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Avid crossgrade comparison
Avid has dropped the price of their FCP “legacy” crossgrade to Media Composer offer. For a limited time, it’s $999 until 12/14/12 (a $500 drop). For those of you sitting on the fence wondering about what to do after FCP 7, here’s an interesting dollars and cents comparison between FCP X (plus add-ons) and Media Composer.
If you do the crossgrade, you keep FCP 7 and you get Media Composer, plus third party tools (Avid FX, Sorenson Squeeze and Avid DVD). For the premise of this exercise, also assume that you would add for free, the Automatic Duck tools to maintain some compatibility with FCP 7 timelines. I won’t belabor the issues of whether you think one NLE is better than they other. As far as I’m concerned, that’s more subjective than anything else.
The second qualifier is that not everyone has the need for all of these features. I’m merely adding up the tools that you would have to combine in order to equal what you get in the Media Composer package. So, assuming you purchased Media Composer 6.5 on the crossgrade, this is what you’d have to buy on the FCP X side to put together a comparable toolkit.
FCP X, Motion, Compressor, EDL-X, Xto7, 7toX, Event Manager X, X2Pro, Slice-X and Dashwood Stereo3D Toolbox. That’s $2,065. It’s $765 if you forget about Stereo3D.
Food for thought.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
31 Replies
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The point of the FCPX bundle of software starting to add up to a cost comparison is interesting. Looking at Avid, CS6 and FCPX from a cost point of view is less important than workflow elegance and compatibility at my end of the post process. It does however become a factor for editors choosing an edit system. I have told editors that if they go FCPX, then they also have a responsibility to purchase the third party tools to provide core outputs like AAF/OMF, EDLs.
So when the price difference is down to a few hundred dollars, other factors can be more fairly compared. However, Avid will not have a viable business model if it tries to chase Apple down that rabbit hole.
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[Michael Gissing] “Avid will not have a viable business model if it tries to chase Apple down that rabbit hole.”
Apple – the amazon of editing – it’s one area where they can act to destroy the market with pricing.
https://vimeo.com/user1590967/videos http://www.ogallchoir.net promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics
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[Michael Gissing] “However, Avid will not have a viable business model if it tries to chase Apple down that rabbit hole.”
If by “rabbit hole” you mean breaking compatibility with the entire installed base of an ostensible market leader for the sake of a $299 app, I think we’re safe. LOL
Note too that Avid is reviving the offer to upgrade from previous versions of Avid software to Symphony 6.5 for $999.
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Avid is actually running 2 promotions. side by side, for $999
1) Crossgrade to Media Composer for $999. This is aimed at the millions of FCP7 editors who have been abandoned by Apple. They can go to FCPX, Adobe , Avid or any other NLE. At $999 Avid is going back after these folks, who would not buy it for $1,499.
2) Avid editors can upgrade to Symphony for $999. This is really a great offer because it goes back to Xpress DV, Xpress Pro, and any version of Avid Media Composer. The $999 Symphony upgrade includes Boris Contnuum Complete, worth over a thousand bucks itself. Symphony 6.5 is the same code base as Media Composer 6.5. It adds Symphony color correction tools and universal mastering. Universal mastering requires Nitris DX hardware.
For more info on these promos you can check out this email Videoguys sent out https://goo.gl/L3jNq
We hope to have an FAQ Guide posted shortly.
Gary
COW members get 5% OFF with Coupon COW5OFF
https://www.videoguys.com 800 323-2325 | We are the video editing and production experts!
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OT, but I gotta ask you Gary, the lights back on for you guys yet?
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[Michael Gissing] ” Looking at Avid, CS6 and FCPX from a cost point of view is less important than workflow elegance and compatibility at my end of the post process”
Completely agree. In the conforming/interoperability arena, Media Composer and FCP 7 are still very hard to beat. FCP X still has a very long way to go, even with the various third party tools. I’ve done it and it requires quite a few workarounds. Not for the faint of heart.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
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YES! I got my power back at home on Saturday. 12 days in the dark.
We never lost power at Videoguys. Or internet. Unfortunately our phones kept dropping out. We are now 100% operational.
Long Island really got creamed by the storm. The local power authority (LIPA) was not prepared and our infrastructure has not been properly maintained. Are you ready for this – they are still using COBOL on Mainframes to run the power grid!!!
Special thanks to all the crews that drove in from all over the midwest and east coast to help us out. It is greatly appreciated.
Gary
COW members get 5% OFF with Coupon COW5OFF
https://www.videoguys.com 800 323-2325 | We are the video editing and production experts!
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I guess I’ll add to this by letting anyone who doesn’t know, that you can download a fully functional trial version from Avid if you so desire. I have to say, I’ve been enjoying my time back on it.
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I’m curious why Motion was added to this list. There’s nothing comparable in Avid MC or Symphony.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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