FCP 6 at NAB ?

[Liam Stephens]

I think media manager has definitely come a lot more stable from 4.5 to 5. Atleast my slomos and speed up are managed correctly as opposed to being 1 frame. That used to be really annoying!

[Andy Mees]

Insane or not, i see where you’re both coming from.

[speculation]

I, for one, would really be disappointed to see Apple split the software end of the product line into a “High-End” and “Low-End” model.
If they release a hardware assist engine that pushes the software to a whole new level, well that would be more than welcome.
But if they start divying up the software features, so that only so only those with the super-dooper FCP-Xtreme hardware are allowed to play … well that would be a shame.

[/speculation]

Regardless, when has any update not been welcome? For many people, FCP 5’s hot ticket was the multicam support … personally it left me cold (although I’ve been happy to use it since). But the under the hood improvements, especially multichannel audio on import was a very big deal fo me. Whatever the next update brings, hardware or software or both, I say “Bring it on”, “Show me what you’ve got” etc 🙂

[Sean Oneil]

[walter biscardi] “[Sean Lander] “I seriously doubt that Apple will ever make a version of FCP that costs 10K.
That would be insanely stupid.”

You’re gonna look pretty silly if they do announce something like that, now won’t you?”

It’s fun to speculate. So this is what I think.

Apple will not sell an “unlocked” 4k version of their software for 10x the price. I just don’t see them as a company that does that. Media 100 used to do that. You’d get the same card, same software, but your license number determined what features you were allowed to have. And the price difference was staggering.

I think Final Cut will be Final Cut. Only one version of the core program. But, for something in the neighborhood of 10k, you get Final Cut plus extra hardware and software included.

Extra hardware could be something like this:
https://store.nvidia.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayPage&Env=BASE&Locale=en_US&SiteID=nvidia&id=ProductDetailsPage&productID=49538700

And the extra software could be Final Touch plus a Mac version of this:
https://store.nvidia.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayPage&Env=BASE&Locale=en_US&SiteID=nvidia&id=ProductDetailsPage&productID=49548100#

Sean

[Zak Mussig]

I’m with the previous folks… it’s fun to speculate. It’s not like I’m going to switch to Avid if Apple doesn’t meet, or exceed, my wildest expectations this go-’round.

1) New interface – the entire interface will fall into step with the rest of the suite (along the lines of the HDV L&C window). The interface will also be resolution independent ala Leopard. Aesthetic change really, but how we interact with FCP is why most of us choose it over a competitor… that deserves attention.

2) Media Manager will be updated, but mostly under the hood. It will offer to collect media for any Motion or Soundtrack projects in your timeline.

3) Color correction will work better, but function exactly the same. They may add some crazy core animation effect to draw attention to the fact that it’s new.

3) Lots of hardware accelerated real-time stuff… FXPlug in a big way.

4) Motion will inherit a nice feature from Shake, 3D compositing. Motion 3D… too good to pass up. It will still refuse to stop playback somewhere between 5-10% of the time, but Steve knows you really wanted to see it again. It’s a feature.

5) DVDSP will do Blu-ray, ‘nuf said.

6) Soundtrack Pro will have some crazy visual way to assign channels for 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.

7) Bruce will look like he belongs in OS X and will be more animated. It was their test to see how practical animation would be. (Probably not so much)

See? Fun.

Zak

[Rcpics]

“You’re gonna look pretty silly if they do announce something like that, now won’t you?

I honestly could see something like that to compete with the high end Avids with lots of realtime and other features, but I don’t know anything more than the rest of us here. I prefer to wait until Apple actually shows what they are planning on April 15.”

If that’s the case, it better come packaged with its own interface and hardware acceleration, like a card-mounted breakout box a la Blackmagic Multibridge or Aja IO, etc….with included SDI and HDMI and all that jazz. Maybe other combined packages with newer Cinema Displays et al, to really establish FCP as a system to build a pro facility around with a little less 3rd-party accessorizing. Of course, they have their hands full just dealing with their computer and iPod tech, throwing in another department for a black box might be more than they’re willing to take on right now.

[Jeff Coleman]

Apple will announce something new at NAB this year. I’d bet on it.
But it will disappoint.
Apple will flash new features and compatibility before our very eyes, including fixing the broken transition plugs, and adding the new SuperFX that gives 12 layers of effects in “realtime”. And they’ll keep you hopping for the next three or six months with their 2007 Advanced Software Tail Chasing with Leopard, FCP 5.2.4, QT 7.2.6 and DVD SP 4.3.3, and
Won’t have fixed the Media Manager or the Log and Capture process, nor the anomalies in their uncompressed 10bit QT format, or edge spike clamps in their safe filters or anything real fundamental to video. Two layers with the filters or transitions YOU want to use will send the DV timeline to a screeching halt, making you wish you had an Adrenaline.
Keep an eye on the AVID booth.