Apple today introduced Final Cut Studio, the latest HD video production suite that includes Final Cut Pro 5, a new version of the Emmy-winning DV, SD, HD and film editing software. Final Cut Studio also includes advanced tools that complement Final Cut Pro 5, such as Soundtrack Pro, a new audio editing and sound design application that makes the sound of video projects live up to their visual quality; Motion 2, the first real-time graphics animation application with GPU-accelerated 32-bit rendering; and DVD Studio Pro 4, the first DVD creation software to hit the market with the ability to burn high-definition DVDs to the latest HD DVD specification.
Final Cut Studio integrates video, audio and special effects, to raise production values and allows producers to edit in a wide variety of high-definition formats, add animated graphics, sculpt the soundtrack and burn their projects to high-definition DVDs.
At the center of Final Cut Studio is Final Cut Pro 5, software for professional editors working in DV, SD, movie, or any of the major HD formats, including HDV, DVCPRO HD, and HD without compression. Native HDV (long GOP MPEG-2) support in Final Cut Pro 5 allows users to edit shots captured on cameras with native HDV with no loss per generation.
Powerful new multicam tools allow editors to work with up to 128 sources, with simultaneous playback or playback of up to 16 angles at a time, making Final Cut Pro 5 ideal for TV series, sporting events and concerts.
A new IMX codec in Final Cut Pro 5 enables native editing of streaming content from Sony XDCAM. Direct support with Panasonic P2 solid state offers editors a high-speed solution for DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPRO HD video transfer without the need for tape.
The new Dynamic RT, an intelligent system that automatically adjusts image quality and frame rate during playback, allows editors to see more effects in real time at the highest possible quality. In addition, the RT Extreme engine in Final Cut Pro 5 has been enhanced to allow real-time viewing of HD effects without compression.
New audio capabilities in Final Cut Pro 5 allow users to capture up to 24 simultaneous audio channels, with the high quality of 24-bit and 96 kHz, and use audio control surfaces.
Soundtrack Pro, the revolutionary new audio editing and sound design application included in Final Cut Studio, incorporates an innovative waveform editor with flexible action layers, called Action Layers, that allow the user to quickly reorder, override or change any edit, effect or process. Its intelligent Find-and-Fix capabilities allow you to quickly identify and troubleshoot common audio problems.
An integrated multi-channel mixer allows editors to apply common effects to multiple tracks and group common channels using busses. With more than 50 professional plug-ins, including Space Designer, and Match EQ and Linear Phase EQ equalizers, Soundtrack Pro provides a powerful set of tools to sculpt the perfect sound for any production. Soundtrack Pro comes with more than 5,000 sequences -Apple Loops- to add depth to the action and emotion to the images through musical elements and sound effects ranging from large earthquakes, to subtle environmental effects. AppleScript capabilities built into Soundtrack Pro simplify and accelerate the video-rotating process, automating common and repetitive audio tasks.
Motion 2, the latest version of Apple's innovative real-time graphics animation software, allows publishers using Final Cut Pro to add animated graphics to their DV, SD, HD or cinema projects. Motion 2 is the world's first graphics animation software with GPU-accelerated 32-bit rendering that delivers cinema output quality. Replicator, a new and unique automated design tool, allows editors to easily animate any number of duplicate movies or graphics following meshes and patterns.
Motion 2 also includes more than 130 accelerated filters, such as 3D rotation, vignette and caustic, and more than 150 new particle effects that automatically generate spectacular animations such as flashes, bubbles and space nebulae. In addition, software developers can write their own effects with FxPlug, a professional plug-in format that takes advantage of Motion 2's GPU-accelerated performance and real-time 32-bit rendering. The new MIDI support allows Motion 2 to be used as if it were a musical instrument, with animation changes triggered when playing music on a keyboard or using scroll controls or buttons on a MIDI controller.
DVD Studio Pro 4, the DVD creation program included in the Final Cut Studio, is the first DVD creation software available that allows users to burn their HD projects to high-definition DVDs according to the latest HD DVD specification. DVD Studio Pro 4 will be demonstrated at NAB with the prototype of an HD DVD player for Toshiba's consumer market to be marketed before the end of this year.
The distributed encoding tools included in DVD Studio Pro 4 make use of the power of networked Macintosh computers to dramatically reduce the encoding time of high-definition projects. DVD Studio Pro 4 also incorporates support for mixed formats and advanced scripting to create the most sophisticated commercial DVDs.
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