FCS license question! at DVinfo.net

Darren Ruddock · November 21st, 2008, 04:51 AM

Hello,

I have just strated a small video production business with a friend of mine. We have purchased a Mac Pro each that are not on a network but will be connected at different locations to the internet.

I have looked at Final Cut Studio 2 but it appears that you can only buy a 5 seat license. Does this mean we have to buy 2 copies of FCS??

This seems a tad extreme!

Many thanks

Darren

Martin Mayer · November 21st, 2008, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren Ruddock

This seems a tad extreme!

Not to me. You had to buy two Macs ('cos you can't pirate/sorry/copy them) so you'll have to buy two copies of FCS. What did you expect?

You might find a retailer who'll give you a discount if you buy two copies at once - or if you bought two copies at the time you bought the Macs - after all it's a lot of money.

Mike Barber · November 26th, 2008, 07:27 PM

Greetings Darren,

Let me ask you this: do both of you need the entire Studio, or would your workflow suite a set-up where one has FCS and one has FCE? I don't know what your workflow looks like, so this may be the wrong way to go, but wanted to offer an alternative as food for thought.

Noah Kadner · November 27th, 2008, 01:00 AM

FCE and FCS are really not compatible as workflow solutions as they cannot easily share projects. FCE is just not something you put into a multi-user pro edit house, unless that house is doing all HDV and DV work with no DVD authoring or high-end color correction. If you want to be above board you pretty much have to buy two licenses- that's how it works.

-Noah

Mike Barber · November 27th, 2008, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noah Kadner

FCE and FCS are really not compatible as workflow solutions as they cannot easily share projects.

I haven't touched FCE since v1, so I am not up to speed on FCE features... but if it imports/exports EDLs, then it is a possible workflow. Certainly not ideal, and I wouldn't want to work that way, but I'm not the one looking to avoid buy an additional license.

I read the OP as there being just two people involved and that a 5-seat license was exorbitant (and a waste of three seats) but so was -- to the OP -- buying another FCS license.

Noah Kadner · November 30th, 2008, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Barber

I haven't touched FCE since v1, so I am not up to speed on FCE features... but if it imports/exports EDLs, then it is a possible workflow. Certainly not ideal, and I wouldn't want to work that way, but I'm not the one looking to avoid buy an additional license.

I read the OP as there being just two people involved and that a 5-seat license was exorbitant (and a waste of three seats) but so was -- to the OP -- buying another FCS license.

Nope- you cannot exchange EDLs with FCE plus it doesn't support many of the frame rates, resolutions and codecs FCP does. FCE is a great program- but as a junior version of FCP it's of very limited utility alongside FCP in the same edit facility. Unless you're working in DV or HDV- and even then you're missing a lot of stuff. A pro house should pony up for the pro apps for all its workstations.

Noah

David W. Jones · December 1st, 2008, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noah Kadner

A pro house should pony up for the pro apps for all its workstations.

Noah

Agreed!

Imagine a delivery service with 12 drivers but only one delivery van.

November 21st, 2008, 04:51 AM	#1
Darren Ruddock Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 165	FCS license question! Hello, I have just strated a small video production business with a friend of mine. We have purchased a Mac Pro each that are not on a network but will be connected at different locations to the internet. I have looked at Final Cut Studio 2 but it appears that you can only buy a 5 seat license. Does this mean we have to buy 2 copies of FCS?? This seems a tad extreme! Many thanks Darren

November 26th, 2008, 07:27 PM	#3
Mike Barber Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Toronto ON Canada Posts: 731	Greetings Darren, Let me ask you this: do both of you need the entire Studio, or would your workflow suite a set-up where one has FCS and one has FCE? I don't know what your workflow looks like, so this may be the wrong way to go, but wanted to offer an alternative as food for thought. __________________ Mike Barber "I'm laughing to stop myself from screaming."

November 27th, 2008, 01:00 AM	#4
Noah Kadner Better than Halle Berry Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 435	FCE and FCS are really not compatible as workflow solutions as they cannot easily share projects. FCE is just not something you put into a multi-user pro edit house, unless that house is doing all HDV and DV work with no DVD authoring or high-end color correction. If you want to be above board you pretty much have to buy two licenses- that's how it works. -Noah