Final Cut Pro X Tidbits: Software Add-Ons, Graphics Card Requirements, Supported Cameras

Tuesday June 21, 2011 9:11 am PDT by Eric Slivka

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With Apple having released Final Cut Pro X and associated Motion and Compressor versions today, more details are starting to come out.

We previously pointed to Macworld's "First Look" feature that outlines many of the new functionalities in Final Cut Pro X, and a full review from Macworld is set to be posted soon. Other users who were given early access to Final Cut Pro X have also been speaking out to fill in some of the blanks now that they can speak publicly about the release.

While Apple is offering Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4 through the Mac App Store, where they have quickly become the top grossing applications, the company has also pushed out some ancillary updates via Software Update for users who have already installed the core applications. Among the add-ons:

- Final Cut Pro X Content (637.5 MB):

- Sound Effects: Over 1300 rights-free sound effects installed into the Audio Browser of Final Cut Pro X.
- Audio Effect Presets: Additional preset effects for the Space Designer plug-in.

- Motion 5 Content (1.15 GB)

- Motion Templates: A variety of professionally-designed, customizable templates.
- Motion Library Content: Animated vector graphics, backgrounds, template media, sample Motion projects, and royalty-free still images.
- Motion Sample Media: Clips and images for use with Motion Help examples and tutorials.

- ProApps QuickTime Codecs (1.2 MB):

This update adds the following video codecs for use by QuickTime-based applications:

- Apple Intermediate Codec
- Apple ProRes
- AVC-Intra
- DVCPRO HD
- HDV
- XDCAM HD / EX / HD422
- MPEG IMX
- Uncompressed 4:2:2

Apple has also released details on graphics card requirements for Final Cut Pro X, noting that at least 256 MB of VRAM on an OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later integrated graphics package are required. The support document also lists a number of graphics cards and their corresponding machines that are not compatible with the release.

Finally, Apple has also published a database of cameras that are supported on Final Cut Pro X. In addition to a wide variety of still cameras and camcorders, the iPhone 3GS/4, iPad 2, and fourth-generation iPod touch are also supported.

Update: Apple has also posted online user manuals for Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4.

Top Rated Comments

Aiwaz418

201 months ago

A Disaster

The increased speed in some regards (i.e., playback, transcoding, etc.) is amazing, but the complete lack of support for basic features such as the export of XML and EDL files for professional finishing in other software is criminal. The changes to the interface and workflow are frustrating, but can be learned, however...

I've been cutting feature films and television programs for years with FCP, and without the ability to export files for use in third party software for color correction and other finishing, the latest version is utterly useless in a professional environment.

This is simply NOT a professional piece of software at this point in time.

I am vastly disappointed in Apple, and our company may have to look to an alternative software for editorial purposes moving forward.

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

H. Flower

201 months ago

This is such nonsense, as are most of the tantrums I am seeing in here. Firstly, Apple's made it quite clear we are on a journey. There's a bigger picture here and we've been explicitly told that.

Regardless. I find it laughable that self-styled "Professionals" are complaining they can't switch their work flow on day 1 release of an application that's core to their revenue stream. No professional would do that, even if feature X that they wanted was in there. You transition a work-flow, you take the opportunities to tune and refine it. Apple didn't uninstall older versions from your machine.

If you want to switch to Adobe because you are a long term malcontent, then switch. Do so professionally without throwing a hissy fit in a public forum. Perhaps write a blog about the experience afterwards to explain to others how you did it so they might learn from it and make the transition themselves if they want to.

I'm comfortable with this as an R1 application, the promise oozes out of every pore. I won't be using it for some time to come, but I knew that yesterday, and the day before, and the week before, and the months before. So did you. However, despite not being able to use it on production projects I can see what doors this application opens, and I look forward to stepping through them as the right projects come up and the software develops.

Let's be clear, if you are posting here as a professional who is disappointed you can't switch today, or even this year... you're not a professional.

I agree that FCP X will probably eventually become a pro app, but you're missing the point: FCP 7 is SEVERELY behind the technology and many of us have to move on or will lose work to competitors.

One or two years worth of being behind in our profession (waiting for features that quite frankly should have been delivered in 2011) IS a big deal and a lot of money lost.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Aiwaz418

201 months ago

Let's be clear, if you are posting here as a professional who is disappointed you can't switch today, or even this year... you're not a professional.

Being in the middle of two different feature projects at the moment in FCP 7, I had no desire to switch today, but I DID have a desire to test the functionality of FCP X and it failed in a professional environment.

This 'journey' of which you speak seems so far to be one of dumbed-down interfaces and features, more suited to experienced amateurs wishing to post polished videos on YouTube rather than the pros who have supported this product for years and have utilized it on features and in television.

If the software was not ready to be utilized in a pro environment TODAY, it should not have been released, period, or should have been named 'iMovie Pro' or 'Final Cut Amateur'.

It's a slap in the face, plain and simple.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

osxhero

201 months ago

I have to say, based on the 1 star reviews on the App Store, I'm very thankful I waited to read before buying. I absolutely hate iMovie with a passion, and will never pay for a professional product that emulates it in any way.

Least of all "face recognition" that eats up HOURS of useless time for something I have no use for.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

NY Guitarist

201 months ago

The increased speed in some regards (i.e., playback, transcoding, etc.) is amazing, but the complete lack of support for basic features such as the export of XML and EDL files for professional finishing in other software is criminal.

+1 It was a real shocker for me, not because of a few missing extra features, but that a professional editor can't use it!

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

CIA

201 months ago

So my experience so far. I downloaded it this morning from my 2007 iMac (2.8 C2D 4GB). I didn't launch it there, but it did let me download it. I think it only has 2600HD graphics inside though.
Screen shared into work and started the download on my MacPro (2008 3.2Ghz, 16GB, 8800GT card).

Got into work (Small TV station) and fired it up (after running software update for the other updates that went with it. I'm the guinea pig for the station to see if this transition will work.

Right now as I type this I'm importing some footage shot in HDV from a Sony Z1U camera. It shows in Final Cut as a Sony HDV device, so I'm guessing all our HDV decks and camera's will work for import. Once I'm done importing I'll start the edit and report back. So far it won't let me launch FCP7 while FCPX is running.

Update... I can get FCP7 to open while capturing in FCPX. But a window pops up on FCPX saying I must quit FCPX to continue using it. Capture (in X) does continue in the background, but I probably won't be able to edit in FCPX until I quit 7. Sure enough when I quit 7, the window in FCPX went away. I could edit in FCP7 while capturing (from tape) in X though.

Update 2... It just dawned on me that I can no longer do batch captures, it'll just take whatever's on the tape. Granted with cheap hard drives that's not a big deal, but that feature is gone. So much for logging footage pre-ingest.

Update 3... Capture complete, but I can't figure out how to tell FCPX to put captured footage in my capture RAID, and not default to my internal HD.

Update 4... A little confusion about the new "Events" feature. It's very iPhoto-esque. I created a new "Event" on my video Storage RAID, and was able to move all the clips into that from my internal movie folder. The "reveal in finder" option shows the clips are now in that location, but only as Alias's.

Update 5..... I have launched (but not edited anything) FCPX on my Core 2 Duo 2007 iMac 2.8 (4GB) with Radeon 2600HD graphics, even though Apple says that machine won't work with FCPX.

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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Final Cut Pro X Tidbits: Software Add-Ons, Graphics Card Requirements, Supported Cameras

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