Apple Final Cut Studio 2 intros Apple ProRes 422 for uncompressed HD at SD file sizes

Apple has unveiled Final Cut Studio 2, a
significant upgrade to the industry’s leading video production suite that
delivers new creative tools designed expressly for editors. Final Cut Studio 2
includes Final Cut Pro 6, which introduces Apple’s ProRes 422 format for
uncompressed HD quality at SD file sizes and support for mixed video formats
and frame rates in a single Timeline; Motion 3 featuring an intuitive 3D environment,
paint and new behaviors; Soundtrack Pro 2 with dozens of innovative tools
for multitrack 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 color grading and
finishing application for ensuring consistent color and creating signature
looks.

“Final Cut Studio 2 was specifically
designed to enable the rapidly growing community of over 800,000 Final Cut
editors worldwide to animate, mix, grade and deliver their work as a natural
extension of the editorial process,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice
president of Applications Product Marketing. “Final Cut Studio 2 is the
most powerful production suite on the planet.”

At the core of Final Cut Studio 2 is Final
Cut Pro 6, the latest version of Apple’s Emmy award-winning editing software
which includes a new Open Format Timeline that lets editors mix and match
virtually any video format and frame-rate in a single Timeline without
transcoding. ProRes 422, a new full raster, 10-bit 4:2:2 post production format
produces stunning HD quality at SD file sizes, making it ideal for working
efficiently across a SAN or on a MacBook(R) Pro in the field. Companies
including Panasonic, Sony and RED are embracing ProRes 422 as they continue to
innovate on the next generation of cameras. Final Cut Pro 6 also includes
optical flow based SmoothCam technology to remove unwanted or jarring camera
movement with simple, easy-to-use tools. Deep integration with Motion includes
the ability to edit Motion templates with video drop zones and editable text
fields directly in Final Cut Pro.

New to Final Cut Studio is Color, which
puts a logical task-based color grading and finishing workflow in the hands of
every Final Cut Pro editor. The primaries in Color include advanced color
correction tools such as gamma, lift and gain adjustments, as well as custom R,
G, B and luma curves, and the secondaries provide the ability to isolate
specific areas of an image with soft-edged mattes and custom-shaped vignettes,
which can be tracked with ease. Professional scopes provide precise monitoring
of chrominance and luminance values via waveforms, histograms and new 3D
scopes. Color includes over 20 signature looks which can be customized to
create a unique mood for any given project, and offers a seamless roundtrip workflow
where projects can be sent from Final Cut Pro 6 directly to Color for grading,
finishing and final rendering with 32-bit float 4:4:4 image processing.

Motion 3, the latest version of Apple’s
groundbreaking motion graphics software, takes all the familiar Motion tools
and extends them to a 3D environment. New camera behaviors add depth and
realism with drag-and-drop simplicity. Vector based paint tools allow editors
to easily create brushes with color, particles, video or pictures. A simple,
yet highly precise match moving tool automatically maps any image or effect to
the path of any other object. New retiming behaviors enable editors to slip and
slide retiming effects on the Timeline without keyframes, while new audio
behaviors allow users to easily create animations that respond to soundtrack
volume and frequency. Motion 3 includes over 1500 new design elements including
professional stock imagery, beautifully animated line drawings and stunning
vector artwork.

Soundtrack Pro 2, a brand new version of
the audio editing application in Final Cut Studio 2, features powerful new
multitrack editing and recording tools in a streamlined interface that
simplifies every aspect of the audio post production process. Soundtrack Pro 2
introduces a breakthrough heads up spotting display that lets editors precisely
align effects and dialog with picture. Advanced take management tools enable
editors to quickly combine pieces of the best takes to craft seamless
performances. Stereo and surround mixing tools enable users to create 5.1 and
stereo mixes in the same project, saving time and eliminating costly errors.
Editors can work with a royalty-free library of over 5,000 professionally
produced foley and sound effects, including over 1,000 surround sound effects
and evocative multi-channel music tracks. A powerful new Conform tool enables
users to synchronize and track changes between picture and sound editorial.

Compressor 3, the latest version of
Apple’s industrial strength encoding tool, comes with a new streamlined
interface and simplified workflows that make encoding and delivering in multiple
formats easier and more efficient than ever. Powerful batch processing and job
chaining capabilities enable editors to create pristine quality output for a
wide range of delivery formats with a single click. Compressor 3 extends
support for industry-standard codecs such as MPEG-2 and H.264 to include new
drag-and-drop presets for delivery to broadcast television, web, iPod, Apple
TV(TM), DVD and mobile phones. Dynamic filters applied during pre-processing
now support timecode overlays, audio/video fade in and out, and animated
watermarks that can be applied directly from Motion projects.

Apple today also introduced Final Cut
Server, a powerful new server application that works seamlessly with Final Cut
Studio 2 to provide media asset management and workflow automation for post
production and broadcast professionals.

Final Cut Studio 2 will be available in May through the Apple Store(R)
(http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers
for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US). Registered users of the current
version of Final Cut Studio can upgrade for $499 (US) and registered users from
any previous version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699 (US). Full system requirements
and more information on Final Cut Studio 2 can be found at
http://www.apple.com/finalcutst
udio.