Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

1. FCP XML in/out is coming via 3rd party soon…no FCP 6/7 support project support coming ever it seems…
2. Ability to buy FCP7 licenses for enterprise deployments coming in the next few weeks…
3. FCPX EDL import/export coming soon…
4. FCPX AJA plugins coming soon for tape capture and layback…capture straight into FCPX [events].
5. XSAN support for FCPX coming in the next few weeks…
6. FCPX Broadcast video output via #Blackmagic & @AJAVideo coming soon…
7. Additional codec support for FCPX via 3rd Parties coming soon…
8. Customizable sequence TC in FCPX for master exports coming soon…
9. Some FCPX updates will be free some will cost…

Apple to Allow Additional FCP 7 Enterprise Licenses and More on FCP X - Mac Rumors

Good to see that they re allowing people that need it to buy more FCP7 licenses! And am I completely off base here, or will the ability to import XML in FCP X allow at least some rudimentary form of import of older FCP-projects? At the very least, could it enable third parties to make such tools? "Next few weeks" is nice to hear, I wonder if that has anyhting to do with Lion being released.

Edit: Multicam will be a free upgrade. http://www.fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-...ondon-6711#346

Also: "Thunderbolt demo with Pegasus RAIDS was very impressive. Thunderbolt to ethernet adapter means cheap shared storage/Xsan possible and not denied. - Xsan is in Lion.

Thunderbolt to fibre channel adaptor means laptop working on shared storage possible."

This opens the door for collaboration, one major gripe with FCP X.

Re: Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

Pretty great news, and yes, I think Lion has a lot to do with this stuff, including why FCP X isn't installed at Apple Stores.

Matrox also has some tape capture/output and monitoring solutions.

heath

Re: Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

I think it's clear we'll see a majority of features we want over the course of the next few months, and it's encouraging that Apple has chosen to brief professionals at this point in time. The one pesky feature which is at the top of the list of most of the professional editors and fellow documentary filmmakers I've spoken with is the ability to take in a Final Cut Pro 7 project into Final Cut Pro X in some manner. I would not even mind having to collapse things into a single track for video and a second track for titles and assign the audio tracks in a particular way as I do now when I prepare for color correction or for a sound mix, however, the plain and simple "no upgrade path for existing projects" response is the most disturbing outstanding issue for me. The future is at our doorstep, but the transition is still tumultuous.

Re: Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

David, you've hit on the main reason we probably won't see an import from FCP 7 to X, the timelines are too different. How the heck do you collapse an FCP 7 multi-track timeline into two story lines? Some of my FCP 7 projects have run 7-12 tracks deep, I'm not sure myself how I'd decide to effectively collapse that into an FCP X timeline. Maybe it's possible by creatively using compound clips, but that sounds like it would get really messy fast. And you'd still lose all the fine tuned edits on each track: audio adjustments, f/x etc.

Your solution of just rendering it out to a single track, maybe with a 2nd track for titles or cutaways sounds like an "okay" workaround. I can see doing that if I ever decide to retire my FCP 7 workstations.

Re: Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

Michael, it certainly would be a gnarly problem to collapse a project, however, since there are so many people in this boat with legacy projects, I'm sure we'll eventually at least figure out some best practices for making the conversion, or perhaps, it's time for some folks to go back to Avid and others to see if Premiere Pro can provide the legacy compatibility. What a bind we're all in. I feel like I'm now editing with a dead shark, but how to swim forward?

Re: Some updates from Apple about FCP X and the ability to buy FCP 7
 

That's my major issue--the need to go back into about 60 or more old projects. The FCP export and import to Premiere Pro works perfectly. I've seen the online real time test, as well as heard from one L.A. editor and one in Austin that it works as it should. Will be trying it for myself soon as I begin to migrate my old projects over. Moving back to Avid was my first choice, but I've done Automatic Duck before and was not thrilled with that at all. PP appears to be the best way for me at this time. If I were setting up our facility today, starting from scratch, I'd go with Avid and an HP PC.