Final Cut Studio Universal apps won't be sold separately

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Apple will no longer offer its Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro audio and video applications as standalone products, and come March will choose instead to sell them exclusively as part of the $1299 Final Cut Studio production suite.



The company began informing its resellers of the change this week and also said it has stopped accepting new orders for the current versions of Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro. "The individual applications in Final Cut Studio will only be available as part of the suite," the company wrote in a memo.



In February, Apple will begin taking orders for a universal version of Final Cut Studio called "Final Cut Studio Universal," which will ship in March for $1299. The company also appears that it will continue to market a PowerPC-only version of the suite under the name "Final Cut Studio 1.1."



The move to an all-or-nothing bundle will mean that new customers will have to fork over a pretty penny for the complete audio and video production suite. However, owners of the current versions of either DVD Studio Pro, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro will be eligible to upgrade to the entire $1299 Final Cut Studio for just $199. Final Cut Pro 5.0 owners will be able to take Apple up on the same "fulfillment" upgrade offer for just $99.



Customers who already own a copy of the the current Final Cut Studio can update to the universal version of the suite through a $49 "Final Cut Studio 1.1 Crossgrade Fulfillment" upgrade. Information on how to obtain this and the aforementioned upgrades should begin appearing on Apple's Web site in early February.



Contacts close to Apple have suggested that fulfillment upgrades may only be available through snail mail, requiring the customer to supply all install discs from the software which they are upgrading.



Apple will also offer $49 crossgrade upgrades for its other Pro applications, Aperture and Logic Pro 7.1. For users of Logic Express 7.1, the upgrade will cost only $29.



There is so far no word on plans for Shake, Apple's $2999 advanced digital compositing software.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 88
    Charging for a universal binary version of Aperture is a violation of the User License:



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....16826&#1516826
  • Reply 2 of 88
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pcp_ip

    Charging for a universal binary version of Aperture is a violation of the User License:



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....16826&#1516826




    Quote:

    3. Transfer: Updates:

    If Apple makes a Platform Update available prior to releasing a future, paid-for version of the Apple Software, you may obtain the platform Update free of change until such paid for version is available. .... blabla



    Smack a new icon on the thing, "upgrade" it to 2.0 and they are set.
  • Reply 3 of 88
    I'm sure in March they'll do just that-- and all the Aperture users will have to pay for the bug fixes of the current 1.0.1 (beta) version.
  • Reply 4 of 88
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    So I should upgrade to Motion 2 then get Final Cut Studio for only $200! That's really cheap! Although this is awful that they are stopping the stand-alone packages.



    Apple used to be such a nice company.
  • Reply 5 of 88
    vinney57vinney57 Posts: 1,162member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    So I should upgrade to Motion 2 then get Final Cut Studio for only $200! That's really cheap! Although this is awful that they are stopping the stand-alone packages.



    Apple used to be such a nice company.




    Huh?
  • Reply 6 of 88
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Weird. I would think Soundtrack Pro would appeal to a lot of people who don't do video work.
  • Reply 7 of 88
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Frankly I don't understand why Apple is doing this.



    Final Cut Express and Soundtrack Pro are a nice duo. Not everyone wants or needs Motion.



    Perhaps some light will be shed at NAB 2006. Right now this really jacks up the cost of entry for Pro video although I do agree the bundle is valuable IMO.



    Perhaps now that they are linked so strongly Apple will add a lot of logic between the apps improving integration. iLife for Pro's.
  • Reply 8 of 88
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    In February, Apple will begin taking orders for a universal version of Final Cut Studio called "Final Cut Studio Universal,"



    I wonder if Universal Studios will have anything to say about that.
  • Reply 9 of 88
    Quote:

    Originally posted by nagromme

    Weird. I would think Soundtrack Pro would appeal to a lot of people who don't do video work.



    I still think we're going to see Apple release "ProBand" sometime in the near future. I think it'll be alot like a mix of the audio features of soundtrack pro with the software instruments/midi integration of garageband. I believe they will keep Logic as their high end app, but this will pacify all of us who want a more apple like, beefed up "pro" version of GarageBand.
  • Reply 10 of 88
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    THEY MADE EXPRESS TOO GOOD



    Express along with DVDSP and maybe motion is enough for 90% or more of the prosumer/weekend vidiographer croud and some pros too, like small time event video producers...they are trying to de-emphasise just how good Express is, shur you can make the video, but you really cant do anything else with it.





    I look for a version of DVDsp to be made "express" and vwola -- FCE(which includes soundtrack and live type) will get DVDSE added to the bundle and a $500 price tag.



    full time pros will buy pro without batting an eyelash as long as it has more or equil features and costs less than Avid



    Prosumers dont have much of a choice on the Apple side...and it beats the hell out of premere elements on the PC
  • Reply 11 of 88
    <<However, owners of the current versions of either DVD Studio Pro, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro will be eligible to upgrade to the entire $1299 Final Cut Studio for just $199.>>



    It's shit like this that really burns me up, having paid full price for the whole kit recently. Unbelievable. Talk about obsolescence. Just buy the low-end of the high-end software and wait until it's bundled with the rest. You guys are killing me.



    They'll probably fold the whole kit and kaboodle into one app, calling it either MacMovie Pro, or MovieStudio Pro, or DirectorsCut Pro, and offer it for $999.00... or free with the purchase of every MacMac Quad.
  • Reply 12 of 88
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacCrazy

    So I should upgrade to Motion 2 then get Final Cut Studio for only $200! That's really cheap! Although this is awful that they are stopping the stand-alone packages.



    Apple used to be such a nice company.




    So is this really correct?



    That you can buy motion 2 now for $300.00...and then for $200.00 more I can upgrade to the full $1200.00 final cut studio suite in a few months????



    That just doesnt seem like something apple would normally do.



    Is it possible that there is confusion and you actually have to own DVD studio pro and motion 2 together in order to get the upgrade???
  • Reply 13 of 88
    Apple just updated the aperture site. universal binary crossgrade is free to current users.



    "A Universal version of Aperture, which will run natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Mac computers, will be available before the end of March 2006. New and existing owners of Aperture will be able to crossgrade to the Universal version at no additional charge via Software Update."
  • Reply 14 of 88
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SpamSandwich

    <<However, owners of the current versions of either DVD Studio Pro, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro will be eligible to upgrade to the entire $1299 Final Cut Studio for just $199.>>



    It's shit like this that really burns me up, having paid full price for the whole kit recently. Unbelievable. Talk about obsolescence. Just buy the low-end of the high-end software and wait until it's bundled with the rest. You guys are killing me.



    They'll probably fold the whole kit and kaboodle into one app, calling it either MacMovie Pro, or MovieStudio Pro, or DirectorsCut Pro, and offer it for $999.00... or free with the purchase of every MacMac Quad.




    I will agree with you there. Makes me sick I forked out the $$$ for the upgrade to Final Cut Studio from FCP HD 4.5.



    I should have waited I guess...
  • Reply 15 of 88
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    I don't understand Apple ending the sale stand alone products, and forcing people to buy the bundle. I think that's a bad move. If its true I'l ask about it at NAB.



    If you recently bought FC Studio. I don't understand why you'd be upset about Apple charging more for the univeral binary. Are you guys really that intent on buying an Intel Mac right now?



    I own FC Studio and it currently works fine. I have no intentionn of buying an Intel Mac anytime soon.
  • Reply 16 of 88
    Quote:

    Originally posted by nagromme

    Weird. I would think Soundtrack Pro would appeal to a lot of people who don't do video work.



    exactly what i was thinking
  • Reply 17 of 88
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Frankly I don't understand why Apple is doing this.



    Final Cut Express and Soundtrack Pro are a nice duo. Not everyone wants or needs Motion.




    It does seem to be true, the online Apple store doesn't have them anymore. What is wrong with the Soundtrack that is included with Final Cut Express? Or why leave out DVD Studio Pro? If you have FCE, I would think that DVD Studio Pro would be a more useful add-on than Soundtrack Pro, otherwise one is stuck with iDVD.
  • Reply 18 of 88
    maccrazymaccrazy Posts: 2,658member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by vinney57

    Huh?



    Right I own Motion - I ca upgrade to Motion 2 for £69 and then buy Final Cut Studio Universal for $200. That's very cheap!



    However they shouldn't do selling these as bundles only - they're getting too obsessed with their money and not their customers. If they keep this up they'll lose them.
  • Reply 19 of 88
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by JeffDM

    It does seem to be true, the online Apple store doesn't have them anymore. What is wrong with the Soundtrack that is included with Final Cut Express? Or why leave out DVD Studio Pro? If you have FCE, I would think that DVD Studio Pro would be a more useful add-on than Soundtrack Pro, otherwise one is stuck with iDVD.



    Jeff Soundtrack Pro is a LOT cooler. Not even Logic Pro users have sample accurate editing in the main window. The noise reduction tools area boon to anyone who has to get rid of extraneous background noise or AC hum.



    Well something certainly is up. We won't know the skinny until NAB but Apple's clearing way for something.
  • Reply 20 of 88
    murkmurk Posts: 935member
    If I were certain this all was true, I would order Soundtrack Pro (Amazon still lists it.) and upgrade. Will the Universal version bring new features as well, or is it just adding Mactel support? That would be kind of odd since a new version usually rolls out at NAB. Express is usually updated at MWSF, but it was a no show.
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