Apple unveils Final Cut Studio 2 and Final Cut Server

Adam Turner
Monday, 16 April 2007 20:48

Business IT - Technology

Apple has unveiled its Final Cut Studio 2 high-end video-editing suite along with Final Cut Server - a post production workflow tool for broadcasters.

Demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, Final Cut Studio 2 delivers major upgrades of Apple's Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro and Motion and Compressor video editing tools. Final Cut Pro 6, introduces Apple's ProRes 422 format for uncompressed high definition quality at standard definition file sizes. It also features a new Open Format Timeline that lets editors mix and match virtually any video format and frame-rate in a single Timeline without transcoding.

Other improvements to the suite include Motion 3 featuring an intuitive 3D environment, paint and new behaviours; Soundtrack Pro 2 with dozens of tools for multi-track editing, surround mixing and conforming sound to picture; Compressor 3 delivering powerful batch encoding for multiple formats with a single click; and DVD Studio Pro 4.2 for SD and HD DVD authoring. Final Cut Studio 2 also introduces Color, a professional colour grading and finishing application for ensuring consistent colour and creating signature looks.

Apple's Final Cut Server is a new server application that works with Final Cut Studio 2 to provide media asset management and workflow automation for post production and broadcast professionals.

A scaleable server application that supports workgroups of any size, Final Cut Server includes a cross-platform client that enables content browsing, review and approval from within a studio or over the Internet. Final Cut Server automatically catalogues large collections of assets and enables searching across multiple volumes via an intuitive user interface. It is designed to manage the flow of work, as assets and projects move from producer to editor to artist through the entire production process.

Apple's Final Cut Server is available with one server and 10 concurrent client licenses or one server and unlimited client licenses.