Apple upgrades FCP, Shake and more - Post News - Final Cut Pro, Shake and DVD Studio Pro applications

Post, May, 2003 by Marc Loftus

CUPERTINO, CA -- At NAB, Apple demonstrated new versions of its Final Cut Pro, Shake and DVD Studio Pro applications. Final Cut Pro 4 will be available in June for $999 and will incorporate 300 new features. The application's RT Extreme feature allows users to work in realtime by offsetting preview quality when desiring more layers or effects. The release also includes a customizable interface with access to over 600 Final Cut Pro tools and effects. FCP 4 supports the DVCPRO50 codec, features software-based 8- and 10-bit uncompressed SD or HD formats and can render in 32-bit floating point color:

Final Cut Pro 4's LiveType function provides 8GB of fonts and 150 pre-configured effects. Its Soundtrack tool offers 4GB of musical loops, which can be mixed, matched and assembled to create custom music tracks. Score markers allow users to precisely target on the timeline where they want their musical cues to appear. F CP4's Compressor feature helps prepare content for output, serving as a fully featured transcoder with 30 presets and filters. Existing Final Cut Pro users will be able to upgrade to V.4 for $399.

DVD Studio Pro V.2 has been redesigned from the ground up, says Apple, featuring an entirely-new user interface that provides a simplified approach to DVD authoring. The tool's menu editor is context sensitive, helping users to quickly and easily place content where they want it to appear on the DVD. DVD Studio Pro V.2 also includes Compressor for managing output, as well as powerful compositing capabilities. The release will be available in August for $499 or for $199 as an upgrade.

Apple also showcased Shake V.3 at their NAB press event. The latest release will be available in June and will offer broadcast monitor support for NTSC, PAL and HD. Shake 3 includes audio syncing capabilities and Qmaster, Apples solution for distributed rendering. The Linux GUI will cost $9,900, and the Linux renderer will cost $3,900. A Mac version with unlimited rendering capabilities will cost $4,950.

Working in conjunction with Apple, AJA Video Systems (www.aja.com) in Grass Valley, CA, has released the 10 system, a video/audio capture system designed specifically for the new version of Final Cut Pro. IO delivers 8- or 10-bit uncompressed video and multichannel 24-bit audio via FireWire. All outputs are available all the time allowing simultaneous connections to tape decks and monitoring, analog or digital. 10 also provides RS-422 machine control and professional Genlock 10 features four channels of AES/EBU audio in and out, four channels of balanced/unbalanced analog audio in and out, component analog YPbPr/RGB in and out, composite NTSC/PAL in and out, 5Video I/O and SDI I/O. IO will be available late in Q2 for $2,290.