Apple the favorite amongst European post production pros
Apple Computer had one of the busier booths at last week's IBC content creation and management forum and is by far the favorite solution provider for the European post production market, according to one research and investment firm.
After attending the Amsterdam-based conference and speaking to 35 post production professionals, PiperJaffray analyst Gene Munster said 83 percent of those pros are expecting to spend the same amount or more on post production tools in 2007 as they did in 2006.
Those pros who expect to spend more in 2007 have budgets that place Apple spending at the top, according to the analyst. The combined budget breakdown from his survey is as follows: Apple (42 percent), Autodesk M&E (33 percent), Avid (21 percent), and other (17 percent).
While Final Cut -- Apple's primary post production video editing software -- is not seen by Munster as a critical part of the Apple Story, he said he does think it is a way for Apple to continue to expand its footprint and entice potential customers into buying a high-end Mac Pro desktop system.
"Of the 60 percent of post pros who use Apple's Final Cut, only 11 percent indicated that they had switched from Avid to Apple," he wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. "Most (89 percent) Final Cut users started on the product or switched from a non-Avid product to Final Cut."
By his estimates, sales of Final Cut currently account for less than 3 percent of Apple's revenue. (With the company on its way to a $20 billion year, 3 percent would represent roughly $600 million in sales.)
Overall, Munster said spending trends amongst European pros is up from last year's survey when only 53 percent said they were expecting spending to rise or remain flat in 2006. "We believe this is likely the result of demand for HD content intensifying in Europe," he wrote.
The analyst said nearly 70 percent of the pros he spoke with are currently employed in some form of HD editing. Those working with HD said an average of 28 percent of their total projects used the high-definition format.
"At last year's IBC tradeshow, post pros indicated that 22 percent of their work was in HD," Munster wrote. "This is similar to what we heard from U.S. based post pros when we spoke with 20 at the NAB tradeshow in April. Specifically, at NAB, post pros said that 25 percent to 35 percent of their work was being done in HD."
Munster maintains an "Outperform" rating on shares of Apple with a price target of $99.
After attending the Amsterdam-based conference and speaking to 35 post production professionals, PiperJaffray analyst Gene Munster said 83 percent of those pros are expecting to spend the same amount or more on post production tools in 2007 as they did in 2006.
Those pros who expect to spend more in 2007 have budgets that place Apple spending at the top, according to the analyst. The combined budget breakdown from his survey is as follows: Apple (42 percent), Autodesk M&E (33 percent), Avid (21 percent), and other (17 percent).
While Final Cut -- Apple's primary post production video editing software -- is not seen by Munster as a critical part of the Apple Story, he said he does think it is a way for Apple to continue to expand its footprint and entice potential customers into buying a high-end Mac Pro desktop system.
"Of the 60 percent of post pros who use Apple's Final Cut, only 11 percent indicated that they had switched from Avid to Apple," he wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. "Most (89 percent) Final Cut users started on the product or switched from a non-Avid product to Final Cut."
By his estimates, sales of Final Cut currently account for less than 3 percent of Apple's revenue. (With the company on its way to a $20 billion year, 3 percent would represent roughly $600 million in sales.)
Overall, Munster said spending trends amongst European pros is up from last year's survey when only 53 percent said they were expecting spending to rise or remain flat in 2006. "We believe this is likely the result of demand for HD content intensifying in Europe," he wrote.
The analyst said nearly 70 percent of the pros he spoke with are currently employed in some form of HD editing. Those working with HD said an average of 28 percent of their total projects used the high-definition format.
"At last year's IBC tradeshow, post pros indicated that 22 percent of their work was in HD," Munster wrote. "This is similar to what we heard from U.S. based post pros when we spoke with 20 at the NAB tradeshow in April. Specifically, at NAB, post pros said that 25 percent to 35 percent of their work was being done in HD."
Munster maintains an "Outperform" rating on shares of Apple with a price target of $99.
Comments
What does that have to do with this article?
You need to have at least 50 posts before you're allowed to question me, so shut your pie-hole!
You need to have at least 50 posts before you're allowed to question me, so shut your pie-hole!
Wilco, settle down. He's right -- your post was not very constructive.
-K
You need to have at least 50 posts before you're allowed to question me, so shut your pie-hole!
Whatever, dont get all high and mighty on me. The point is, your post is just as irrelevant as my post count.
Wilco, settle down. He's right -- your post was not very constructive.
-K
Since when has "constructive" been a prerequisite for an AI post?
You're choosing now to start moderating on this basis?
How about you let the moderators do their job, and you just shut your pie-hole?
Clearly you missed Kasper's post, or the fact that he's an administrator.
You need to know when to just shut up. You made a childish, pointless, stupid, irrelevant post, someone criticized you for it, and this is the tenth post in the thread now about this junk. That's just ridiculous. How about we actually discuss the article. Gosh forbid.
You're choosing now to start moderating on this basis?
How about you let the moderators do their job, and you just shut your pie-hole?
Contradicting yourself a bit wouldn't you say
Now, both of you shut your collective pie-holes!
I should have used a smilie earlier. I don't care how many posts someone has. I was just making a point that stupid/non-constructive/off-topic posts seem to be the norm around here recently. But the mods are arbitrary in when they choose to do something about it.
More on topic, I attended IBC, and Apple's booth was definitely one of the busiest. On the software side it was only equaled by Autodesk.
Apple's overall presence wasn't as big or well thought out as it was at NAB, but still, pretty good.
Avid/Adobe/M$ will still exist whether the Mac platform does or not. The Mac Platform may not if Avid/Adobe/M$ cease to write Pro apps for Mac.
I've always been concerned that Apple's moves in to pro software could be reducing the profits of the software-houses we want to be developing software for the platform. I always felt that Apple should develop iApps to encourage users to the platform and enable the average user to do these things whilst avoiding competition with the big name software.
Avid/Adobe/M$ will still exist whether the Mac platform does or not. The Mac Platform may not if Avid/Adobe/M$ cease to write Pro apps for Mac.
I had the same concerns years ago, but the market has to be big enough to carry more than 2 players in any one segment. Yes, it would be better if Adobe and Avid competed more in the Mac, but I don't think it is any better for Apple to not have FCP and just had Premier.
Apple just needs to do a better job of informing its developers where it is going OS wise and be honest enough to allow Adobe and Avid to compete on a level playing field. If they can't then too bad, FCP is good and it is pushing the others to do better.
I've always been concerned that Apple's moves in to pro software could be reducing the profits of the software-houses we want to be developing software for the platform.
Actually Apple's pro software does not really compete directly with its developer software when it is first released. Developers later release software that competes with Apple's pro software.
When FCP was first released there was really nothing exactly like it. Avid originally sold expensive high end systems that required expensive proprietary hardware. After the success of FCP Avid began to offer cheaper software only solutions. Premiere at the time wasn't very good. FCP version 1 was much better than Premiere from the beginning. So much so that Adobe just quit with Premiere's Mac development.
When Apple released Aperture their really was nothing like it available. Adobe of course soon afterward released similar software.
It would be nice if all those posts could be erased and we start anew.
Actually Apple's pro software does not really compete directly with its developer software when it is first released. Developers later release software that competes with Apple's pro software.
When FCP was first released there was really nothing exactly like it. Avid originally sold expensive high end systems that required expensive proprietary hardware. After the success of FCP Avid began to offer cheaper software only solutions. Premiere at the time wasn't very good. FCP version 1 was much better than Premiere from the beginning. So much so that Adobe just quit with Premiere's Mac development.
When Apple released Aperture their really was nothing like it available. Adobe of course soon afterward released similar software.
So you agree that FCP killed Premiere which is an example of my concern. Now of course I don't want to say to Apple: don't write good quality software.