Is the PRO Dropping Off Final Cut?

[Chugach3DGuy]

Apple scaling back Final Cut Pro to appeal more to Prosumers

Story is here:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/18/apple_scaling_final_cut_studio_apps_to_fit_prosumers.html

I've used Final Cut for various projects for nearly 2 years, and while it does have its drawbacks, I think it is a very capable piece of software. Since it's so widely used in video and film production, I think it's a poor decision by Apple to, in essence, cripple the Final Cut Suite by appealing to the prosumer market. If it's really not making that much money for Apple anymore, wouldn't it be better to sell it off to another business that can keep it going?

What do you FCP editors think of this?

 

[grinner]

They don't have to talk post houses into buying it. They do have to talk kids into it. I see their thinking. It's a matter of placing marketing dollars in the right places. This is a good move, imo.

 

[couryhouse]

well... I am not a fcp user but... if Sony Did this to my vegas I would go on the hunt!

 

[Chicago Dog]

Currently, Final Cut Pro is targeted at advanced professionals with a scaled down, less expensive Final Cut Express version sold to users who don't need all of its high end features. Because Apple now primarily sells the Express version, the company wants to rethink Final Cut Studio and scale its overall development to better fit the majority of its customers.

Oh, I see. In order to appeal to the majority of its customers, they're going to dumb-down Studio while simultaneously ignoring the fact that Express is there for that very purpose.

Alienate your professional customers by "scaling" their software to cater to folks who have the option to buy more appropriate software that already exists?

Brilliant!

 

[Tom Servo]

If Adobe is smart, this is their cue to push Premiere as the "new" pro-grade non-Avid NLE.

 

[couryhouse]

Adobe? Or ... SONY!!!

funny microsoft even dumbed down movie maker... I hear the latest interation lacks timeline and just has the board with clips like imovie....

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

They don't have to talk post houses into buying it. They do have to talk kids into it. I see their thinking. It's a matter of placing marketing dollars in the right places. This is a good move, imo.

I have to disagree with you on this. I know more pros that use Final Cut nowadays than Avid. It wasn't all that long ago that Apple incorporated Color into the suite, which was quite the high dollar program.

If they already have Final Cut Express, why not pump a little more energy into that and market it to the kids and amateur users that are already using it? Like Chicago Dog said, they're alienating the professional users. I would think that there will always a larger market for the cheaper stuff that amateurs and hobbyists buy, but why cut into the professional market that NEEDS the features and controls that you don't see in the cheap stuff?

I'm sure BMW sells a lot more 300 series sedans than the top dollar 700 series. But you don't see them telling their high-rollin' customers that they're going to scale back the 700's to be more like the 300's.

Adobe? Or ... SONY!!!

I've never used Vegas before, but it would seem that this would be a good time for both companies to really push for dominance on the Mac side of the coin. I've heard really good things about Adobe's CS5, so we'll see where this goes.

 

[b-roll]

Talk in the Apple circles have been buzzing this week – and, no it’s not a new iPhone prototype that has them excited.

Rumors started yesterday via AppleInsider.com that a restructuring of the Final Cut Pro division of Apple might mean a shift from a professional product to a consumer product.

The words that struck fear talk of moving the product “to more closely match the needs of the majority of its customers.”* Does this mean the truly professional aspects of the edit software are going to vanish from the product?

cnet news has a different perspective today.

“Final Cut Pro is the first choice for professional video editors, and we’ve never been more excited about its future,” Apple spokesman Bill Evans told CNET. “The next version of Final Cut is going to be awesome, and our pro customers are going to love it.”

Final Cut has never been a huge money-maker for Apple and probably is the red-headed stepchild to the iPhone and iPad – but will it remain the work horse of TV editing?

Stay tuned.

Read more on the FORUM.

 

[Baltimore Shooter]

Sounds like the newer versions will be 2-3 times the price. Maybe this time, they'll hire workers in America instead of China.

Warren

 

[MtnShooter]

If Adobe is smart, this is their cue to push Premiere as the "new" pro-grade non-Avid NLE.

Interestingly enough, just last week I got an email from the Apple Store pushing CS5... not a single word about FCP.

I have Final Cut Studio 3 on the Mac side of my computer, and Sony Vegas Pro 9 on the Windows side. I prefer Vegas because the workflow is sooooo much faster, and you don't have to render every little friggin' thing you do before you can see it, or go out of the program to do it.

But I spent more money on FCS, so it must be better.

 

[Alaska cameradude]

Well, this IS from a RUMOR site, written by an author who has a pretty BAD track record of predicting Apple's next move, so I don't think it's much to get worked up about just yet......

 

[b-roll]

Beautiful RANT on the Apple FCP rumors...

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

Beautiful RANT on the Apple FCP rumors...

Wow, that is a good rant!

Well, this IS from a RUMOR site, written by an author who has a pretty BAD track record of predicting Apple's next move, so I don't think it's much to get worked up about just yet......

My Twitter feed started blowing up with all kinds of comments about this shortly before I created the thread, and I hadn't seen anything here on B-Roll yet. I didn't realize it was a rumor site, but I'll be mindful of this in the future. I'm a PC/Adobe guy, but I do keep my ears to the ground to hear what's going on with the other players- just in case I decide to switch.

 

[zac love]

My only problem with the rant is they made no mention that CS4 & CS5 were released back to back. In my opinion, that doesn't seem like Adobe is thinking about video editor (plus I didn't hear of too grand of improvements from 4 to 5, similar to the newest upgrade from FCP 6 to 7).

I do think the strongest selling point for FCP is that when you run into computer problems, you only have one company to call. Apple makes the hardware, OS & software. No other NLE can offer this, which doesn't make FCP "the best," just an exclusive advantage.

The other thing that FCP has that no one else, is the massive Apple cult following that has a stroke when some silly rumor hits the internet.

 

[grinner]

I have to disagree with you on this. I know more pros that use Final Cut nowadays than Avid.

Sounds like we do agree.
Truth is, nobody sells more copies of Final Cut today than Avid.
Apple is simply saving marketing money but not preaching to the choir.
They'll continue to market to kiddoes.

 

[MtnShooter]

Truth is, nobody sells more copies of Final Cut today than Avid.
Apple is simply saving marketing money but not preaching to the choir.

Man... both of those statements completely get past my ability to comprehend what you're saying. Perhaps you could clarify for us obtuse geezers.

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

Sounds like we do agree.
Truth is, nobody sells more copies of Final Cut today than Avid.
Apple is simply saving marketing money but not preaching to the choir.
They'll continue to market to kiddoes.

Do you mean that the result of Avid not keeping up with the times has caused clients that would normally purchase Avid products to switch over to Final Cut Pro?

I can see this happening because of a void in the market left by Avid, but I can't imagine a company like Apple just sitting back and enjoying the ride. That would imply complacency, which seems like a very dangerous and risky tactic in today's economy.

As for Apple not preaching to the choir, isn't it still in their better interests to do this? I know Adobe is certainly doing it with the marketing of the new CS5 suites. The new rotoscoping capabilities in After Effects, content-aware fill in Photoshop, and Premiere's new Mercury rendering engine aren't being marketed towards kids or enthusiastic hobbyists. These are tools that I, as a professional user, can use to become better and more efficient. I wouldn't be nearly as interested in upgrading if Adobe's marketing strategy was more along the lines of touting "Output video to upload to Youtube!" and "Turn your videos into 3D masterpieces with a click of the mouse with our new 3D plugin! Wow!"

Now, despite this turning out to be a rumor and all, I'm still curious to see what's going to turn up in the next version.

"Final Cut Pro is the first choice for professional video editors, and we’ve never been more excited about its future,” Apple spokesman Bill Evans told CNET. “The next version of Final Cut is going to be awesome, and our pro customers are going to love it.”

This seems like one of those extremely vague statements that any company will say when they want to placate people's concerns without actually committing to anything or divulging anything.

My only problem with the rant is they made no mention that CS4 & CS5 were released back to back. In my opinion, that doesn't seem like Adobe is thinking about video editor (plus I didn't hear of too grand of improvements from 4 to 5, similar to the newest upgrade from FCP 6 to 7).

Are you sure you don't mean CS3 to CS4? I think CS4 to CS5 carries several significant improvements. The most apparent being the switchover to full 64-bit software. I never upgraded to CS4 because it seemed more like a fancy point release than a full step up.

 

[Chicago Dog]

I probably should've taken my original thoughts into consideration when it comes to rumors and unofficial blogs.

Apple doesn't strike me as a company that would abandon an entire group of its clientèle just to cater to another target audience already covered by FCE. Judging by the restructuring they're supposedly doing with the FC crew, though, the rumor-mill certainly added kindling for the fire.

This seems like one of those extremely vague statements that any company will say when they want to placate people's concerns without actually committing to anything or divulging anything.

Apple has always been like that, though. They don't even offer table scraps. They're a huge company with a huge following -- controlling what information they release will let the rumor-mills remain just that.

 

[zac love]

Are you sure you don't mean CS3 to CS4? I think CS4 to CS5 carries several significant improvements. The most apparent being the switchover to full 64-bit software. I never upgraded to CS4 because it seemed more like a fancy point release than a full step up.

I saw a demo for CS4 & CS5 at Final Cut Pro User Group meetings, maybe it was the presenters, but there wasn't anything in the CS5 demo that really grabbed my attention like when I saw the CS4 demo.

I had the same feeling when I saw the new FCS demo, that it was better, just not rush out to get today better. I do think if they're really re-vamping FCS it is probably going to be better for all of us, even if it gets more targeted at "pro-sumers." My problem would be if they took away features & made FCP more like iMovie.

Just because the EX1 has auto focus for "pro-sumers" doesn't mean that the camera is worse. I ignore those "easy" features & take advantage of a powerful camera in a little package. Now if the EX1R took away manual focus, then we could go "FCS rumor" crazy.

 

[eb]

Apple Flash Google

If I'd have used those words 30 years ago, it would have been talking about the Beatles, Flash Cadillac, and Marty Feldman's eyes.

Now, I don't know if this is the proper thread to talk about this... or if it belongs in another thread...

Apple disses Adobe Flash. Apple will not allow Flash to work on its products like iPad. Is that right? Today, Google dissed Apple... saying "get with the program" Don't be "exclusive" because Flash is a popular and very widely used plug in for internet media.

What do you think about this? If you produce video for the web... do you not use Flash? Will Apple back down? Is Flash bad for Apple's aps because it introduces foreign software into the Apple product? This seems to be quite a battle going on.