< A href="http://www.apple.com">Apple Computer announced Sunday Final Cut Studio, a suite of applications for developing full digital video (DV) and high-definition digital video (HD) productions. The suite includes the newly announced Soundtrack Pro, Final Cut Pro 5, Motion 2, and DVD Studio Pro 4. The announcement was made in advance of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show, which begins on Tuesday in Las Vegas, NV.
"The arrival of Final Cut Studio ushers in a new era of high definition video production that relies on effortless integration of video, audio and effects to elevate production values," Rob Schoeben, Appleis vice president of Applications Marketing, said in a statement.? "Final Cut Studio allows producers to edit in a broad range of HD formats, add stunning motion graphics, sculpt the perfect soundtrack and burn their projects to high def DVDs."
The lead app for Final Cut Studio Pro 5 (FCP 5), a new version of Appleis popular DV editing solution. FCP 5 supports DV, SD, film, and all major HD formats including HDV, DVCPRO HD and fully uncompressed HD. Native HDV (long GOP MPEG-2). This allows editors to work with their material without generation loss from converting their source from one format to another.
Apple has also built in a new multicam tools that allow an editor to cut from up to 128 sources, including seeing simultaneous playback of up to 16 angles at a time. This feature is particularly aimed at TV production, such as episodic TV, as well as sporting and music events.
Other new features in Final Cut Pro 5, according to Apple:
- A new IMX codec in Final Cut Pro 5 allows for native editing of broadcast content from Sonyis XDCAM.?
- Direct support for Panasonicis P2 solid state media gives editors a high-speed solution for tapeless transfer of DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPRO HD video.
- New Dynamic RT, an intelligent system that automatically adjusts image quality and frame-rate during playback, allows editors to see more real-time effects at the highest possible quality. Additionally, the RT Extreme engine in Final Cut Pro 5 has been enhanced to allow uncompressed HD effects to be viewed in real-time.?
- New audio capabilities in Final Cut Pro 5 enable users to capture up to 24 simultaneous audio channels at high-quality 24-bit 96kHz and use audio control surfaces
Final Cut Studio will be available in May for US$1299 from the Apple Store. Registered users from any previous version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699.? Production Suite customers can upgrade for $499.
[Update: This story has been updated with additional information about Final Cut Studio. - Editor]