My concern is that there’s been no change in subscription pricing.

It’s still $828 a year or $69/mo for Ultimate. I’d hate to lock into a year at that price if Apple is going to integrate key features into FCP or, at least, have a much lower tiered pricing. I have to imagine this is going to stall new subscriptions until Apple indicates where…

Read more

Bloomberg also

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-16/apple-acquires-motionvfx-to-boost-subscriptions-with-creators

If you look at financial news sites, Apple bought the company. How they will be marketed is unknown.

CNBC for example:

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/16/apple-acquires-video-editing-company-motionvfx-to-boost-subscribers.html

That’s a lot of stuff you’ve been through.

There’s also Epidemic Sound, MusicBed, Audio Jungle, Envato, Bensound, Storyblocks and Audiio. SonicFire SmartSound is interesting as well. These and the one you mentioned are very large libraries. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, you probably have something very specific in mind. Or…

Read more

If you can afford a used computer, you can get a used MacMini with an Apple Silicon M-series chip for $400 or so. I’ve seen them as low as $200, although with minimal RAM (8GB, but you’d want 16GB) and a small (250GB) internal SSD. I’d avoid Intel chip Macs at this point. The entire Creator Studio with Final Cut Pro is only $13 a month.

Note that neither Photos nor Photomator is mentioned. Perhaps they’re being combined and under construction (not ready on January 28th).

Given the AI features will only be available in the subscription versions, it makes the purchased apps a dead end in that regard. Features you get in Resolve for a one time purchase will require a subscription for Apple. Even the “Free” apps will have exclusive features/templates only available by subscription. Yes, truly a sad day. 😥😠

I have to assemble a one hour loop for an output of 4k MP4 for a public display of art and the monitor is a QLED 4k LG. I know the answer is go 4k Pro Res HQ all the way,

I think we need to unravel this a bit so you can better understand both the replies and possibilities.

MP4 is generally a container, not a codec. It can contain several codecs,…

Read more

I wonder if an additional encoding service fee should be charged for a legacy file no longer supported by Microsoft adding a notice that the fee will be reduced/removed if/when they move to MP4.

It’s not like they would be in a great situation to find a competitor to do this. There’s an additional time and possible encoder cost to meet this format.

It seems few of the free/inexpensive encoders supported WMV9. My guess is there’s license issues around that.

Telestream Flip4Mac encoded to WMV9 but also involved a license and has long since been discontinued (a few years ago). The commercial encoders such as Telestream Episode and Sorenson Squeeze supported it but they are also long gone.

One…

Read more

I can’t think of any modern circumstance to create WMV 9 at all. All modern Windows computers support h.264 .mp4

If you’re working with a client that doesn’t know this you should correct them.

Supposedly this works.

https://www.movavi.com/videoconvertermac/

https://support.apple.com/en-us/105126

More details from Apple

iMac models introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013, and mid 2014

To use any of these iMac models as an external display:

• The iMac used as a display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.

• The other Mac that you’re connecting it to must have been introduced in 2019 or earlier and have…

Read more

Target Display Mode was only supported in iMacs from mid-2014 and earlier, and was officially discontinued with macOS Mojave.

At one time this was done with Target Display mode but can’t be done with recent macOS.

If it’s still larger, you need to lower the data rate more.

If the issue is quality it’s possible the codec that was used to compress the original was very efficient. Perhaps they reduced the number of Key Frames (keyframes are larger than P and especially B frames) but you’re not talking about quality but size. So your response is either…

Read more

I’m not sure why the math isn’t more obvious to people.

It’s very simple. Lowering the data rate lowers the file size. Depending on the codec though it will lower the quality. How visible that is depends on the content, frame size, and frame rate.

Apple Compressor gives you control over the data rate so you’d export to that or create a preset and…

Read more

I use 4K Video Downloader.

https://www.4kdownload.com/products/videodownloader-42

Free version is good enough and there are controls over the quality and speed of the download.

Least people forget Apple also announced:

An update to Final Cut Pro will enable creators to edit spatial videos on their Mac and add immersive titles and effects to their projects, and with the Vimeo app designed for Vision Pro, users will be able to upload and share spatial videos for others to discover and enjoy.

While:

Later this year, Blackmagic…

Read more

Avid Technology quietly cut staff after $1.4B private-equity deal – Boston Business Journal – Boston Business Journal

Perhaps time for the “Kremlinologists” to check in and speculate about NLE life.

https://deepcreeklake.online/avid-technology-quietly-cut-staff-after-1-4b-private-equity-deal-boston-business-journal-boston-business-journal/

I second what Doug says. It’s not importing into the Library. It’s likely leaving aliases point to the card. Please post a screenshot of your settings.

Somehow you managed to leave files in place when importing from a card I believe. Normally that shouldn’t be possible from a camera card. In your case, FCP thought it was an external drive. You may have to put in the card and then use FCP’s Consolidate function to move the media to an always-connected drive.

As stated, summing increases the volume and is easier than working around FCP limits on increasing the volume.

One of the more frustrating things about Voice Isolation is that it does not work on Dual Mono audio. If you switch the clip audio to stereo it will work. If you’re using Dual Mono you have to use it on the audio component level. The thing is I often want to use Dual Mono because the audio summing increases the volume when both channels have the…

Read more

And Apple’s entire forum deals with so many subjects unrelated to FCP that it’s hard to be sure you have a wide swath of targeted interest. The importance of discussion boards whether it be FCP.co or COW is that the readership is looking for or helping with video specifically.

I do hope a lot of the FCP.co discussion moves back to the COW.

Apple’s forum doesn’t depend on revenue to cover expenses.

An independent website has hosting and management expenses that must be met.

That means advertisers and the content to draw views for the advertisements.

I don’t doubt that the COW itself faces those issues.

Larry Jordan’s take on the demise of FCP.co

However, with the rise in social media, advertisers – the life-blood of any web service – demanded more and more eyeballs. Specialized websites, like FCP.co, couldn’t deliver the traffic that a more general-interest website could.
…
There is no effective business model that can support a techn…

Read more

And this mentions a patent for infra red technology which the eye won’t see but the camera will and therefore impact the image in that regard.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6018374

It’s an interesting idea.

It’s sort of like HDCP (copy protection) which allows you to play a video but prevents electronic copying. Or maybe it’s like what’s done with playing Netflix or AppleTV on your computer. You can see the movie but if you try to record it with Quicktime the video is blank.

See this

It seems the best they can do is a digital…

Read more

AI Masking Plugin Decisions.

Update to CoreMelt’s Shot Anvil?

Wait until motionVFX releases their product next week? They’ve been hyping heavily on Instagram.

Anticipate BorisFX update to Continuum FCP? No mention but have to assume it’s going to happen given how Mocha tracking would benefit.

They’re all going to have AI masking so how does one…

Read more

I think you should you should watch one of the trainings on FCP Media Management (Ripple Training is good).

Libraries contain Events and Projects. Media may be internal or external to it. That’s a user-controlled setting. Without that information or an explanation of your reason for copying it’s hard to make a recommendation. I’m not sure how or…

Read more

Yet why would they feature FCP since B&H obviously doesn’t and can’t sell FCP. They can just as easily sell Apple hardware with Resolve or Premiere Pro. The featured ONLY FCP. And all booth staff wore Apple shirts, not B&H. While they may have been staffed by B&H employees it seems the both setup may have had conditions controlled by Apple (only…

Read more

Hmm, there’s no reason to transcode from most recent Sony cameras into FCPX. I use Sony Z90 and FX3 and everything imports straight in. Perhaps the transcodes are the issue.

It’s not clear what you mean by “artifacts” because there are different causes. Wait for the Flow transition to render. Personally, I prefer to use MotionVFX mMorphCut. It’s…

Read more

As others have said, mp4 is a container and the codec might be an issue.

In VLC on your computer check the Information to see the codec.

On her computer have her open it in Quicktime to see if it plays there.

You don’t mention which macOS or version of FCP but that is certainly a factor so please note that information.

Since it’s from a Sony camera…

Read more

HP and Adobe were there as well. Blackmagic had a booth as well which had Resolve running but was mostly focused on ATEM switchers… even their cameras were less prominent than ATEM.

The other computer booths were towards the back of the show floor.

Apple’s booth was up front as you enter. They were given a position of prominence. The interesting…

Read more

The Apple Booth at the B&H Bild Expo NYC.

Booth with a bunch of people wearing shirts with Apple logos but the booth says Apple Authorized Retailer. Contains several rows of the various new Macs and a small area featuring Final Cut Pro with demos every two hours.

B&H is an authorized retailer but they were all wearing Apple shirts, not the typical…

Read more

I’ve used MacWhisper and now Ulti.Media Transcriber which is based on MacWhisper. It does depend on the “engine” but Transcriber uses the “Large” model and it seems to be real-time or better for me on my Mac Studio M1 Max. It would be slow on an Intel Mac though.

iZotope doesn’t “officially” support FCP and, years back when I contacted them they blamed this on FCP’s audio handling. RX is up to version 10 now and I don’t think this is or will change.

Other options like Accusounus have come and gone. CrumplePop went from FXFactory distribution to BorisFX and looks like it’s more expensive than it used to be.…

Read more

I was a big Telestream Episode user back in the day. Actually started using it when it was still Compression Master owned by Popwire, which Telestream bought. I used Episode right up to the point Telestream killed it.

Given Episode development stopped many years ago I don’t think anyone has attempted a comparison with the current version of Apple…

Read more

Aeroquartet focuses specifically on repairing video files. You can use their Treasured app to confirm the file is repairable. If you’re dealing with professional client work I’d check with them first rather than risk a generic repair utility potentially doing more damage.

https://aeroquartet.com/treasured/index.en.html

Kinda sad and worrisome that we can’t even trust Apple’s FCP bug fixes anymore. Are they not even putting in enough resources to do enough testing and QA before releasing?

Meanwhile, Resolve just went through another round of public betas and a full release with new features.

ulti.media Transcriber is built on MacWhisper. I’ve also used MacWhisper. Transcriber uses the “Large” transcription model from Whisper (MacWhisper Pro) which improves transcription reliability and adds many Caption features. They’ll be adding even more caption features. BTW it’s also Adobe PremierePro compatible so I suspect they feel their…

Read more

One key feature I’m looking for in Transcription software is the creative editing of the ensuingly generated Titles. I believe most, including Simonsays, come in as Basic Title which has limited animation functions.

Alex from Ulti.Media has said that their Transcriber will support using Titles other than Basic in a future update. I would love for…

Read more

Transcriber released today from Ulti.Media through FXFactory. Based on AIWhisper “Large” module. Standalone but exports directly to FCP as Project in an Event as Titles.

https://ulti.media/transcriber/

Two obvious questions:
1) Have the client commissioned video productions before, and who was their previous supplier?
(As in why did they not go back to their previous supplier(s)?)
2) If they haven’t commissioned productions, what is guiding them through the process now?
An overeager legal department and/or insecurities?

The client was previously t…

Read more

Thanks for your response. Much of it is similar to my thinking and experience (nearly 40 years) wearing hats as a camera operator or, editor, or production company.

As a camera operator, in my experience, some clients want all the footage at the end of the shoot and I include that in the billing. As a production company if they want all the video…

Read more

In consideration for Production/Post Production work, the client wants a Work For Hire to be signed. Normally (by default) I don’t work this way and only assign rights for the final edit to the client while I retain the right to use it for demo purposes.

Given the work-for-hire agreements gives them control of all source materials I’d charge a much…

Read more

Color Finale also sent out emails warning users not to upgrade.

There’s MacWhisper which is free, and requires you to export the audio from FCP but is local desktop, not online. It doesn’t have much in the way of controls/features.

https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper

MOV is a container. You should check the codec in VLC Media Information. It may be an old codec that was manufacturer dependent. Another tool you can use to check the codec is MediaInfo available in the App Store. It could also be an old 32-bit codec no longer supported. There are a few other players you can check with to see if any can…

Read more

I suspect this means lots of AI features will be in the next updates to FCP.

Given that LumaFusion and Resolve on iPad are more advanced and less expensive I have to suspect this leading to much more significant changes. Perhaps cloud-based collaboration features in the near future.

They did it! Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad

iOS 16.4 and M1 chip required.

The sleeping developer has awoken finally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqWw5UH1qg