Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, Brings Back Features from Final Cut Pro 7

by Kristian Vättö on 1/31/2012 1:00:00 PM
Posted in Apple , Mac , OS X , Final Cut Pro X

Apple has today issued an update for their professional video editing suite, Final Cut Pro X (FCPX). The update carries version number 10.0.3 and re-introduces some crucial elements, such as multicam editing. Multicam filming is widely used by video professionals as many scenes require multiple video angles, and it's obvious that you also need editing software that supports multicam editing in order to achieve the best outcome. Other new features include advanced chroma keying that allows color, edge and light adjustments; media relink that allows content to be modified with third party software and then be relinked to your project; import Photoshop graphics; and broadcast monitoring that allows video to be output to an external monitor using PCIe or Thunderbolt devices.

FCPX was strongly criticized by professional users when it was launched in June 2011 due to the lack of major features such as import of projects made on earlier versions of FCP, multicam support, and usage of 3rd party I/O devices for capture and output—all which were present in the earlier version of Final Cut Pro. Apple released the 10.0.1 update in September, which brought support for XML format, allowing FCP 7 and many other apps projects to be imported into FCPX. However, it took Apple more than half a year to support multicam editing, which is finally bringing FCPX more or less on-par with FCP 7 in terms of features.

FCP 7 was outdated in various areas, for example it was single-threaded, so it's evident that professionals with high-end Macs were craving for a new version but ended up being disappointed due to the lack of several essential features. This update is free for all users who have already bought Final Cut Pro X. For users who haven't, Apple offers a 30-day trial on Final Cut Pro X and the full version is priced at $299—both are available in the Mac App Store. Apple also offers Motion, an effects editor, and Compressor, a tool for project export, as complement applications and they are both priced at $49.

Source: Apple

Print This Article 12 Comments View All Comments Post a Comment Huh, why so late by piroroadkill on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 You'd think they'd want to at least have feature parity on launch with their outgoing product, especially since it was so popular.

I think this update will be welcome, but the question will linger: why did it take so long, or more to the point, why wasn't Final Cut Pro X released WHEN all the features were ready? piroroadkill Reply RE: Huh, why so late by melgross on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 They totally rewrote this. It's more important to do it well then get every feature in, even if some are important. Apple did say that they would give free updates to bring the feature set up to par, and they are.

I think it was too precipitous of some to leave the platform in anger. I've used it from the beginning. When it first came out, it received excellent reviews, but it was pointed out that it required a number of features, both large and small. Apple added them over the next year for free before the second major revision came out, and as they say, the rest is history.

I feel pretty confident that we'll see the same thing here. Apple's significantly lowered pricing has shaken things up in the industry, according to the people I've been speaking to, and that seems to be part of the annoyance.they would actually rather have the product priced higher, as a professional product. Go figure!

While I understand why they did it, I agree with Chuck, below, who thinks their mistake was in discontinuing the older line too early, even though they allowed sales for a while longer. That complaint should die out as Apple brings all of the features and comparability on line over the next six months or so.

I believe that Adobe's new semi victory over this frustration will be short lived. melgross Reply RE: Huh, why so late by ananduser on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Straight from Apple's press release with subtle jabs towards Adobe. Great job melgros. ananduser Reply RE: Huh, why so late by melgross on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Hey, what I said is correct, both from a historical point, and from what they are doing now. You can be moronic about it if it makes you feel big, so go right ahead and amuse us. melgross Reply RE: Huh, why so late by B3an on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Sound like an iSheep. And Apple certainly need these lower prices because it's got nothing on Adobe software. FCPX is a joke and still missing features even now. B3an Reply RE: Huh, why so late by ananduser on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 Not disputing your Apple related facts but your attitude towards Adobe like it's some amateurish company that was lucky Apple made a wrong step; good timing though for Apple as we wouldn't want Adobe to get ahead in this market, after all Apple is our favorite brand. ananduser Reply RE: Huh, why so late by jmv909 on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 Adobe was lucky that Apple made a wrong step. Why else would a block of users migrate to their product? Would this have happened if FCPX had feature parity with FCP7? Nope. jmv909 Reply RE: Huh, why so late by melgross on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 I'm one of Adobe's first customers. My company was an Adobe shop. I've beta tested Hotoshop since version 1.0. I certainly don't think they are amateurs. I've also used all. Of their video editing software from the very beginning.

But facts are facts. Apple captured 50% of the professional video editing market by two years ago. Adobe was a distant second. FCP and then FCS has long been considered to be the best pro editing solution below the very high end and expensive operations.

This upgrade, which was really a total rewrite, was unexpected. People, and especially professionals get nervous when something they use gets a major change, and when some important features are left out. We've learned to be skeptical when companies tell us that features will be added later. Until they are, the feelings are negative.

But these features are being added back, and third party plug-ins are being supported again, along with job portability, something that was needed to move previous work over.

I see that we have several people who have never done any professional anything, making negative comments. That's as usual here. It's too bad, but it doesn't change things. melgross Reply FCP X is great, but 7 should have remained on sale by chucknelson on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 I think releasing when they did was fine, but the one critical mistake they made was abruptly cutting off sales of FCP 7, signaling "you must move to FCP X!".

In hindsight, they probably should have release FCP X, kept FCP 7, and then continued iterating on FCP X until it was matching most or all features of FCP 7. Then they could pull the plug on FCP 7 without people flipping out.

I think their normal strategy of "move forward, legacy be damned" didn't quite work out on this transition, probably given the maturity and complexity of the software they were trying to replace. chucknelson Reply RE: FCP X is great, but 7 should have remained on sale by Paedric on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Indeed, what this did was to force professionals to move to something else.

They could no longer buy licenses for the old software; and the new one just didn't cut it.
They had no choice but to quit.
When you're a pro, you can't stop working for some unknown time until the missing features are added, and what do you do if you need more workstations? Paedric Reply Subject Comment Post Comment Please login or register to post a comment.
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