digital video startegy at NAB
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/...0.applenab.php
Discuss.....
Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in GD, so if it needs to be moved, feel free!
Discuss.....
Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in GD, so if it needs to be moved, feel free!
Comments
Well I think it's fair to say that perhaps some hardware elements would be a piece of the digital video strategy. The bulk of it, in my opinion, will be software and software upgrades... (Can anyone say Final Cut Pro 4?)
If anything is hardware related, it will all revolve around Firewire 800. If we see them announce the 970, I'll be in shock. I think announcing the 970 at NAB would send the wrong message about the 970 -- as it's for more applications than digital video.
Originally posted by DHagan4755
Yeah I was thinking of posting a thread and couldn't really decide where I'd put it...then I come upon a new thread already in progress...
Well I think it's fair to say that perhaps some hardware elements would be a piece of the digital video strategy. The bulk of it, in my opinion, will be software and software upgrades... (Can anyone say Final Cut Pro 4?)
If anything is hardware related, it will all revolve around Firewire 800. If we see them announce the 970, I'll be in shock. I think announcing the 970 at NAB would send the wrong message about the 970 -- as it's for more applications than digital video.
And so soon after the Dual 1.42GHz PowerMac actually ships.
I doubt this is the 970, given the stated purpose of "digital video," but I wouldn't be surprised if this is some kind of new product. A new iPod-like "digital lifestyle" device? New software?
Who knows now though!
National Association of Broadcasters.
They dont' care about Downloadable Music Services or iPods.
Whatever Apple shows will be aimed at Professionals.
Final Cut Pro 4 is odds on the centerpiece
Shake and DVD Studio Pro will probably be updated
Maybe a new product as well could be Hardware or Software.
Probably a new Acquisition.
no ipods though.
Nothing from a close source or CONFIRMED or anything, just an honest, out of the blue post elsewhere.
I am expecting some big ass nice looking workstation that includes XRack, G4, Cinema Display, and some other nice things
Maybe a Display that can act as TV monitor? (this is a crazy thought)
who knows?, well, whatever happens will be something beyond our thoughts, y'know?
Originally posted by MacAficionado
I read elsewhere that Final Cut Pro 4 is a sure thing on the 7th of April or soon after that date.
The sense I've gotten is that if Apple really wants to wow their audience with a killer feature, they'll have made FCP fully scriptable, so that it can be used in production.
That would bring the house down. There are people who run PCs simply so that they can automate tedious but necessary things like title sequence animations that change in ways that can be handled without manual intervention.
I dont know what other features they can jam pack in FCP 3?
Final Cut Pro has lot's of room for improvement.
I look for Apple to improve
1. Speed. The more items you can process in Realtime the better.
2. Project Management. You're production can live or die by how easy or difficult it becomes managing every asset of your production.
3. Audio- iMovie 3 may have superior Audio to FCP. It's time for an overhaul. I wouldn't be suprised to see CoreAudio support which if fully supported would leverage the excellent work Apple has already done here.
4. Better Font support- There's a reason why Apple purchase Prismo Graphics. I look for better Font handling and some neat stuff taken from India Titler.
5. Color Correction- FCP 3 has done well. Can we tweak it just a bit more?
6. Support- 24P, Firewire800 DV50 etc. MPEG 4
7. Scripting- Amorph is right ...Applescript would be nice despite the rumors I've heard that Apple says " You can't scrip the creative process"
I think people will be suprised. I see alot of new features for FCP4 and a couple of shockers. It's been over a year since FCP3 hit and Apple has been suprisingly quiet. Look for the FCP4 to pull away from FCE in many ways.
I'm thinking and hoping that this will be a Big Picture event as much as a specific hardware or software up-grade.
I'm thinking that Steve is going to be announcing the future of Apple in the digital pro arena in the same way that he announced the "digital hub" in the consumer market....Maybe he'll call it the "digital pro hub"...to wit:
1. Announce that Apple is embracing standards in an even bigger way - we are almost there with OSX and the Unix core, which actually has the potential for more up-side in the pro market than the consumer market.
2. Announce that Apple pro apps will be designed so that the best rendering, compositing and 3D apps (Renderman, Shake and Maya) will have the same seemless integration as iLife - iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, etc.
3. Demonstrate how Apple hardware will be able to create in the professional realm, the same elegance and plug 'n play-ability as in the consumer realm with Xserves, clusters, gigawire? and such...all at a surprisingly competitive prices.
So I am hoping this will be a coming out party for an industry strategy, not just a faster chip. The 970's will just come out when they do and make it all even FASTER.
Originally posted by MacGregor
Why would they bring out 970's when Clusters just came out?!
What clusters? All they have are cluster nodes, no clustering software.
But that may be what they will announce. A clustering solution that runs FCP4 and/or Shake etc. Add enough processors and you get real time everything? Heh. Then again maybe not.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
I dont know what other features they can jam pack in FCP 3?
... thought I'd add "one more thing" ...
Audio in FCP, as it stands right now, is a hold over from the old OS9 Quicktime hack; for any who are curious, just take two identical video clips with audio in FCP, put them on separate parallel tracks, and then line them up to be exactly the same frame at the same time ...
Render and play ...
Hear that phasing?
That's NOT Core Audio!
It's the QT hack ... don't quote me on this, but I believe QT in FCP3 let's the audio run a little wild, and then just tries to sync it up every few frames or so ... this is perfectly fine for most things - the audio is never allowed to get too far out of whack with the video - but if you have the same audio signal coming in from multiple sources on different tracks (like say, separate mics), you can run into serious problems with phasing ...
Which is probably why nobody seriously audio posts in FCP3 ... not that FCP3 audio capabilities suck or anything, just that it's a bad idea to have the same sound getting combined from multiple tracks for this reason.
All of this points to HUGE improvements in FCP4's audio capabilities - assuming that FCP4 moves to using CORE Audio instead of just the same old QT hack.
As, the solving the phasing problems will be the least of the improvements ... you'd probably have access to all kinds of AU plug-in's, and native import, export capability with EMAGIC.
In fact, my little fantasy
<dream>
is the ability to have the same session open, at the same time, in both FCP4, and EMagic Logic ... have both talk to the audio data using CORE Audio, such that, you have live editability on the audio from either package - since both FCP4 and EMAGIC are merely interfaces for the CORE Audio engine.
</dream>
It's going to get there eventally, I have no idea if that will be ready by NAB
<finger crossing>
is the ability to have the same session open, at the same time, in both FCP4, and EMagic Logic ... have both talk to the audio data using CORE Audio, such that, you have live editability on the audio from either package - since both FCP4 and EMAGIC are merely interfaces for the CORE Audio engine.
I think we'll be there Overtoasty. Apple would be crazy not to move Audio from QT to CoreAudio. I'd love to see just what you mention and with CA it should be a piece of cake because both apps can access the same audio hardware simultaneously it shouldn't be much of an issue.
Matter of fact I think FCP should be able to embed Audio, Midi and Effects right into your file. So that even basic users of FCP have Synths and effects available without a purchase of a DAW like Logic. Adding Logic would just increase your power and flexibility.
Yer all thinking 2 small .... its about strategy not tactics.
Originally posted by MacGregor
Yer all thinking 2 small .... its about strategy not tactics.
Says who?
[as in "either whip the NDA on the table MacGregor, or tell us what you know"]