Apple introduces final cut express 2
Announcement posted by Apple 08 Jan 2004
Professional video editing for everyone
Apple today introduced Final Cut Express 2, the next major release of its digital video editing software. Based on Apples award-winning Final Cut Pro 4 professional video editing software, Final Cut Express 2 delivers powerful new features in an affordable, easy-to-use package for video editors who want a mid-level application that delivers professional results. Fine-tuned for Mac OS X version 10.3 Panther, Final Cut Express 2 features RT Extreme for real-time compositing and effects, an enhanced user interface, real-time colour correction tools and enhanced audio editing capabilities.
Final Cut Express 2 is truly professional video editing for everyone, said Rob Schoeben, Apples vice president of Applications Marketing. With its winning combination of powerful features such as RT Extreme and a simplified user interface, Final Cut Express 2 is the perfect product for everyone from aspiring film makers to educators.
Final Cut Express 2 includes some of the most popular features of Final Cut Pro 4 within a simplified user interface. Its the ideal product for creative professionals who want a high-quality video editing solution but are not full time videographers; corporate and wedding videographers who handle multiple projects simultaneously but do not need to work with formats beyond DV; teachers and students who are using video more regularly as an educational tool; and video hobbyists who want to have fun while building the skills and techniques to create Hollywood-style videos.
With its integrated editing, compositing and effects tools, Final Cut Express 2 allows users to easily take a project from start to finish with professional results. Now featuring RT Extreme, Final Cut Express 2 provides instant editing gratification with real-time effects, transitions and video layers or the ability to composite up to five simultaneous DV streams. The enhanced user interface is more elegant with customisable buttons, dynamic window resizing, user-defined window layouts and a new timeline with adjustable track heights. The real-time colour correction tools allow users to interactively adjust and correct colour balance between shots and create unique colour effects.
Featuring enhanced audio tools, Final Cut Express 2 provides multitrack audio support; real-time volume and audio filter adjustment; solo and mute controls in the timeline for auditioning individual tracks; and scoring markers for use with Soundtrack, Apples professional audio-looping software. The improved capture tool saves time by automatically capturing across time-code breaks and incrementally naming clips when recording breaks are discovered.
Final Cut Express 2 projects can be exported for use in Soundtrack, iDVD and DVD Studio Pro 2, saved back to tape or exported to any QuickTime format, including the industry standard MPEG-4. Final Cut Express 2 offers a smooth migration path to high-end video production because everything learned in Final Cut Express 2 is directly transferable to Final Cut Pro 4.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Express 2 is available immediately through the Apple Store (www.apple.com.au) and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of $499 RRP inc GST with an upgrade price of $149 RRP inc GST for current Final Cut Express customers. Final Cut Express 2 requires Mac OS X version 10.2.5 Jaguar, a Macintosh computer with a 350 MHz or faster PowerPC G4 processor (with AGP), built-in FireWire, 384MB of RAM (512MB required for RT Extreme), 40MB of available disk space for installation and QuickTime 6.4 or later.
About Apple
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.
Final Cut Express 2 is truly professional video editing for everyone, said Rob Schoeben, Apples vice president of Applications Marketing. With its winning combination of powerful features such as RT Extreme and a simplified user interface, Final Cut Express 2 is the perfect product for everyone from aspiring film makers to educators.
Final Cut Express 2 includes some of the most popular features of Final Cut Pro 4 within a simplified user interface. Its the ideal product for creative professionals who want a high-quality video editing solution but are not full time videographers; corporate and wedding videographers who handle multiple projects simultaneously but do not need to work with formats beyond DV; teachers and students who are using video more regularly as an educational tool; and video hobbyists who want to have fun while building the skills and techniques to create Hollywood-style videos.
With its integrated editing, compositing and effects tools, Final Cut Express 2 allows users to easily take a project from start to finish with professional results. Now featuring RT Extreme, Final Cut Express 2 provides instant editing gratification with real-time effects, transitions and video layers or the ability to composite up to five simultaneous DV streams. The enhanced user interface is more elegant with customisable buttons, dynamic window resizing, user-defined window layouts and a new timeline with adjustable track heights. The real-time colour correction tools allow users to interactively adjust and correct colour balance between shots and create unique colour effects.
Featuring enhanced audio tools, Final Cut Express 2 provides multitrack audio support; real-time volume and audio filter adjustment; solo and mute controls in the timeline for auditioning individual tracks; and scoring markers for use with Soundtrack, Apples professional audio-looping software. The improved capture tool saves time by automatically capturing across time-code breaks and incrementally naming clips when recording breaks are discovered.
Final Cut Express 2 projects can be exported for use in Soundtrack, iDVD and DVD Studio Pro 2, saved back to tape or exported to any QuickTime format, including the industry standard MPEG-4. Final Cut Express 2 offers a smooth migration path to high-end video production because everything learned in Final Cut Express 2 is directly transferable to Final Cut Pro 4.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Express 2 is available immediately through the Apple Store (www.apple.com.au) and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of $499 RRP inc GST with an upgrade price of $149 RRP inc GST for current Final Cut Express customers. Final Cut Express 2 requires Mac OS X version 10.2.5 Jaguar, a Macintosh computer with a 350 MHz or faster PowerPC G4 processor (with AGP), built-in FireWire, 384MB of RAM (512MB required for RT Extreme), 40MB of available disk space for installation and QuickTime 6.4 or later.
About Apple
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.