After a couple of days here is what it comes down to.

[Chris Borjis]

[Stefan Buhrmester] “I’m running the DP4 Update 1 of Lion and it does not add any features to FCPX.

Seriously, what do you guys expect?”

features added later when Lion is in full release to the rest of the world.

I wasn’t meaning it would work any different with version 1.0 on Lion.

1.x releases ON Lion.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Stefan Buhrmester] “Seriously, what do you guys expect?”

A deeper A/V Foundation connection to allow the real use of “capture” cards so I can get real time baseband video out of the application for starters.

This will come from Lion’s abilities, but FCP will need an update. Lion isn’t going to automagically bring more function to the application without some features being “turned on” and installed.

[Stefan Buhrmester]

Ah, I see 🙂

[Tom Brooks]

Jeremy, does anyone, anywhere–in a book, an article, whatever–explain how computers connect their video processing to such hardware devices? I’d like to know a little more about that.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Tom Brooks] ” I’d like to know a little more about that.”

Meaning how video is sent to/from a capture card? Or are you talking about video processing (rendering) to a graphics card?

[Tom Brooks]

The former–how video is passed to a capture card.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I am not an expert in this area as I don’t program, but with FCP and AJA or other cards, they “simply” pass the data to the VOut plugin of Quicktime. There’s a built in QT infrastructure that allows video data to be passed to hardware. At that point, the AJA drivers/PCI card take over, decode the video data, and send it to a display.

That is a super simplified explanation. I am not sure of any articles, but I am sure a search of Quicktime VOut will come up with some things.

[Yurii Hydrick]

“As far as my home videos are concerned, FCPX, HERE I COME!!!!!!” … that’s right!

I love it for the average home user, even wedding videographers and YouTube videographers will likely get some great use out of it – but “Pro” it certainly is not. Pro’s in any field achieved their status by understanding the rules of the game so well that they knew how and when to break them… and in so doing, they not only made it work, but made it better than if they’d followed the rules. Each product Apple releases becomes more and more template (or “we’ll do it for you”) oriented, which reduces the tools a pro needs to have that final touch capability that makes them pro. They keep dumbing things down. It’s like handing Van Gogh a paint by number (have you seen the FCPX preferences – or lack thereof?). Nothing wrong with a paint by number, it just needs to be handed to the right audience. Discontinuation of FC Express is a pretty good indicator of who they were targeting.

I’m in agreement with you Russ, the clock is ticking. They better make some significant updates very soon, or their hand in the pro film market may possibly be winding down. But we’ll see. I hope they figure it out, you know how I love Apple 🙂

Quick side note, regarding your other thread:

Must haves:

• FCP7 Compatible
• External monitoring
• EDL/XML/OMF etc import and export (yea I know, they’re working on an “amazing” workflow option… but not everyone is going to switch to it over nigh)
• Multicam
• Way more preference options including…
• Toggle magnetic timeline
• Option to turn off auto bg rendering
• Color WHEEL

and a whole slew of others.

I’m with you though, family videos will be great in FCPX!!!!

Yurii

[Russell Lasson]

Thanks for all you support through this hard and trying time in my life 🙂

Russ

Russell Lasson
Colorist/Digital Cinema Specialist
Color Mill
Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.colormill.net

[Jason Collins]

Just FYI, there is an option to disable background rendering in the Prefs.
🙂