-
I just don’t get it
-
Rumor has it the new imacs come out tomorrow. With Thunderbolt, the ability to put loads of RAM in easily, and these really fast processors – if we decide we need a third bay, we can absolutely consider an iMac now. I used to think iMacs were silly computers, but they’re really not – at least not anymore.
We could even run a 2 monitor setup through one with an Apple 27 display. I still need to see more Thunderbolt periphs first – and hopefully a miracle can occur and bring us a PCI card to keep our mac pros up to day.
-
I think FCPX is designed to sell iMacs. Whereas Avid may take eons to get to a Thunderbolt approved device, many facilities in this era of tight budgets may consider FCPX and iMacs to add some edit bays even if it might be “feature compromised.” At the very least it’ll be able take on certain projects. Of course Adobe Premiere can jump on support.
Avid is already very limited in it’s affordable video I/O support so I think FCPX/Thunderbolt is a real blow to Avid at least in facilities that are cost conscious.
[John Davidson] “I still need to see more Thunderbolt periphs first – and hopefully a miracle can occur and bring us a PCI card to keep our mac pros up to day.”
Intel has already said no Thunderbolt PCIe cards. The chip must be built into the motherboard.
-
Well, I guess we’ll have to upgrade to an even newer mac pro when they get the ‘bolt. Darn :).
Speaking of Avid, I was kind of surprised to see that Media Composer 5.5 was still 32 bit. They say it’s their last 32 bit release. I just assumed anything new at this point from anyone would be 64 bit – I guess I was wrong.
-
[Craig Seeman] “I think FCPX is designed to sell iMacs. Whereas Avid may take eons to get to a Thunderbolt approved device, many facilities in this era of tight budgets may consider FCPX and iMacs to add some edit bays even if it might be “feature compromised.” At the very least it’ll be able take on certain projects. Of course Adobe Premiere can jump on support.”
The quad core Sandy Bridge iMacs introduced today are almost certainly faster than the quad core Mac Pros. With Thunderbolt for fast disk and video I/O all the way through 2K, they’re really looking quite plausible as video editing machines.
[Craig Seeman] “Intel has already said no Thunderbolt PCIe cards. The chip must be built into the motherboard.”
As far as I can tell, what Intel was objecting to was data-only Thunderbolt PCIe cards. But given that Thunderbolt integrates with the display system, how does it work on systems without on-board graphics like the Mac Pro? The obvious answer is it’s implemented on the graphics card. So it seems plausible that future graphics cards will integrate Thunderbolt, and some of these may be installable in current or past Mac Pros.
—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read Does FCP X make project files obsolete? on our blog.
-
That video card/TB integration possibility is exactly what I’m hoping for. If something like that does come out, I’m sure it’ll be either in conjunction with the release of a new mac pro (possibly in august if current product cycles continue), or after the current batch of TB devices have had time to sit on the market a bit.
it’s going to be a great year for new equipment and software options for smaller houses like ours.
-
[Craig Seeman] “Of course Adobe Premiere can jump on support.”
At NAB Adobe demonstrated a Blackmagic Thunderbolt device with Premiere Pro CS5.5 playing 3 streams of uncompressed 10 bit files simultaneously at full resolution on a laptop connected to a Promise Thunderbolt drive array. Its scrubbing ability was insane. Since it’s ultimately just an i/o thing – everyone can take advantage of this – Adobe, Apple, Avid, whoever.
[Craig Seeman] ”
Intel has already said no Thunderbolt PCIe cards. The chip must be built into the motherboard.”True, but who said Intel was the only motherboard manufacturer? It will probably take a while (2012) but I would fully expect PC vendors to have thunderbolt compatible devices and motherboards available.
-
[Dennis Radeke] “True, but who said Intel was the only motherboard manufacturer?”
Regardless who makes the mother board, the Thunderbolt chip will need to be on it. This is a technical chips access reason for bandwidth not a marketing position.
-
I understand and am confident that motherboards will have it.
-
[Dennis Radeke] “I understand and am confident that motherboards will have it.”
So am I. the point is that you will not be able to add a PCIe Thunderbolt “adaptor.” The chip can’t be on the PCI3e card. It MUST be on the motherboard according to Intel. Keep in mind it’s Intel’s chip. Do you think they’re going to make it available to AMD?
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up