Final Cut Server Now Shipping
CUPERTINO, California–April 8, 2008–Apple today announced that Final Cut
Server, a powerful software solution for media asset management and
workflow automation, is now shipping. A scaleable server application, Final
Cut Server automatically catalogs large collections of assets, allows
searching across multiple disks and SAN volumes and enables viewing,
annotation and approval of content from anywhere using a PC or Mac.
“Whether producing a 30-second spot, the nightly news or a major motion
picture, Final Cut Studio is the choice of editors around the world,” said
Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing.
“With the introduction of Final Cut Server, collaboration just got a whole
lot easier for millions of editors, producers and clients who work with
Final Cut Studio.”
“For the past few months we’ve been using a beta of Final Cut Server to
manage our entire workflow pipeline, 24/7, and it held up beautifully,”
said Evan Schechtman, CTO of Radical Media. “Best of all, Final Cut Server
integrates seamlessly with our home-grown solutions so it’s actually adding
new value to systems we’ve relied on for years.”
Final Cut Server automatically catalogs media and generates thumbnails,
poster frames and low-resolution clip proxies for quick browsing in user
specified formats. A cross-platform client enables a PC or Mac to use Final
Cut Server’s broad search capabilities, which extend from simple keywords
to complex combinations of IPTC, XMP and XML metadata. Final Cut Server
also configures a range of highly specific access controls that define user
permissions on an asset or project basis.
Final Cut Server scales to support workgroups of different sizes, ranging
from a two-person post house to a multi-national news organization and can
automate as much, or as little, of the production pipeline as needed. A
configurable event-based response model tracks job status, monitors media
changes, and automates review and approval notifications and complex
sequences of tasks–all through a series of simple menu selections.
Tightly integrated with Final Cut Studio for a seamless extension of the
workflow, Final Cut Server includes Compressor 3, Apple’s industrial
strength digital encoding and compression tool, which delivers pristine
format conversions for publishing to DVD, broadcast television, the
Internet, Apple TV, iPod, iPhone and other mobile phones.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Server is available immediately through the Apple Store
(www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a
suggested retail price of $999 (US) for one server and 10 concurrent client
licenses, and $1,999 (US) for one server and unlimited client licenses.
Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Server can be
found at www.apple.com/finalcutserver
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its
award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional
applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with
its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has
entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
