Apple Introduces Final Cut Pro 2 with Real-Time Editing and Breakthrough G4
Performance
CUPERTINO, California — March 14, 2001– Apple today introduced Final Cut
Pro 2, the next generation of its award-winning video editing, compositing
and special effects software. Final Cut Pro 2 is a powerful, all-in-one
editing solution, featuring real-time editing, breakthrough Power Mac G4
performance and a scalable architecture that allows users to output content
into any video format.
“Final Cut Pro 2, running on our blazingly fast Power Mac G4 or PowerBook
G4, offers the specialized features and robust editing workflow sought
after by video professionals, without the expensive price tags,” said David
Moody, Apple’s senior director of Applications Marketing. “Final Cut Pro’s
innovative, extensible real-time architecture gives editors what they need
most(time to be more creative and productive.”
With Final Cut Pro 2, real-time editing and compositing functions are
seamlessly integrated into the video production workflow. By simply adding
an optional, supported real-time processing card, video editors can
instantly perform wipes, dissolves, and 2D motion graphics effects,
dramatically increasing their creative freedom and efficiency. Final Cut
Pro’s real-time architecture allows third-party manufacturers to create
hardware that supports a variety of professional editing features and
formats. The first card to support Final Cut Pro’s real-time architecture
is the RTMac card from Matrox, which provides real-time broadcast-quality
transitions and effects, and uncompressed, 32-bit, animated graphics in a
dual-stream, native-DV editing environment.
Final Cut Pro 2 takes advantage of the supercomputing performance of
Apple’s new Power Mac G4 and PowerBook G4 lines, and the new QuickTime 5
architecture, to deliver dramatic gains in video editing productivity. On
compute-intensive operations, Final Cut Pro 2 is up to 30% faster on G4
systems and 70% faster on dual-processor G4 systems, when compared to the
previous generation’s performance on similarly configured systems.
With Final Cut Pro 2, video editors can:
* work with all popular video formats, from Digital Video, to Beta SP, to
High Definition (HD);
* edit using a professional three-point editing model, including “JKL”
keyboard-control shortcuts, drag and drop functionality, and trim-on-the-fly
video for fast synching of video and audio;
* simultaneously output to a computer monitor, an NTSC or PAL TV monitor,
a
VCR, or a camera;
* consolidate, move and reconnect media with advanced new media management
tools;
* work efficiently between online and offline systems using Final Cut
Pro’s
Edit Decision List (EDL) import/export function;
* easily convert projects to the most popular web-based formats using
Cleaner 5EZ;
* export audio that is compatible with industry standard mixing and
finishing systems using OMF audio export;
* use the included Peak DV with VST plug-ins to perform audio editing
functions such as eliminating unwanted audio noise or changing clip duration
without changing pitch;
* utilize Subframe audio editing to 1/100th of a frame;
* combine up to 99 layers of video, audio, text and graphics;
* open and nest multiple sequences and programs; and
* create special effects using Final Cut Pro’s built-in FX scripting
language, or hundreds of supported Adobe After Effect’s plug-ins
Final Cut Pro works with Apple’s new DVD Studio Pro to form a complete
system for professional digital content creation and delivery. From within
Final Cut Pro, users can invoke DVD Studio Pro’s powerful compression
engine to encode their edited video sequences into MPEG2. Using DVD Studio
Pro, they can author sophisticated navigation menus, preview disk operation
in real time, and burn DVDs using the Power Mac G4’s new SuperDrive for
playback on consumer DVD players.
Pricing and Availability
Final Cut Pro 2 will be available beginning March 19, 2001 through The
Apple Store (www.apple.com) and through Authorized Apple Resellers for a
suggested retail price of $999 (US). Existing users can upgrade to the new
version of Final Cut Pro for $249 (US). Final Cut Pro 2 requires Mac OS
9.1, a Macintosh computer with a 300-MHz or faster PowerPC G3 or G4
processor, QuickTime 5, 192MB of RAM (256MB of RAM for real-time
processing), and 20MB of available disk space for installation. More
information on Final Cut Pro, including a list of certified, compatible
hardware and software can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutpro.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to
students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.