Apple releases Final Cut Express HD 3.5
Apple on Thursday released Final Cut Express HD 3.5, a significant upgrade to its software solution for video enthusiasts, schools and small businesses that runs natively on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs.
The software offers a complete set of advanced editing tools for DV and HDV video formats with support for multiple video layers, real-time special effects and transitions, and powerful color correction and matting filters for professional-looking results.
"Final Cut Express HD 3.5 is the total movie making package with many of the same tools the pros use at a price designed to appeal to aspiring pros," said Rob Schoeben, Appleâs vice president of Applications Product Marketing. "Whether itâs multiple streams of video, professional audio tools or animated text and titles, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 is ideal for anyone who is passionate about the movies they make and delivers incredible performance on Appleâs new Intel-based Macs."
Final Cut Express HD's new Dynamic RT enables users to view even multi-layered HDV video in real-time, which dramatically speeds up the editing process by eliminating the need to render and re-render clips, Apple said. In addition, the company said all effects, transitions and motion parameters can now be keyframed, providing complete creative control over special effects that can be saved as favorites for use in other projects.
Meanwhile, the new version Soundtrack includes over 4,000 professional-quality, royalty-free instrument loops and sound effects that can be mixed and matched to create a custom score precisely timed to each project. It also offers improved multitrack audio editing and recording tools with tracks, busses, outputs and real-time effects processing just like a professional recording studio.
Also included in Final Cut Express HD 3.5 is a new version of LiveType that lets users add high-impact excitement to movies with dynamic animated text and hundreds of royalty-free backgrounds and animated textures — all customizable to match the look and feel of projects. Some new features include a host of exciting new animated graphics, including 70 new animated objects, 15 new textures and 60 new customizable preset effects for animated text and titles. With new vector-based LiveFont technology, animated text styles like Tremor, Script, Ribbon, Cool and Blueprint can be scaled to any resolution including HD with blazing rendering performance, especially on the new generation of Intel-based Macs, Apple said.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Express HD 3.5 is available now through the Apple Store, Appleâs retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $299 (US). Owners of previous versions of Final Cut Express can upgrade to Final Cut Express HD 3.5 for just $99 (US).
20 Comments
Soundtrack 1.5???
I thought they discontinued Soundtrack when they released Soundtrack Pro?
Where they hell are they going with their line of audio apps? Makes no sense at all.
Soundtrack 1.5???
I thought they discontinued Soundtrack when they released Soundtrack Pro?
Where they hell are they going with their line of audio apps? Makes no sense at all.
It was bundled with Final Cut Express HD.
I don't know the nuances or intentions of their varieties of audio software, they have Logic, Logic Express, then there's Soundtrack Pro that is now only in Final Cut Studio.
I have FCE HD. I haven't used it much at all, the audio timing of the video FCE imported from my camera was off and I didn't know how to fix it without trashing the project.
Another thing I hated is that when playing a clip, if you remove the focus from that or click anywhere else, playback totally halts. Given that I am listening for the best video take, I don't need to watch all my footage, I can keep track by listening. I'd like to multitask a bit and check email and such, FCE didn't allow that. I'm told that Final Cut Pro has that shortcomming too. If 3.5 fixes this, I'll gladly pay the upgrade price.
Soundtrack 1.5???
I thought they discontinued Soundtrack when they released Soundtrack Pro?
Where they hell are they going with their line of audio apps? Makes no sense at all.
What is there not to understand?
General-purpose sequencers; consumer, prosumer, professional: GarageBand, Logic Express, Logic Pro.
Video editing software; consumer, prosumer, professional: iMovie, Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro.
Movie soundtrack-oriented sequencers; prosumer, professional: Soundtrack, Soundtrack Pro.
Not so hard to understand.
The user and all related content has been deleted.
$99 is....simply CRAZY!!!
I hope the sense gets knocked in their heads and they give us coupons as the did for Final Cut Pro!!
You'll agree?
You're kidding, right?? Have you looked out there for anything like FCE in the Windows world? Over $400 for anything that comes close. Hell, Adobe After Affects Standard version is $699 and $199 Upgrade.
So, no I do not think that $99 for an upgrade price for something as complete and fully featured as FCE is too much to ask for.