One of the big stories leading up to NAB2011 was the rumor that Apple had taken over the FCPUG SuperMeet and that they would be showing a sneak peak of the new Final Cut Pro X. Apple didn't just take over the SuperMeet, they took over NAB. You could not go to a booth or have a meeting without people talking about FCP X. There was a lot of speculation over what would be announced and what exciting news Apple had up their sleeve.

Videoguys is a long-time supporter of the FCPUG and a sponsor so of the SuperMeet so I was there along with 1,699 other FCP users and let me tell you – I was blown away by the Apple presentation! No more boxed versions, no more dealers to buy it from. Buy a Mac, download the app, edit away. But, the
biggest news came at the end ? FCPX will be a $299 download from the app store – coming in June!

Apple did not talk about any of the other applications in Final Cut Studio, but I have no doubt they'll be coming down the road to the app store (more on that later).

Professional or Prosumer?

This is the BIG question. Is FCPX enough for editing professionals, or is it a really cool prosumer NLE? We won't have that answer until it ships. I think that most Pros will buy it and try it, but they will not switch over to FCPX for a while. They'll stick with FCP7 or they will migrate to Avid or Adobe. Or perhaps Grass Valley Edius or Sony Vegas.

I am not a professional editor. I'm a prosumer editor. I make vacation, sports and event videos of my family and friends using professional tools. My biggest projects are the video montages I made for my children's Bar Mitzvahs. My editing ability is limited, but I have a lot of fun doing it, and I have a pretty good understanding of the technology and what goes into making it work. I've also gotten to use just about every version of editing software that has shipped over the last decade. I like the new Final Cut Pro X interface and I like the new tools. I think they will make editing easier and more efficient for me.

Check out the full article Videoguys Blog - Videoguys NAB2011 Report, Part I: Apple's Final Cut Pro X Sneak Peak ? More Than Meets the Eye (http://goo.gl/mHw7V)

Tons of links to other posts and videos about FCPX at teh end of the article.

I'd love to hear your feedback - especially from those of you who were at the
event.

Gary

Get an earfull here, Gary.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/final-cut-suite/494527-final-cut-x-announced-nab-3.html#post1640858

or here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/digital-video-industry-news/494501-thoughts-new-fcp-x-sneak-peek-7.html#post1640356

Gary,

As another Apple reseller, I was also at the SuperMeet and also impressed by the new Final Cut. And while I could see the writing on the wall as far as the download-only purchasing, I was a bit surprised dealers were not contacted about the changes to the channel. I'm still waiting, thinking there will be some option for us to resell and continue to partner with Apple on Final Cut sales.

As Apple continues to grow and change, it is not only impacting the design of their products, but also how they sell them, and the relationships they have with both customers and resellers.

Probably the only people more fanatic about Apple than the customers are the resellers, and while Apple has a mixed history of dealing with the reseller channel - somehow this turn of events has hit me close to the heart. I even found myself shooting off a short email to Steve Jobs in hopes of getting his take on how Apple views these changes in the dealer relationship. I'm sure the only value in this was therapeutic - much like this post.

I guess this goes to show how mixed a bag progress can be - I'm happy to see all the great advancements in the new Final Cut, but like many, I'm sad to see things I've known so well (features/relationships/etc.) discarded for lack of relevance anymore.

I hope this post doesn't read as a downer - it is really just an observation of the realities of this industry. There is an ongoing march of the commoditization of professional video products which changes the relationship between customer, reseller, and manufacturer. It is in every customer's best interest to recognize where they receive the most value for the money they spend on goods - and these changes have a tangible effect on the total value a reseller can deliver to a customer beyond the box.

Allan Barnwell
Omega Broadcast Group - Professional Video Sales, Rental & Services (http://www.omegabroadcast.com)

Allan, very well said. Not sure what if anything Apple will do for resellers.

I guess this opens up the door for Apple and Avid to win the hearts and minds of dealers.

We will see......

Gary

Aaaaand this continues on and on for pages at the following link:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/final-cut-suite/494501-thoughts-new-fcp-x-sneak-peek.html

See you there!