Apple Final Cut Pro X

Apple has announced the release of Final Cut Pro X, a new version of the video editing software which Apple says "reinvents video editing with a Magnetic Timeline that lets you edit on a trackless canvas; Content Auto-Analysis that categorizes your content upon import by shot type, media and people; and background rendering that allows you to work without interruption".

Built on a modern 64-bit architecture, Final Cut Pro X is available from the Mac App Store for $299.99.

At the heart of Final Cut Pro X is the Magnetic Timeline, a trackless approach to editing your footage that lets you add and arrange clips wherever you want them, while other clips instantly slide out of the way. You can use Clip Connections to link primary story clips to other elements like titles and sound effects, so they stay in sync when you move them. You can also combine related story elements into a Compound Clip that can be edited as a single clip. The new Auditions feature lets you swap between a collection of clips to compare alternate takes.

Content Auto-Analysis scans your media on import and tags your content with information. Final Cut Pro X then uses that information to dynamically organize your clips into Smart Collections, so you can find the clips you want by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot. You can also tag parts of clips with Range-based keywords to add custom search criteria to your media.

Final Cut Pro X is a 64-bit app designed to take full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software. Final Cut Pro X uses multi-threaded processing and the GPU on your graphics card for performance. Additionally, a ColorSync-managed color pipeline is designed to ensure color consistency from import to output.

Final Cut Pro X also includes tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by two companion apps, Motion 5 for motion graphics and Compressor 4 for media encoding, available from the Mac App Store for $49.99 each.

Pricing & Availability

Final Cut Pro X is available today for $299.99 from the Mac App Store. Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are available today for $49.99 each from the Mac App Store.

Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at apple.com/finalcutpro.