Final Cut Studio 4: The Inside Scoop
September 5, 2010
Final Cut Studio 4 is all about speed.
After a long summer hiatus, I’m back with some juicy info regarding what’s next in the Apple Video Professional world.
Final Cut Studio 4 is most likely not going to hit by the end of 2010 as was initially the plan… but the wait isn’t all that much longer. Expect to have it January 2011 at the earliest, and NAB 2011 at the latest.
Final Cut Studio 3 was not the major upgrade it was marketed as. Rather, since what now will be Final Cut Studio 4 didn’t make it in time, they took some of those features, and bundled them together in order to tie people over until the true major upgrade.
Randy Ubillos, the man heading all of Apple’s video applications, but notoriously infamous for the “updated” iMovie debacle, is definitely trustable. Apple knows very well that editors don’t like change in the wrong places… so the last thing they’re going to do is a major UI overhaul of the program. Simply put, the external familiarity we all love is here to stay.
One thing that isn’t here to stay is what we all hate… Final Cut’s bulkiness as a suite, and it’s slug-like agility when live-previewing and rendering. The major feature of the new Final Cut Studio, and the reason the upgrade is taking so long for the team to complete, is a complete architectural code rewriting… i.e. Snow Leopard. The new Final Cut Studio has been re-engineered from the ground up for speed. And apparently, the wait is not in vain. Previewing will be instantaneous. Long renders will be a thing of the past. The secret is that the new Final Cut Studio has been created to take advantage of multiple cores… so if you’re running on an 8-core Mac Pro, you’ll be thanking your lucky stars you stuck it out and didn’t switch to Adobe’s offerings.
Speaking of Adobe’s offerings, Apple is quite aware that Motion is a joke, and that After Effects runs circles around it. That’s why they’ve had a team working exclusively on making Motion more powerful and easier for editors to use. The software has been in the works ever since Apple scratched Shake, and Motion is going to end up being a hybrid which utilizes the power of Shake with the usability of Final Cut Pro. Also, Motion’s UI is supposedly getting a major overhaul, and will resemble Final Cut’s way more, making it more familiar for editors. The team is working hard to change the timeline and browser of Motion to match Final Cut Pro’s. Whether or not these major changes will be ready in time for the next upgrade isn’t a guarantee at this point… but if not FCS4, then definitely FCS5. But odds are, Motion will finally be the powerful, usable program it has the potential to be when the next upgrade hits the shelves.
DVD Studio Pro has basically gone the way of the dodo, i.e. iDVD. However, once Apple’s machines support Blu-Ray (which they inevitably will), OS X’s DVD Player will be repackaged as Media Player, and eventually iDVD and DVD Studio Pro will morph into applications suitable for delivering films across all different mediums… including DVD, Blu-Ray, and the Web.
Native RED support hasn’t come yet due to bickering between both Apple and RED… neither will compromise the licensing negotiations, so native RED support is a technical go, but a legal stalemate. Whether or not the legal issues will be resolved by the next major release is uncertain.
Compressor will also see changes. I wasn’t given details, but rather just told that the team responsible for it hates the current version and is working on a new one. Whether or not it will show up by FCS4 is uncertain.
And as for Color…it finally will get the Apple touch.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I know I haven’t posted in a while, but hopefully this information will tie everyone over until the release hits. Just know that Apple has not abandoned their pro apps in the slightest… there’s a team at Apple working on them just as hard as the iPhone team works on the iPhone. Apple wouldn’t be employing dozens of people with large salaries if they didn’t think there was a future for the product. The fact is this… Final Cut Studio 4 is coming soon, it’s a major, functional, flashy upgrade, and should make the long wait for a “real” upgrade more than worth it.
About the only things I can agree with are that they are working on the next Final Cut Studio; it will be great (almost a complete rewrite).
But since FCS 4 will require the whole new QuickTime due to be ported from iOS with OS X 10.7 (not even announced yet, probably not to mid 2011 at WWDC) http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2010/08/introduction-to-av-foundation/
Since they only just hired the interface designers (according to job reports), I believe they *are* going to do a major interface overhaul that will take to 2012 before it’s reeased.
Cheers
Philip
well, you made my day….
Exciting! Can’t wait to see what FCS has in its future!
My response http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2010/09/final-cut-studio-4-the-inside/
GREAT to have you back! Keep it up!
great reporting, we appreciate the inside scoop.
Will Final Cut Studio 4 be 4K centric – 4K renderings, etc?
Could this be true? Every single wish Ive had for FCS coming to fruition?
Philip you’ve made my day and brought a tear to my eye.
Thank you mate!
oops just realized Philip didn’t write it. In fact I pray that what Philip DID write is not right.
“However, once Apple’s machines support Blu-Ray (which they inevitably will)”
If Apple machine come with Blu-Ray drives and DVD Studio Pro come with Blu-Ray authoring features, that will be awesome – but not what Steve Jobs wants.
He seems to want HD content compressed to death for online viewing.
Do you have any shred of evidence to support any of this?
- Oliver
I wish you could substantiate some of this in some fashion. It reads more like a prognostication mixed with some wishful thinking.
Apple supporting Blu-ray? I see no basis for this. In fact the consumer delivery market is moving towards download rentals and this isn’t related to iTunes either. Whether it’s Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and a score of other services that really seems where the market is headed.
Motion a joke? It’s not meant to be After Effects for the dedicated motion graphics artist. It’s a tool for editor who need to do some motion graphics just like SoundTrack Pro is neither Pro Tools or Logic Pro.
Blah Blah Blah, I could have written just as much by consulting my wish list and simply being a long term FCS user. No sources, nothing but supposition. Blah Blah. I can pull conjecture out of my butt too. I am of the belief that the next FCS will use the next Quicktime and A/V foundations. If you paid any attention at last WWDC you know that stuff ain’t ready yet. FCS would need to sit atop that foundation. If there is to be an FCS release by spring, then it won’t sit on that foundation and hence would not be a total rewrite. I think Apple are much more likely to go the route of the total rewrite at this stage of the game.
Yes, this is just wishful thinking.
Any knowledgeable development person would know that FCP, due to the massive changes in the underlying architecture it sits on plus the requirement to upgrade the technology to meet the needs of modern day codecs and workflows, would easily guess..
2012 is the soonest you’ll see a FCP4.
I know, its a terrible shame. But facts are facts.
Development takes time, and Apple has a HUGE amount of development to do to get FCP up to speed with Adobe and its CUDA technologies. And by then, Adobe will have moved even father ahead.
Apple DID drop the ball a little here, but that goes with the territory when upgrading such core technologies as has been going on in OSX in recent years. It is unavoidable. But the rewards should be compelling. (Just a long way of.)
James
(2012 is the soonest you’ll see a FCP4)
I don’t think so….I think apple is going to give us fcs faster then you think….I believe mike… this time!….It will the best!!
c/on all you final cut people be happy…..FCS4 is coming REAL S- OO- N……PS I HOPE!
after taking the summer off .. i can see you are still using the same ‘sources’.
macsoda dreamlog v2.
since it just got an update today .. i think this pretty much gaurauntees another version will not be soon.
when ever it will be…it will be….but when it be…it will be GREAT!!!
whenever it is. macsoda is likely to be the last to know.
lol.blah you are funny….Let’s hope it’s soon….within 3 years
nice to here some fcp news… hopefully we’ll see some fcp in the beginning of 2011. could we see some screenshots of any of the apps?
…why didn’t apple start sooner with FCP…as not to let adobe come this far with CS5..and put FCP in # 3 place….ipod ipad iphone….that’s why…now FCP is ishit..
Why didn’t Apple start earlier Because Apple had said they wouldn’t have to, that’s why. AT WWDC 2007 Apple said Carbon APIs would go to 64 bit. Great says Pro Apps Team, we can take FCP 64 bit without too much work. Come WWDC 2008 and Apple says “No Carbon 64 bit”. Pro Apps team curses and starts work on rewriting to Cocoa.
Oh but QT still have Cocoa features that FCP needs, so no matter what the FCP team wants, they have to wait for a new version of QT. Which seems to be coming via AV Foundation in iOS,
All well and good Philip, but the fact is, CS5, right now and for a very long time in computer land, leaves FCP in the dust.
I am switching my workflow for my videos to CS5 as I shoot with dSLR. And from what I hear most dSLR workflows, specifically with a seed of production issue, are switching.
The ONLY feature FCP has over Premiere is the compressor network rendering. And that really only effect the larger niche clients. (CUDA H.264 accelerated encoding is also a nice plus) General editor, CS5 with real time colour grading, any format on time line, no transcoding, no extra media management etc, etc. Its a complete no brainer.
My main issue is that PC or Mac based CS5.
On PC side, I can purchase hardware for 1/2 the cost of similar MAC kit.. I like Mac, but cannot really justify the extra $2000-3000. Windows 7 does work well enough, and at the end of the day its just a tool. And editing station.
Adobe run cross platform code that was a simple recompile to run 64 bit. FCP is built on QT and Apple technologies much of which *is still not avaiable* to the Pro Apps team.
If you think the only thing FCP had over PPro was network rendering then you should definitely move to Premiere Pro. I’m guessing you only do short projects where native is reliable enough.
As for hardware: you can purchase cheaper PCs but not of the same brand and build quality. When you compare like with like, they’re not so far apart in cost. But that’s up to you.
They’re only tools. If FCP doesn’t meet your needs, change to something that does and stop moaning.
WELL! ..I LOVE FCP…for some reason I feel very good using it..and I don’t care what is better…..for me it’s FINAL CUT PRO….and I know when apple comes out with the new fcp…it will be as SJ says…..your going to love it…so there all you CS5ers hahahaha
…and to hell with pc’s MAC MAC MAC…..have a nice day all
Shure, CS5 is really nice. Can´t understand why apple didn´t see it coming…
Though I hate their userinterface. Feels like the 90s. Please Adobe freshe´n up!
I do hope and think Apple have been working on this more than 2-3 years. FCP haven´t really been updated in a major way since 2004-5 when we got version 4.5. Well they added som nice features along the way but nothing major and good. The worse of course FCP7…
Hope they get GrandCentral up and running as fast as Adobes tech. And the next version of QuickTimeX, can be really good…
I also love FCP, but it really needs an update, rewrite!!!
I think people should re-read Philip’s posts. There’s major under the hood changes that need to be made given FCS is QT based and QT is undergoing major changes. It’ll be done when it’s done and when it is I suspect it’ll leap frog the competition.
..well we all know the new FCP will be GREAT, that’s apple’s way…But 2 more years…that SUCKS….I hope it’s next year, that would be nice..any one out there that thinks next year???
Oh! I forgot….Mike says next year…hope so mike?
mike also thought the ipad was a giant mistake. he doesnt have a clue.
But blah2….it’s fun here!! don’t you think?….hey mike any new news?
i admit. i wouldnt call it ‘fun’, but i do enjoy watching each and every macsoda prediction come untrue.
…well blah, where can we go to get predictions that do come true…I just wish someone would e-mail steve jobs ( I did, but never got a reply) and ask about when THE NEW FCP WILL BE DONE!!…I mean this year or next year or the year after!!….SOMETHING.
MIKE y don’t U e-mail SJ…
apple is a hardware company. dont hold your breath waiting for software.
yeah blah I guess your right….you know I like fcp…but sooner or later I will have to go where the winner is and i think it’s avid or cs5…..like you said apple is a ico. now ipod ipad iphone and idon’t give a f—k about software anymore….co.
and just annnounced on macrumors .. the final cut studio update has been pushed back .. which can only mean a new version could only be even further away.
ah, well. go buy an ipad.
WOW…..hey mike WHAT HAPPEN…..thanks blah..
I tell you…this is one big…suck ball
>>> Adobe run cross platform code that was a simple recompile to run 64 bit.<<<
Funniest thing I've read in ages. I assure you that moving an application the size of the Adobe CS apps to 64-bit Cocoa from 32-bit Carbon was a massive amount of work, especially given they still support QuickTime, which is not available at all in a 64-bit API)
already read this ?
http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/09/30/some.intended.features.may.be.pushed.to.2013/
Final Cut Studio 4 is most likely not going to hit by the end of 2010 as was initially the plan… but the wait isn’t all that much longer. Expect to have it January 2011 at the earliest, and NAB 2011 at the latest.
You know..when you think about it….mike was right…keep up the good work mike!
So if they are late… What new features will we see in this half-way-release? New UI for FCP? New UI for Color? Better performance? All these apps have so much potential!
I THINK WE WILL LOVE IT>>>>>>>>THE NEW FINAL CUT STUDIO………!!!!! and it’s coming soon.
remenber…2011 is only a few months away…..fc is coming…wo ho
which comes first? a macsoda update .. or fcp update?
Needer…..you know …they (apple) could say something about final cut, you know it coming soon or hold on it’s going to be great….or were working on it…BUT all i here and read…….. is iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad iphone ipad. -can’t take it anymore!
Finally: Back to the Mac event coming next week!
If this is MacOSX 10.7, then FCP can´t be far off. Maby they´ll show some performance tests of videoediting. If iLife is going 64bit for iMovie… hehe…
Holding thumbs!
…this could be the it….hope hope
FCP 4 IS far off … the fricken FCP 3 update has been pushed back to 2011 … How the heck could FCP 4 be released before the FCP 3 update?
…does anyone think, we’ll see something about final cut pro this wensday?? hem I wonder?
Ok, here is the scoop.
OSX Lion release is coming. Soon after a revision of FCP in a point release will arrive.
I have heard it is greatly improved in underlying speed. They seem to have built an interim solution to keep FCP users happy until the FCP4 comes in 2012.
The point release will allow you to import any content onto the time line. It will render proxies to the desired timeline type in the background. Ie, no transcoding needed. it will deal with this on the run. And it is suppose to be fast. 3x faster an many transcoding jobs.
So really, it sounds like a good interum solution.
And in general, it is suppose to be faster all round with real time effects and overlays hitting the (Adobe) CUDA type features. but exactly how far. don;t know.
This is of course very indirect info.
But the source was very good, and the upgrade feature set does sound very focused on what FCP user do need.
I GOT a funny feeling…..we’ll here something about final cut….tomorrow..let’s see if i’m right?
It’s
“one more thing . . .”
we hope!….come on steve do it…..
…and now…one more thing……the NEW final cut PRO….wow
now…one more thing……the NEW final cut PRO….wow
Interestingly, many posts back Philip Hodgetts linked to his response which notes the importance of FCS having to use things in the OS and Quicktime still under development and points to 2012 I believe. Assuming Lion/OS 10.7 is being previewed, FCS may not be as far away as he believes. Even if 10.7 doesn’t actually happen until spring, I’d think FCS development when be more or less contemporaneous. I think that would mean a new FCS should also be here around the time 10.7 is actually released or shortly thereafter. If it’s all backwards compatible with 10.6 (or even 10.5) it could certainly come out whenever it’s ready even if it can’t take advantage of 10.7 specific features until that’s released.
well that’s that……no talk about final cut pro….that sucks///steve could have said sonething lile…and final cut will be great wham it comes out soon….
shit…imovie looked better then fcp..
iMovie has some interesting features now. My guess that since Lion is summer 2011 that’s when we’ll see FCS4 and it’ll probably have some of these neat iMovie features and a whole lot more.
….yeah that would be cool….but i hope apple keeps the UI pretty much the same…what do you all think?
wow … nice to see that macsoda has kept with tradition of not correctly predicting any new products, despite not enterining ANY predictions … laughably … the same # of predictions came true.
you know, all we do is talk talk talk…..when is (the new) final cut coming…predictions predictions predictions…rumors rumors rumors…none of us knows shit…when and if it comes..who knows??? this year.. next year.. the year after…IT SUCKS..and will be GOOD,….or just bullshit
rumors….we never hear anything about final cut pro…god it’s always (iso…ipad…ipod…now ilife…..what the hell happen to fcp….not a word…any where…boy that sucks….
well! no one has no more rumors?….about final cut!!…..come on say something?
Some one else must have heard something? Is this the best kept Applesecret ever or what? Plesase share something…
right on…chribbe….this is one BIG apple suckball
…and mike..where are you?…..tell us something..
i completely missed this one: http://www.emailsfromstevejobs.com/2010/10/26/64-bit-version-of-final-cut-studio-stay-tuned-and-buckle-up/
nice!!!!!
Zzz … Hey Mike! your website sucks more than your predictions.
Yeah! I read it too…..very GOOD news…..are we all getting happy?
So much more happy than last week… I guess we will not see anything before january. Hopefully then but might be more like mars-april, just in time for NAB.
Come on Apple! GO!
well! if not.next year…then what do we all do?….CS6 anyone?…..ps I hope i never have to go to that..come on steve doooooo it sooooon..
On it’s current 2 year release cycle, FCS4 isn’t “late” until July of next year. And there was 28 months between FCS 2&3, so that puts us at November.
well to me…Stay tuned and buckle up…means soon…….I think in 3 to 4 months we will have it…THE NEW AND ALL GREAT FINAL CUT STUDIO….
On the surface I’d agree with you. Personally, if FCS4 was really not due until 2012, I suppose “stay tuned” is suitably vague; but I wouldn’t expect him to respond in any form about a product so far off.
That said, I find it hard to argue with Philip Hodgetts’s reasoned arguments on how the next FCS release must be tied to 10.7 development, which we know won’t drop until next Summer. If that’s the case, the earliest I could reasonably see Studio 4 coming out is November. And that’s a pretty short turnaround from Lion to Studio 4.
I’d love Apple to pull a rabbit out of it’s hat, but I’m not sure how it’s possible technically.
Disproportionate Pictures, you may be assuming sequential rather than concurrent development. If concurrent FCS could be out next summer.
Additionally, assuming it’s still going to be compatible with Snow Leopard it could even arrive earlier and then receive and update although I can see challenges with that.
Absolutely I’m thinking sequentially. If the past is any indication- to maintain secrecy, not a lot of code-sharing goes on between the different development teams.
This means 10.7 may need to be gold master before the FCS team can start finalizing code for Studio 4.
Again, I’m basing most of my thinking on Philip’s reasoning, which seems sound to me. A complete code re-write and an entirely new QT framework is a huge undertaking.
I’m happy to be wrong, but I’m certainly not expecting anything before the Fall of ’11. I’ve got lots to keep me busy ’til then, so the time will pass before I know it.
Knowing that a 64bit version of FCS is 1-1.5 years away certainly makes it harder to save some money in the short term and buy the 8core vs 12core MacPro. Since we’ll finally be able to use all that raw processing power in the not too distant future…
I see you guys know what your talking about…I think Snow Leopard and final cut have missed the boat together……Lion will be the key…and next summer that key will open the door…..
…then, what the hell do I know. LOL
hay all…..Steve Jobs: Next version of Final Cut Studio due early next year
IF this is true, it will be very interesting to see how it works with all the under-the-hood stuff that should theoretically not be in place until 10.7 is released.
I’m personally confused. The idea of a well thought out and substantial release and an early 2011 timeframe just don’t line up.
go back and read some of the articles on this site. Like the iPad release … and how Steve Jobs “did not see what the market wanted accurately.” .. and how apple “messed up royally” with their vision of the iPad.
hilarious stuff…
Mike .. come back and write some more crap!
mike where the hell are you…..don’t you talk any more…..any new news…???
Hey Mike? What happened? Got tried of all the crazy apple rumors and Steve Job back stabbing to Final Cut. You had a awesome blog here and a great community, you should rescue it while you can.
…without bullshit, how can we have life as we know it!……c/on mike feed us..
hey…is this site dead..???…wheres the talk?
you know..I know it’s been said over and over and over……BUT I got to say it one more time……I’m sick of hearing it all the time…over and over…..ipod…ipad…iphone…..why can’t we hear more about final cut studio….
yep!…I think this site is DEAD…RIP
bad rumor from Apple:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2011/01/17/rumor-the-discontinuation-of-the-xserve-would-be-only-the-beginning
I use AE a lot and there is a lot to love, but I have been a major fan of Motion since version 1 and I wish a standalone version were still an option. I am not a fan of having to either keyframe things or write a script to control motion in AE. On the other hand, I love Motion’s ability to keyframe just about every parameter, and the behaviors are great. Motion is most definitely not a joke. As for FCS 3, there was not enough in the package to warrant an upgrade for me. When FCS 4 shows up, however, I’ll be among the first to upgrade. Regarding DVD Studio Pro, it is definitely long in the tooth but I use it regularly and I do prefer it to Encore, but the lack of meaningful BluRay support is a curiosity.
As for digital streaming and downloads versus physical media (i.e., the death of the DVD), I would rather wait for 6 weeks after the release and spend $7 at Blockbuster for a used first run DVD with bonus features than pay $15.00 for a bare bones movie or rent a disk through Netflix, etc. Too bad BB retail stores are tanking…
…bad rumor from Apple:
What does this mean… is final cut is on it’s way out too…?
Funny how unlike Apple’s consumer products, a new FCS is not really gonna wow us when, and if, it comes out. It will simply catch up to Adobe’s product line, at best. I hope I’m wrong though.
As for physical media vs digital streaming, a real movie fan would immediately be able to tell the massive difference in quality between a Blu-Ray disc and a downloaded movie file (on a HD tv or monitor). If you want to a downloaded movie to have the same quality as a blu-ray disc, you are looking at what… 50 gigs? I prefer going to the store and paying a couple of bucks then spend I don’t know how many days downloading 50 gigs, not to mention spending all my bandwidth for the month.
If you don’t care about quality, then sure download all the movies you want.
I agree….
I don’t. I look at the pile of DVD’s behind me and the hundreds of dollars I’ve spent, and honestly I can’t rationalize buying even the ones that do see repeat viewing again in yet another format. First it was VHS, then it was Widescreen VHS, then DVD, then Anamorphic DVD, and now BluRay. I’m off the format merrygoround, and I couldn’t be happier.
There IS an image quality gap between iTunes HD and BluRay. But on the display I use and the distance I view it from that difference is at worst negligible, and at best actually imperceptible to the human eye. You can scream about bit-rates as much as you like, but if I don’t notice it then it’s not a problem. And I do consider myself pretty picky…
As bandwidth gets faster and codecs get better at doing more with less, sometime in the next 5-7 years they’re going to meet in the middle and on the most labored moviephiles will be able to complain.
Until then, I’m happy to be watching 4 HD movies for what I would pay for a BluRay disk.
what about pros..who have to deliver to clients…..?????????????
There is no Final Cut Studio 4, it does not exist, Sad ending to a promising product line, Final Cut Studio is officially Dead.
If you are a registered user please, go to http://www.apple.com/feedback and let them know how they have really done a bad thing here, I feel betrayed.