The Apple CEO called the situation a "bag of hurt."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    About friggin' time!

    /just bought the latest upgrade, maybe I should have done that sooner to get Apple to release a new version...
  • Reply 2 of 54
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,301moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Final Cut Pro, should receive an update in March or early April of 2011.



    it may not bring new features expected by high-end "Pro" users.



    They are going to call it Final Cut Inc from now on.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "Some new features will only be available on Lion's version, due to the changes made on QuickTime layer."



    That is interesting and worrying at the same time. Lion may bring the end of Quicktime Pro.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The same site reported in September that the new version of Final Cut Studio has suffered setbacks in the development process. It was said that the scope of the project was reduced from its original, more ambitious plans.



    At least they have ambitious plans. That's good to hear. As long as one of those plans is not to balls up Quicktime Pro.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Finally, the site also reported that Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs remains unimpressed with the high-definition Blu-ray disc format. Jobs allegedly "feels ashamed" that Apple is a member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, which he is rumored to believe looks "more like Mafia than anything else."



    The Apple CEO called the situation a "bag of hurt."



    A bag of hurt is what you get if you piss off the family Steve. It's not worth waking up with the fishes. Nemo's not helping you out, he's nowhere to be found (again).



    I think it's the right decision not to back Blu-Ray. Playing the long game is playing it safe and Blu-Ray is only going to be meaningful for the next couple of years. I tested out a 15GB game download from Steam on a 10Mbit connection and it took about 8 hours. That's still faster than by mail and a movie doesn't need to be encoded that large.



    Convenience will win out over quality. The vast majority of entertainment is disposable and the highest quality is only really needed for your favourite content. For this you can easily buy an external drive.
  • Reply 3 of 54
    gary54gary54 Posts: 169member
    The XServe is still listed for sale on the Apple Store. Together with the same banner about being discontinued Dec 31, 2010



    I still think that decision was short sighted. True they might sell one XServe for every _______ thousand desktops. But .. isn't that the nature of a server? One server serving multiple desktops/laptops? When you kill that one sale of that one server in any institution using them, you are very potentially also killing off the the sale of how many desktop/laptops in the process?
  • Reply 4 of 54
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Please please please make it 64-Bit Cocoa. I'm willing to upgrade to Lion JUST to get a Final Cut that isn't made in Carbon.
  • Reply 5 of 54
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    I wonder if Apple will keep Xsan around or if they are getting rid of it too. Apple had Xserve , Xserve RAID, and Xsan for the professional video editing needs. Apple got rid of the Xserve RAID, but Promise stepped up and provided a replacement solution which Apple is promoting on its web site. The headline for the RAID device is "Promise RAID and Xsan. Both built to build on.". While this sounds great, Apple discontinuing the Xserve puts the Xsan in a bad position since it needs Mac OS X to run. While Apple does offer a server version of the Mac Pro (and Mac mini) it is bulky compared to rack mounted servers which poses a logistics/space problem. If Apple were to license the OS to 3rd parties, if they used approved components, then the Xserve disappearing will not be a problem.
  • Reply 6 of 54
    povilaspovilas Posts: 473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    That is interesting and worrying at the same time. Lion may bring the end of Quicktime Pro.



    Quicktime as framework is not going anywhere. It's the base. If you are referring to the Quicktime pro app then it's possible, but Apple said that features will be moved to Quicktime X.
  • Reply 7 of 54
    povilaspovilas Posts: 473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jensonb View Post


    Please please please make it 64-Bit Cocoa. I'm willing to upgrade to Lion JUST to get a Final Cut that isn't made in Carbon.



    Well 2011 is the year Apple must move to 64 bit fully and also leys not forget Mac OS X is still runnin on 2.1 OpenGl, 3 being incomplete.
  • Reply 8 of 54
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Povilas View Post


    Well 2011 is the year Apple must move to 64 bit fully



    Is that so? I must have missed that tidbit. Very interesting.



    There is also the exciting prospect of not having to buy the Final Cut Suite, and instead picking and choosing which of the Final Cut Family Apps we need or want on the Mac App Store.
  • Reply 9 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Povilas View Post


    Apple said that features will be moved to Quicktime X.



    When?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Povilas View Post


    2011 is the year Apple must move to 64 bit fully



    Why?
  • Reply 10 of 54
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Povilas View Post


    Quicktime as framework is not going anywhere. It's the base. If you are referring to the Quicktime pro app then it's possible, but Apple said that features will be moved to Quicktime X.



    I?m sure he?s referred to QuickTime 7.x Pro, not QTX as an app or framework.



    As for features, I?m not so sure about Apple moving them over. I see little need for most of them to be ported to QTX when there are other though complexier apps for editing. QT7?s Pro features are just too much for an app that seems to want retain mostly as a video player.



    Personally, I hope it stays around the way iDVD has in iLife as I do use it. It?s the fastest way I know of to crop and stitch files. iMovie works, but I can finish a simple a project in QT7P before iMovie has even imported the files.
  • Reply 11 of 54
    I suspect there will be some subtle or not so subtle interface changes to optimize it for touch. I also think it is these kinds of changes that will most upset and confuse "pro" users. That touch iMac is on the horizon somewhere and Lion is the first step in transition.
  • Reply 12 of 54
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,653member
    Big mistake to alienate pro users, even if they make up only a tiny fraction of the market. It's the high end that gives you your reputation. Camera companies like Nikon and Canon understand this. They make most of their money from the low end, but their reputation comes from the top-of-the-line and its use by pros. If Apple downgrades pro features in Final Cut, YouTube content creators will still use it (although it's more likely they're using FinalCut Express or iMovie), but the pros will run to the alternatives. And if they run to the alternatives for movie editing, they'll run for other apps, and eventually to other platforms, as well. Does Apple really want to see Avid or Adobe take over this market? In addition (and along with the abandonment of XServe), it reinforces the notion that Apple can't be relied upon because it arbitrarily abandons markets. Does Apple really want to be known primarily for the $4 junk apps in the iTunes store?



    Apple should resign from the Blu-ray advisory board if they're not going to support it (and if Steve is embarrassed by it). But IMO, it's a mistake not to support it. The quality Apple delivers over Apple TV is not good enough. For most people, downloads still take too long. While the world will eventually move to digital downloads instead of physical media, the quality of Blu-ray still offers many advantages and if Apple doesn't want to support it by including it as an option, the least they can do is support it via third party accessories, although I'd prefer to see it built-in. When did Apple start becoming the company that supports the most convenient technology over the highest quality technology.



    If I'm buying Blu-ray movies for my HD system at home, I want to play it on my Mac. Right now, I can only do that if the Blu-ray also happens to come with a digital or DVD copy, which some do.



    Steve calls Blu-ray "a bag of hurt", but obviously other companies have gotten around it. And furthermore, I think there are a lot of other companies who consider dealing with Apple "a bag of hurt". Sometimes I wish that Apple was not as successful as its become -- it has seemed to increase their level of arrogance and inflexibility (and I'm a fan of Apple and have used their products for 30 years).
  • Reply 13 of 54
    gary54gary54 Posts: 169member
    needs to be more multi-processor capable/aware. What the hell good is a 12 core computer when your own top of the line video editing software doesn't make use of it?
  • Reply 14 of 54
    These are excellent points made by zoetmb.



    I switched four years from the PC to a Mac Pro almost entirely because of the Final Cut Studio suite of applications and Final Cut Pro in particular. I have done extensive editing in FCP for the last 4 years and feel very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the software. FCP does not make use of all of the RAM, multiple processors, or the power of modern graphics cards to support rendering of effects. It is very limited in what video formats can be ingested and edited on the timeline. Recently I tried to use FCP to edit a three camera shoot of a concert only to discover that FCP had such limitations on multiclips that it was going to take me forever to convert the footage from my HD cameras and use FCP for the project.



    It was at this point that I took a close look at Adobe's Premiere Pro and Adobe's Production Premium package. PP usies the full 64-bit capability of my Mac Pro, all the RAM installed in my Mac Pro, and all the processors of my Mac Pro. It feels blazing in speed compared to FCP which now seems totally antiquated.



    Steve Jobs has taken a stubborn and unreasonable view of Blu-ray. I have a home theater with a 96 in. screen and a 1080p front projector. I can guarantee you that I can easily see the difference between a 1080p Blu-ray movie and the 720p downloads on Apple TV. Anyone doing professional video work knows that Blu-ray is currently the gold standard for image quality. Furthermore, the network capability in the U.S. will simply not at present support the download of 1080p material. Steve knows all of this and persists in not supporting Blu-ray. Thankfully, Adobe does support Blu-ray authoring and production well in Encore.



    In short, I have turned now for my video editing needs to Adobe. I grew tired of waiting for the release of the "awesome" version of FCP by Apple. And now, this rumor makes it sound like the FCP release will be not so "awesome".



    Tom



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zoetmb View Post


    Big mistake to alienate pro users, even if they make up only a tiny fraction of the market. It's the high end that gives you your reputation. Camera companies like Nikon and Canon understand this. They make most of their money from the low end, but their reputation comes from the top-of-the-line and its use by pros. If Apple downgrades pro features in Final Cut, YouTube content creators will still use it (although it's more likely they're using FinalCut Express or iMovie), but the pros will run to the alternatives. And if they run to the alternatives for movie editing, they'll run for other apps, and eventually to other platforms, as well. Does Apple really want to see Avid or Adobe take over this market? In addition (and along with the abandonment of XServe), it reinforces the notion that Apple can't be relied upon because it arbitrarily abandons markets. Does Apple really want to be known primarily for the $4 junk apps in the iTunes store?



    Apple should resign from the Blu-ray advisory board if they're not going to support it (and if Steve is embarrassed by it). But IMO, it's a mistake not to support it. The quality Apple delivers over Apple TV is not good enough. For most people, downloads still take too long. While the world will eventually move to digital downloads instead of physical media, the quality of Blu-ray still offers many advantages and if Apple doesn't want to support it by including it as an option, the least they can do is support it via third party accessories, although I'd prefer to see it built-in. When did Apple start becoming the company that supports the most convenient technology over the highest quality technology.



    If I'm buying Blu-ray movies for my HD system at home, I want to play it on my Mac. Right now, I can only do that if the Blu-ray also happens to come with a digital or DVD copy, which some do.



    Steve calls Blu-ray "a bag of hurt", but obviously other companies have gotten around it. And furthermore, I think there are a lot of other companies who consider dealing with Apple "a bag of hurt". Sometimes I wish that Apple was not as successful as its become -- it has seemed to increase their level of arrogance and inflexibility (and I'm a fan of Apple and have used their products for 30 years).



  • Reply 15 of 54
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Filmantopia View Post


    I suspect there will be some subtle or not so subtle interface changes to optimize it for touch. I also think it is these kinds of changes that will most upset and confuse "pro" users. That touch iMac is on the horizon somewhere and Lion is the first step in transition.



    In what way? Jobs was very clear about touching displays that require your arm to be extended.



    I think iOS-like fullscreen modes will be included, but not touchscreen elements.
  • Reply 16 of 54
    povilaspovilas Posts: 473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    When?







    Why?



    Why not?
  • Reply 17 of 54
    So we can expect to see Final Cut Prosumer in the next release?
  • Reply 18 of 54
    gary54gary54 Posts: 169member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jamsk View Post


    So we can expect to see Final Cut Prosumer in the next release?



    Final Cut Express was the pro-sumer line. Why do they need another?
  • Reply 19 of 54
    it may not bring new features expected by high-end "Pro" users.



    While it's pretty futile to speculate in any substantial way on rumors this fuzzy, I do have to chime in on the fact that the above opinion would be consistent with Apple's current arc and focus.



    Witness the recent Mac Pro update, yes I said "update" not "upgrade". That was just keeping parity with similar offerings on the wintel side, even DELL is selling workstations now. But Mac Pros are no longer dominant High End machines aside from the superiority [real or perceived] of Mac OS X. Add to that the dumping of the XServe. With Apple's success in the consumer marketplace, they have little incentive to address pro users. And even feel comfortable in antagonizing Adobe, even though Adobe's Applications are must have for a wide swath of pro users. But with their current market, if Adobe dropped Creative Suite on the mac, it would be a blow, but not deadly, as their core market are Pages, iPhoto, Lightroom, iMovie, Garage Band users.



    I was just in BIG Apple Store on 5th Avenue in NY, and there was only ONE Mac pro on display in the entire place, and no singage pimping it. Lots of iPhones, iPods, Macbooks of various flavors, and iMacs... They sell Wacom Bamboos, but no longer carry Intuos tablets, and good luck finding a press quality scanner, or 11x17 printer...



    Apple's focus on consumer computing is so pervasive that pro users have been pretty much kicked to the curb.



    I don't even want to get into Blu-Ray, lest I rant. I will note that BR beat HD-DVD as the Studios LIKE that it is a hellishly difficult encoding format to author, requiring a production facility for mass production, you can pile mountains of encryption on it, and most DVD Player OEMs do not support the BR Recordable formats. All of which play into the Studio's anti-piracy business model, at the expense of users and video artists.



    B4NZ41.
  • Reply 20 of 54
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gary54 View Post


    Final Cut Express was the pro-sumer line. Why do they need another?



    Evidently you havent used Final Cut Express recently. It's massively deprecated. If memory serves the stable build is something like two and a half years old. At this stage, it's so outdated it practically doesn't exist.
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