Final Cut Pro 7 improves EX workflow - post experiences
 

Apple just announced an upgrade to Final Cut Studio...

Apple - Final Cut Studio

Apple - Final Cut Studio - Whats New

They are claiming improved performance when utilizing all flavors of the XDCAM / EX format.

It would be great if the early adopters or beta testers could post up experiences.

I think with this upgrade, ProRes will come out as the star format of choice. ProRes got a huge boost in FC7.
My past experience was so-so, but I think I will revisit the ProRes workflow now.

Custom labeling and Auto Transfer in Log & Transfer could be just what the doctor ordered.

The Apple promo suggests that "automatic transfer" will allow for native import of EX clips but
then they go on to talk about use of the Sony Transfer software? Does automatic transfer negate the need for the Sony Transfer software?

See my post on "Non-linear editing on the Mac"

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/non-linea...cut-7-out.html

If the native file editing really is native (ie not having to make the mp4's into .mov's) then I'm there. That and the addition of 3D shadows to Motion.

There looks to be a lot in this upgrade. Money that I REALLY do not want to have to spend right now. But if it really is native file editing then I can't ignore it.

I don't see any mention in that thread or in Apple's What's New page about native editing. Does anyone have a link?

A careful review of the language used by Apple in their description of the Automatic Log feature tends to suggest that it will automatically detect the files to be imported and "stored" but I get the impression that the process will still require the Sony Transfer software for the EX series. Oddly enough, the latest version of Adobe's Aftereffects has no problem accepting the EX clips natively.
Sorry I hadn't spent the time to scrutinize the Apple promo's wording before ordering the upgrade, furthermore, it requires Leopard and apparently will not run on Tiger.

Hi,


I wonder ( being a Mac Pro user) when a 64 bit version of studio will be out or if it will at all. I have a machine that can take 32gig of Ram but Final Cut and Motion can only use a small fraction.

64 bit Snow Leopard comes out soon too!

I was thinking the same thing. I'm surprised that they didn't release it at the same time as Snow Leopard. If all the benefits of 64-bit are true, then a 64-bit version of FCS should be awesome.

I thought .mov's are only used as a wrapper around the mp4's so FCP can work with the clips. Does this not mean that the clips are maintained native when they are just being contained in a wrapper, since there is no conversion/transcode.

Depends what your definition of "native" is.

This is what Apple says:
"Camera-native editing
Final Cut Pro 7 lets you edit virtually any professional format natively. Because there’s no need to transcode video from camera-native formats, you can start editing right away."

While technically the first part of that sentence might be true, as no transcoding is taking place, the second half is not true. You've still got to create the mov wrappers, just as you did in fcp6, so you can't start editing "right away."

Well, there might be a change after all. L&T used to be slower than XDCam Transfer and now it's faster. I'll post a comparison in a new thread.