Should be once they leverage more 64-bit processes. The new Mac Pro easily take 32GB of RAM for the dual proc systems.



Yes in fact I'd like to see Final Cut Studio be Leopard only in addition to Intel only. If people really need the features and are still running G4/G5 it's time to upgrade the hardware. Going Leopard only means Apple can focus on just the featureset of Leopard and quickly get FCS running on Snow Leopard before years end.

Just to make sure there are no misunderstandings: the new 8-core Mac Pro does. The quad core has an 8GB RAM limit, if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, you can put 32GB of RAM in quad-core Mac Pros:

Mac Pro Memory - Apple Mac Pro Xeon 8-Core and Quad Core Memory Upgrades DDR2 Fully Buffered 240 Pin DIMM 800MHz PC6400 / 667MHz PC5300 at OtherWorldComputing.com

heath

Yes there's no hard limit. Apple just doesn't offer BTO 4GB or larger RAM chips for the Quads.

Interesting, but they offer it for the 8-Cores. I remember reading that you could conceivably put in a TB or more RAM in an 8-Core. Probably marketing hype.

heath

How about Final Cut Express?
 

I would be happy with a new version of FCE with 24p support and native avchd support. 24p is now in what, a gazillion avchd consumer cams? Why not release FCE to support those cameras?

Because of the incredulity of spending in inordinate amount of programming effort in a $1200 software suite to support $599 camera with quasi 24p hackjob support.

Trying to efficiently edit AVCHD makes about as much sense as replacing a sledghammer with your head to knock down a wall.

Seeing as how Sony seems to be covering these bases with vegas Pro 8. It has 24p and avchd support, all for $549.95. I can imagine/dream/hope that Apple would answer back with similar FCE support.

And really, all the leg work is probably being done for the rumored new version Final Cut Pro for 24p and I assume avchd, then FCE shouldn't be a problem. Of course imacs may not be powerful enough for native avchd support so that means buying a more expensive mac tower.

And yes, i realize fce doesn't natively support hdv at this moment. But seeing as how both hdv and avchd are considered consumer codecs first and foremost, I would think that a the prosumer FCE should be able to support it.

Yeah I know FCS3 has to offer a decent set of tools for working with AVCHD because the Japanese hegemony behind the format is strong. Though with the advent of fast NAND memory and huge cards. It's about time to go back to a codec that is aimed at editing. 50Mbps is cake now for the fastest CF cards and with SDXC supporting 100MBps datarates I hope something is in development. I like the quality of AVCHD but let's move to something the gives us more coloring latitude and easier editing (stepping off soapbox)

I'm going to need AVCHD support because dollars to donutes my next camera is likely to support it. If transcoding gives me some benefits I'll look at that but the benefits will have to outweight the transcode times.

Because FCE is SUPPOSED to be Final Cut LITE. It piggybacks off the R&D done on FCP for people who require a lesser infrastructure. My UPGRADE costs 4 times what your outright purchase price does. If Apple wanted to pursue iMovie Prosumer, I'd be all over them providing whatever support they want to to it. As long as FCE is a derivative work of FCP, let's keep the pros happy first. Or the folks that are willing to shell out the cost to buy FCS (and I'm sure there are an awful lot of FCS suites out there that AREN'T running legitimately...) <gets down off soapbox>

Further Speculation...
 

Ripple Training is offering 30% off their FCS DVDs... Hmmmm... sound like PERHAPS they know something about the life expectancy of tools aimed at FCS2? Just more fuel for the fire...

I suspect Ripple are clearing their DVD inventory so that they can deliver their product purely as downloaded "iTunes editions" in future. That was the impression I got.

Interesting. I read it as getting rid of "soon to be obsolete" hard copies as downloadable content can be updated at any time. We shall see...

Good point, Shaun.

Any news or new rumours on Final Cut Studio 3 from NAB's floor?

Have a look at this

Pro Apps and MacBooks to see update at WWDC | 9 to 5 Mac

Thanks Hans!

I also just found that link. ;-)

Without native AVCHD support and/or Blu-Ray support, I won't consider Final Cut Studio 3 a significant upgrade. They will continue to loose some market share to Adobe if they keep this up.

I expect that Apple is readying FCS 3 to work with Snow Leopard technologies like OpenCL for improved HD encoding times as well as a totally new ground-up build of QuickTime that should support Blu-ray playback etc. That is the hope.

Check this out about OpenCL:

5-Fold Increase in Video Encoding with OpenCL-like Technology - Mac Rumors

Heath

FCS 3... anyone care to guess?
 

I'm getting ready to purchase Final Cut Studio 2. But in December I bought a new iMac and iWorks, and then a month later the new version of iWorks came out. Of course, Apple's been hounding me to upgrade (at a really good price, of course). I don't want that to happen again. If FCS 3 is about to hit the market, I can wait a few weeks instead of having to buy an upgrade. Any inside information?

Does FCS2 do what you need it to? If so, buy it.

I won't be buying FCS3, when it does come out, until there are enough "test pilots" who have found out what is broken in it and Apple has made the necessary fixes to it to make it worthwhile to me.

And BTW, thanks to all the "test pilots" (early adopters) out there. I was one for FCP 1.0.0 and again for FCS2 so I think I'll sit the next couple out.

As a forum rule any speculative threads belong in the "Area 51" category; and there's already a very old and large thread on this topic. Read that before continuing with this thread.

Apple's big announcements are typically kept under heavy lock-and-key. Leaks from theme are very rare. No one here will have any facts until Apple let's us have them, which will be whenever they announce. Maybe that will be during the WWDC in June, maybe it will be later in the year. Heck, could be next MacWorld conference in 2010 for all anyone here can know.

Anything else is speculation which, as Robert pointed out, belongs elsewhere.

Of course it's all speculation.

And while this is probably wishful thinking, this sounds tempting:

Final Cut Studio 3: WWDC 2009 Mac Soda

That being said: the normal upgrade path of Final Cut Studio has been about every 2 years. So, just looking at the statistics, it should make FCS 3 release imminent, so maybe not the best time to buy.
But if you need it, you need it. You'll pay a lower upgrade price anyhow if FCS 3 is released, and FCS 2 is still an awesome value for the money.

Moved per suggestion to Area 51 where it belongs.

While I do appreciate the wealth of knowledge this forum provides, I can say that I am oftentimes reluctant to post here because there seems to be an attitude of officiousness at times... especially in the Mac forums.

Forgive me for thinking "Non-linear Editing on the Mac" would be the place to ask a what I thought was a legitimate question about editing on the Mac, and hoping someone here might have some insight.

I feel like such a dork. I promise I'll be more careful in the future.

Charles,

I started the long running thread they're talking about from before in the Mac section and it got moved to Area 51. I've had another post on this forum moved too. No big deal.

Please keep posting. I've been with Macs since the beginning and FCP too, but I still can't come close to tapping into the full potential of them. I need all the experience and inspiration from the other Mac users I can get.

On topic, I'm waiting it out for FCS 3, Snow Leopard, and hopefully a new mid range sized Mac Pro from the current upgrade. I already have FCS1 to use until then though so I can wait.

Thanks for starting the topic up again.

The mission of DVinfo is to share *factual* information either about new technology and "how-to use it" or assist others in their self-help troubleshooting efforts. Speculative threads or anything that is pure guesswork falls into rumour-mill category since it's neither factual nor assistive in it's nature and thus falls outside the intended purpose of this forum.

Unfortunately when people see the word "forum" these days they assume that it's a veritable free-for-all and can post whatever they choose whether the information is purposeful or not, and many other forums are exactly that, with thousands of useless posts full of rants, baseless opinions etc.

Since it's inception the forum owner, Chris, has made a strong effort to distance DVinfo from the preponderance of blatherskite that exists on the 'net and to keep nonsensical posts to a minimum and keep the information factual, useful and timely.

We are all curious about what various companies might be doing with their product lines but because guesswork isn't factual information Chris created the Area 51 category, so that those of us who just can't help but ask the unanswerable questions can have a place to do just that.

It's important to keep in mind that DVinfo is free to all it's users - and I hope that in these lean economic times that it's able to stay that way. And from my perspective speculative threads have no real value; it's a curiosity at best but doesn't help solve a problem and it's not sharing usable information, so I'd consider it a bonus that the Area 51 category even exists.

Charlie, don't feel like a dork and keep posting. This place is augmented by its members, old and new. But just so you understand, you weren't really asking a question about editing on a Mac, but rather asking for information about something that does not yet exist, and therefor was a solicitation for speculation. It is on that merit that your message belongs in Area 51 rather than the Editing on a Mac.

We're pretty open and friendly people here. We love to share information, but we do try to make an effort to keep the place tidy.

Bottom line: welcome to the forums and don't feel embarrassed. :-)

Yeah, what he said. (^_^)

Wwdc
 

If Apple doesn't announce FCS 3 at WWDC it probably isn't coming anytime soon.

June 8th is right around the corner so I'd give it a wait.

Sometimes I have problems believing that FCS3 will be reliant on Snow Leopard but there is a good bit of sensibility in that suggestions.

1. Snow Leopard is the first OS X version that is 64-bit through and through.
2. Snow Leopard is ushering in Quicktime X and though it's primarily playback half of what many people do is playback media they've captured.
3. PowerPC is history so FCS3 is likely going to be Cocoa and may be 64-bit only.

If this happens there will be complaints from those with G5 computers but if the performance and workflow gains are worth buying a new computer then it makes sense.

Thank you for your positive feedback. I'll try not to bother anyone with a "preponderance of blatherskite," as indicated in the above reply.

My bet for FCS 3 is NAB 2009. Big money, big money, big money!

Dag nabbit...

Well shoot, since NAB was last month, I guess the house wins again.

I've been here for over 6 years and I love getting news, joining in the discussions, etc. Don't be shy!

I heard FCS 3 would debut now at WWDC 09 in June, but that was about a month ago or so, and I haven't heard anything since then. I'd love to see a FCS 3 by the fall.

Heath

Maybe we can finally move this to the mac thread now?
 

I saw that earlier; if true, what a disappointment for DVD Studio Pro users (which is all of us, pretty much, using FCS). No major upgrade since 2005 (4.0), only a minor bump up from 4.1 (2007). And NO Blu-ray?! Sheesh, that's not great.

FCP 7 offers real-time editing? Of course, every version does but you still have to render any filters, transitions, etc. Will we see no rendering for some FX?

If this is all true, I'm a little disappointed.

Heath

If this is true, big disappointment. I guess the only advantage for upgrading is with FCS3 being 64 bit apps (hopefully) we'll finally have FCP be able to access more than 2.5 GB of ram. Boy do I hate when I have 18 GB ram sitting in the computer and FCP only can use 2.5 (not to mention the plugins I have that are RAM dependent).

Either way, without Blu-Ray support (REAL Blu-Ray support) I may have to look elsewhere. Though I have to admit that Toast does an OK job (if you don't care about menus).

THIS JUST IN!!! FCP for iphone! Now we see why there was a 2 year wait. Yeah! (just kidding...)


Again, I was kidding about FCP for iphone. :)

Todd