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Apple's Final Cut Pro X uses AI to auto-crop videos for social media
Apple released a major update that includes improvements for remote collaboration.
Vimeo's Mac app simplifies uploads from Final Cut Pro
Vimeo hopes its desktop Mac app will further win over pro users. Specifically, those who rely on Final Cut Pro for their editing, thanks to deeper integration with the filmmaking suite. You can export in the ProRes format and upload multiple files directly to Vimeo simultaneously, as well as 4K Ultra HD with HDR, for starters. The desktop app also makes managing your videos, their metadata and doing things like grabbing embed codes easier as well.
Apple Final Cut Pro X is ready to edit VR video
Apple isn't just making the iMac Pro available to order -- it's also updating the creative software you'll likely run on that iMac. A new upgrade to Final Cut Pro X adds support for both newer video technology and some key color editing tools. Most notably, the editing tool now handles VR video -- you can edit 360-degree footage at high resolutions (8K "and beyond"), complete with motion graphics. And if you need to see how your work looks, you can preview it in real-time on an HTC Vive or other compatible headsets.
Final Cut Pro X now handles 4K export to some Apple devices
Final Cut Pro X didn't get the warmest of receptions when it was released in 2011. But Apple's made many changes to its video-editing software since, listening to user feedback and adding features that were missing from Final Cut Pro 7. And it keeps getting better. The latest version (10.2.3) of Final Cut Pro X brings 4K export to compatible Apple devices, such as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, as well as the iPad Pro and new Apple TV. You can now share videos to multiple YouTube accounts too, which is useful for individuals who have channels with different purposes.
Big update for Final Cut Pro brings improved support for 4K and the new Mac Pro
As Apple's finally put its redesigned Mac Pro up for sale, the company's also seen fit to update editing software Final Cut Pro. Version 10.1 optimizes rendering and playback for the new Mac, but for users of other "select" Macs, the most significant change will likely be the addition of 4K monitoring over Thunderbolt 2 and HDMI. Since 4K playback requires a lot of bandwidth, it's probable only new Retina MacBook Pros with Thunderbolt 2 (and the new Mac Pro, of course) will be compatible with the feature. Regardless, now that the program fully supports 4K, you can upload straight to YouTube in that resolution, too. The update also revises how clips are organized using libraries, and generally adds a heap of workflow and behind-the-scenes improvements that could finally appease those who weren't impressed by Pro X when it launched. Final Cut companion wares Compressor and Motion have been updated, too, and both are now also able to share content in 4K. Compressor boasts a new look and broader encoding support, while Motion has adapted to the new Mac Pro and its dual AMD GPUs. As the version notes for all three updates are too numerous to squeeze in here, we recommend checking out the individual changelogs at the source links below.
iTunes is more than earning its keep
As writer John Paczkowski notes in an AllThingsD article today, iTunes was originally "conceived as a low-margin 'break-even' operation intended to drive hardware sales" -- in particular sales of iPods. Now that the iTunes Store is used to sell more than just songs and videos, it's turning into a "significant profit center for the company". Paczkowski was commenting on numbers from Asymco analyst Horace Dediu, who notes that now that Apple has folded its in-house software group into iTunes, Apple software is having "significant implications for iTunes margins." The software, including items like iWork, iLife, Final Cut Pro, Aperture and more, has much higher profit margins than traditional iTunes items like music, books, video, and apps. Dediu deduced that Apple sold about US$3.6 billion worth of its software products in 2012, and that profit margins for software is usually about 50 percent. If that's the case for Apple -- and Dediu is usually correct in his assumptions -- then iTunes is generating operating margins of about 15 percent on gross revenue. That's about $2 billion in profit for 2012, or as Paczkowski so eloquently put it, one "hell of a way to break even."
ProCutX lets you control Final Cut Pro X using your iPad
From the Why Didn't Someone Think of This Sooner Department comes ProCutX for iOS, an iPad app that serves as a touchscreen-based controller for Final Cut Pro X. It's developed by Pixel Film Studios, a California-based video production company that also sells plugins for Final Cut Pro. Selling for US$24.99 in the App Store, ProCutX offers quick access to a variety of common functions, not the least of which is a prominent jog shuttle wheel for scrubbing through footage. The app also lets users utilize their iPad's screen like a trackpad for selecting and cutting footage without the need to switch input devices. Future plans for the app include voice commands and the ability to link up multiple iPads in order to place specific sub-panels such as color grading on them for even easier access. Finally, while ProCutX will run on the iPad mini, we have to imagine that the controls might be rendered just a wee bit small, something to keep in mind if you're using one of Apple's smaller tablets. [Via Engadget]
Final Cut Pro, Compressor and Motion get minor updates
Apple released a slew of updates for its professional video editing apps yesterday. The biggest update was to Final Cut Pro, which fixed several bugs and other issues. Compressor and Motion were also updated, but with fewer fixes. The release notes are below: Final Cut Pro 10.0.7 This update improves overall stability, performance and compatibility including: The Letterbox effect "Offset" slider has been restored. Fixes an issue when creating a single layer DVD. Fixes an issue where some third-party effects could cause Final Cut Pro to hang during background rendering. Fixes an issue where some third-party transitions would incorrectly use black instead of source media. Adds support for editing MXF files that are still ingesting. Fixes an issue rendering Motion Templates containing Image Units. Compressor 4.0.6 This update improves overall stability, performance and compatibility including: Fixes an issue with the upload of clips of greater than 1 GB to Vimeo. Motion 5.0.6 This update improves overall stability and performance including: Fixes an issue where Image Units were removed when a project was saved. Fixes issues when working with multiple documents on dual displays.
Apple updates Final Cut Pro X with slew of new features, now available for download
Amidst all the announcements made at the California Theatre earlier today, Apple very quietly pushed out a fresh version of its famed (and at times controversial) video editing software, Final Cut Pro. Inside v10.0.6 users can find an array of new additions and improvements that will most certainly be welcomed with open arms by the FCPX crowd, making this the most notable update since bundling in those multicam and broadcast monitoring features. Among these new traits are RED camera support for native REDCODE RAW editing, the ability to add freeze frames to the timeline with a simple keystroke, novel audio controls for use while tinkering with multicam clips and a revamped "Share" interface for exporting projects. The Final Cut Pro update can be downloaded now from the usual spot, and, of course, it comes at no extra cost for those who've already shelled out the $300. The full and hefty changelog can be found right after the break.
Logitech announces $200 Broadcaster WiFi webcam for iPhone, iPad and Mac (video)
After trying (and failing) to surreptitiously shepherd it through the FCC, then seeing it leak out anyway, Logitech has formally outed the HD WiFi Broadcaster webcam. The 720P shooter (not 1080p as we hoped) allows wireless transmission from 50 feet away to any Mac computer, iPhone or iPad, instant broadcasting on Ustream and the ability to toggle between your device or computer's built in camera with a button push. The hard plastic carrying case with a magnetic lid doubles as a stand to elevate the cam, which Logitech says will "play nicely" with apps like iMovie, Final Cut Pro and FaceTime. Broadcaster is already up for preorder for $200 in the US and €180 in Europe, so if you want to show that you're doubly beautiful with a multi-cam Skype call, the PR and video are after the break.
New versions of Final Cut Pro and Aperture revealed
During the presentation of the next-generation MacBook Pro, updates to Final Cut Pro and Aperture were revealed. Thus far, the UI has been updated in Aperture and you're able to look at four times the resolution. In Final Cut Pro, 1080p footage was seen in the upper-right corner of the app with room for a full timeline and library. We'll update this post as more details are released.
Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Aperture, AutoCAD and more score Retina Display support
As we learned pretty quickly when the iPhone 4 introduced the Retina display to the world, all those pixels are pretty useless without apps that can truly take advantage. Thankfully, Apple wasn't about to leave the stage today without delivering the goods for its next gen MacBook Pros. In addition to all the stock apps being updated, Final Cut Pro and Aperture have also gotten the appropriate boost in pixel density, allowing them to be all they can be on that 220ppi display. Which, in the case of Final Cut, means full-res 1080p video docked in a corner of the interface with all the tools exposed to your itchy editing finger. If that isn't good enough for you, Adobe is hard at work on Photoshop and Autodesk will be delivering an update to AutoCAD as well. And, in case you're worried that all work and no play makes Tim Cook a dull boy, Diablo 3 has also been updated, instantly making the Mac our favorite platform to farm low level baddies for gold on. For more coverage of the WWDC 2012 keynote, head over to our liveblog!
Apple patent shows teleprompter tool may come to iMovie and Final Cut Pro
It's no secret that Apple gear is big in video production. The iPhone has been used to produce and edit news stories in the field, at least one Texas reporter shot a complete story on an iPad 2 and The Daily, a newsmagazine for the iPad, has done that as well. Patently Apple reports that Apple is working on teleprompter tools that integrate into Final Cut Pro and iMovie. A script can be pasted into the app, then scrolled, and if desired, superimposed over video. The scrolling rate can be set to a natural speech rate determined for a particular reader, or hand controlled by scrolling. Apple also appears to plan on sending the text to another device such as an iPad. Teleprompters are pretty much standard equipment in news, documentary and commercial production. By integrating the prompter with the production software, Apple hopes to have a stronger offering for people creating media.
Apple updates Final Cut Pro X with multicam, more
Apple released an update to Final Cut Pro X, bringing the video editing app to version 10.0.3. The latest update adds several significant features for video professionals including new advanced chroma keying, support for XML 1.1 and beta broadcast monitoring for Thunderbolt devices and PCIe cards. The most significant change is its new multicam editing feature that lets you sync up to 64 angles of video and photos. Though you can still do it manually, this multicam editing feature will automatically sync the incoming feeds. Jim Dalrymple of the The Loop talked with Richard Townhill, Senior Director of Applications Marketing at Apple, about these new features, including the automatic syncing. Townhill explains that FCP X uses audio waveforms from the different cameras to sync them together. The audio doesn't have to be the final production track and can be used for syncing purposes only. Customers who own Final Cut Pro can download the 10.0.3 update from the Mac App Store later today. New customers can purchase the latest version from the Mac App Store for US$299. [Via The Loop] Show full PR text Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X CUPERTINO, California-January 31, 2012-Apple® today released Final Cut Pro® X v10.0.3, a significant update to its revolutionary professional video editing application, which introduces multicam editing that automatically syncs up to 64 angles of video and photos; advanced chroma keying for handling complex adjustments right in the app; and enhanced XML for a richer interchange with third party apps and plug-ins that support the fast growing Final Cut Pro X ecosystem. Available today as a free update from the Mac® App Store™, Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 also includes a beta of broadcast monitoring that supports Thunderbolt devices as well as PCIe cards. Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 includes a collection of groundbreaking new tools for editing multicam projects. Final Cut Pro X automatically syncs clips from your shoot using audio waveforms, time and date, or timecode to create a Multicam Clip with up to 64 angles of video, which can include mixed formats, frame sizes and frame rates. The powerful Angle Editor allows you to dive into your Multicam Clip to make precise adjustments, and the Angle Viewer lets you play back multiple angles at the same time and seamlessly cut between them. Final Cut Pro X builds upon its robust, one-step chroma key with the addition of advanced controls including color sampling, edge adjustment and light wrap. You can tackle complex keying challenges right in Final Cut Pro X, without having to export to a motion graphics application, and view your results instantly with realtime playback. In the seven months since launch, the third party ecosystem around Final Cut Pro X has expanded dramatically. XML-compatible software like DaVinci Resolve and CatDV provide tight integration for tasks such as color correction and media management. The new 7toX app from Intelligent Assistance uses XML to import Final Cut Pro 7 projects into Final Cut Pro X. In addition, some of the industry's largest visual effects developers, including GenArts and Red Giant, have developed motion graphics plug-ins that take advantage of the speed and real-time preview capabilities of Final Cut Pro X. Broadcast monitoring in Final Cut Pro X is currently in beta and allows you to connect to waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, high-quality monitors to ensure that your project meets broadcast specifications. Final Cut Pro X supports monitoring of video and audio through Thunderbolt I/O devices, as well as through third party PCIe cards. Pricing & Availability Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 is available from the Mac App Store for $299.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing Final Cut Pro X customers. A 30-day free trial of Final Cut Pro X is available at www.apple.com/finalcutpro/trial. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutpro. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
Apple releases updated Final Cut Pro X, brings multicam support, broadcast monitoring love
The X version of Final Cut Pro was supposed to be all things to all people -- easier and more power for the serious amateurs and yet refreshing and comprehensive for the pros. In reality it seemed that neither camp quite saw it that way, but Apple has at least been listening. Today the company has announced version 10.0.3, which finally adds the one feature everyone's been clamoring for: multicam support. But that's not all. Join us after the break for a deeper look.
Best of 2011 Nominations: Mac photo / video apps
During December and January, The Unofficial Apple Weblog is soliciting your nominations and votes for the best products for Mac, iPhone/iPod touch, and iPad. We'll start with nominations in a category, and then tally your votes for the top-nominated products a few days later. The winner in each category receives the highly-coveted title of TUAW Best of 2011. Today's category for Best of 2011 nominations is Mac photo and video apps. Your Mac can manage thousands of photos and help you to create video masterpieces, so this is a crowded category. You might be a fan of Apple's iPhoto (US$14.99) or Aperture ($79.99) apps. Maybe you love to create HDR images with HDR Darkroom (on sale for $7.99) or apply stunning effects with FX Photo Studio ($9.99). The ease of use of Flare ($19.99) might be more your cup of coffee. Video fans might be excited about Apple's iMovie '11 ($14.99) or Final Cut Pro X ($299.99). Perhaps you're developing screencasts and use either ScreenFlow ($99.99) or Camtasia 2 ($99.99) in your work. Whatever your favorite Mac photo or video app is, we want to hear about it. Leave your nomination in the comments below. This is the last Mac-specific category for the 2011 awards -- tomorrow we'll begin gathering nominations for iPhone apps and accessories. Nominations close at 11:59 PM ET on December 15, 2011.
Daily Update for November 17, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Editor Walter Murch is feeling better about Final Cut Pro X
When Final Cut Pro X debuted, it caused a stir in the professional video editing world. Long a standard tool for feature film editors, the latest version of Final Cut was designed more for the prosumer, and left some pro editors with a bad taste for the update. In a recent interview with Rick Young of MacVideo, film and sound editor Walter Murch discusses this new role of Final Cut Pro X. Murch makes several key points about FCPX's role in video literacy and how its friendly interface makes it easy for students and new users to develop video editing skills. Looking beyong consumers, he's also hopeful Apple will gradually beef up the application and let third-party developers create tools that'll make Final Cut Pro X useful for the professional. He sees FCPX as a tool that will gradually straddle the old world of analog-based non-linear video editing and the new digital-based future. Murch is not sure Apple can pull this off and create a tool that appeals to both the professional and the consumer, but if it does, FCPX could be the foundation for a new NLE ecosystem. The 20-minute talk is an excellent commentary on the future of Final Cut Pro and film editing, in general. You can watch the full interview on MacVideo's website. [Via FCP.co]
E-book series details the evolution of iMovie
I am slowly reading through Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs and, like many of you, I'm fascinated by the complex series of events and people who created the Apple we know today. Another good read that covers a portion of Apple history is a e-book series called Timeline. Written by John Buck, the two-volume set discusses the history and development of video editing from its early beginnings back in 1898 to the recent development of tools like Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio and QuickTime. The book ends its coverage in the year 2000. Apple fans will find the second volume particularly interesting, as it chronicles the events that led to the creation of Final Cut Pro, QuickTime and iMovie. It focuses on the engineers and programmers who created these historic software programs, and the machines that influenced the development of the growing field of digital nonlinear video editing. You'll learn about programmers like Randy Ubilios, who created the early versions of Adobe Premiere and then Final Cut when it was developed by Macromedia, and Ralph Guggenheim, a Lucasfilm employee who created the video group that eventually became Pixar. You can read some excerpts from Timeline at Buck's website. The book series was released in digital format only and is available from Amazon, iBookstore, Sony Reader store and Barnes and Noble. [Via The Loop]
Apple offers Final Cut Pro X update and free 30 day trial, hopes we can all still be friends
Plenty of folks were less than thrilled by the release of Apple's rebuilt Final Cut Pro -- in fact, words like "disgruntled" come to mind when describing the response to the new version of the video editing software. Take heart, however, the massive backlash hasn't gone unnoticed. The company has released version 10.0.1 of Final Cut Pro X, which offers up some new features, including support for rich XML and Xsan, Lion full-screen view and Media Stem export. Apple has even offered up a rare moment of humility, acknowledging that the additions are an attempt at "answering those concerns" of "very vocal customers." The company is also looking to push back against some of the negative press by offering up a 30 day demo of the software to wary users afraid to take the plunge. More updates, including multi-camera support and broadcast-quality video monitoring are promised for early next year.
