Final Cut Pro 5 vs Premiere Pro 2

[Daniel Cegla]

I heard that FCP was developed by developers who started on Premiere... and I know they are very similar in interface... however...

I am wondering what is the big difference between FCP & Premiere? Why do I hear so much about the industry standards being Final Cut & AVID, and very little mention of Adobe's Premiere Pro? What does Final Cut have that Premiere doesn't, and why is it an industry standard but Premiere is not?

[Steven Gotz]

I just answered part of this in your other thread.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=80649

The main difference is that FCP got way ahead of Premiere for a long time. But Premiere Pro is now a true competitor. PPro has been used to edit a theatrical release (Dust to Glory) and as part of the Matrox Axio is likely to be a big part of HD production.

If they offered FCP on a PC, I would still take the integration of PPro and After Effects and Audition over the FCP feature set.

[William Hohauser]

Adobe ignored any real developement of Premier for a very long time (it was the first really useful video editing application) and Apple had a real reason to create a viable low cost video program for the OS. Avid was the first professional desktop NLE system and is entrenched because of it. Only after abandoning the Mac did Adobe invest any R & D into Premier. Unfortunately, while the program has really made some great improvements, it's very late in the game for any particular NLE to overthrow anyone's market position without offering something really, really amazing.

At this point most professional NLE systems (Mac or PC) can create high-quality edits. It's what you like. Don't let OS bias cloud your judgement. First see which system fits most of your needs, then decide if the OS is a deciding factor. Most NLEs exist on top of the OS. In addition, you really shouldn't use your editing computer for more common computer needs (e-mail, web, etc.) unless economics are a factor.

[Daniel Cegla]

As a side question - why shouldn't you use your editing computer for other needs?

[Nick Weeks]

You really don't want to risk corrupting your system with viruses, malware, spyware etc. Being on the Internet, regardless whether you have antivirus software installed, you're still at risk for infection.

Truly, you should leave your editing computer completely offline and away from the net, but certain times you have to. I have mine connected to the Internet, but I try not to browse Web sites or download email on that computer. I use it only for uploading files to my Web site and installing updates.

[Tony Tremble]

The "don't use your NLE computer for anything else" was largely spread about by Avid. I was a long time Avid user and got pee-ed off with that type of nonsense. A well written piece of software should not come to its knees when someone has an email client open in the background!! The problem with Avid was it was tested on such a narrow set of PC configs and had very specific requirements for OS and driver versions it was impractical to use the PC for anything else. I regularly came up against graphics driver problems when using the PC for 3D animation and editing. Lightwave needed a later driver than Avid would work with!! PITA. There was also a Windows auto-update that crippled Xpress Pro that many users fell for. Stop auto updates if you are connected to the net and don't update software mid project or you could be in for some hair pulling.

I currently have Firefox, Mail, VLC, Motion and Shake open on my Mac and have no issues. The only issues with this approach is the amount of memory. More apps require more memory so don't stint yourself and everything will be fine.

I don't want to sound like a stereotypical Mac user when it comes to viruses and malware but the lack of them is a huge peace of mind. It is something to bear in mind if deciding which platform to choose for editing etc.

TT

[Boyd Ostroff]

When I was in the middle of a huge project a few years ago I just unplugged my Mac from the network because I didn't want to have even the slightest chance of something going wrong.

That was three years ago, and since then I've gotten more confident and I use the same machine for everything without problem. But the next time I get into something intense like that other project, I might very well go "unplugged" again. It's just one less thing to worry about...

[Ben Winter]

When I worked for a cable station over the summer, all their avid composer machines were hooked up to the net. None of them had ever had any problems.

Viruses can't simply plop themselves arbitrarily onto your computer. As long as you understand you really haven't won that free* PS3 there's no reason your computer can't stay adware- and spyware-free. I've had a simple antivirus program installed (NOD32) for years now on my machine and I've never had a single virus or adware pop up. Ever. That's not luck, that's simple common sense in action.

[Jason Lowe]

Originally Posted by Daniel Cegla

As a side question - why shouldn't you use your editing computer for other needs?

I think that both operating systems and editing software have matured enough that this is no longer an issue, but the old caveat of not upgrading your software (OS or program) in the middle of a project is still good advice.

[Cody Lucido]

For years the Premiere product was a clunky bug ridden nightmare that crashed more than it ran. Take a look at release 4 & 5. While Apple made the solid feature rich program Final Cut. As a professional it was obviously clear which was the better performer. Why do you think Adobe stopped making premiere for the MAC?

The years of use by professionals naturally made it an industry leader.

I have both FCP 5.1.2 and PPro 2. They are both on beefy computers.

I find FCP to be a smoother experience not requiring any 'conforming' of audio or video. PPro must realize the superiority of FCP as it allows you to (poorly) emualte the FCP GUI.

It really sucks because I would like to only need one platform, but unfortuantely PPro pales (still) in comparison to FCP. I own the Adobe Production Suite 2 and wish it had a better editor.

Adobe Encore on the other hand dwarfs the crappy DVD studio Pro.

Just my 2 cents.

[Mike Schrengohst]

Originally Posted by Cody Lucido

For years the Premiere product was a clunky bug ridden nightmare that crashed more than it ran. Take a look at release 4 & 5. While Apple made the solid feature rich program Final Cut. As a professional it was obviously clear which was the better performer. Why do you think Adobe stopped making premiere for the MAC?

The years of use by professionals naturally made it an industry leader.

I have both FCP 5.1.2 and PPro 2. They are both on beefy computers.

I find FCP to be a smoother experience not requiring any 'conforming' of audio or video. PPro must realize the superiority of FCP as it allows you to (poorly) emualte the FCP GUI.

It really sucks because I would like to only need one platform, but unfortuantely PPro pales (still) in comparison to FCP. I own the Adobe Production Suite 2 and wish it had a better editor.

Adobe Encore on the other hand dwarfs the crappy DVD studio Pro.

Just my 2 cents.

I spent big bucks on Adobe products and ran them on a certified vendors certified computer....I had the Matrox DigiSuite. I finally switched to Speed Razor for editing and Vegas for DVD....
This system was prone to crash - usually while a client was sitting with me.
That was years ago.....
I am now editing with FCP and I am getting ready to buy the fastest Intel MAC to run all of the Apple Apps.....
DVD Studio Pro IMHO blows Encore out of the water.....
DVD SP is built from the Spruce Technology Apple bought years ago.
I started with Spruce and still used it on the PC in lieu of Encore (which I tried on several PC's and always managed to crash everyone).
FCP is positioning itself to be the innovator in HD editing at affordable prices.
Everyday new visual effects plug-ins based on FxPlug are coming out that are affordable and bring FCP to another level.
(No I don't work for Apple)

[Nick Weeks]

Originally Posted by Ben Winter

Viruses can't simply plop themselves arbitrarily onto your computer. As long as you understand you really haven't won that free* PS3 there's no reason your computer can't stay adware- and spyware-free. I've had a simple antivirus program installed (NOD32) for years now on my machine and I've never had a single virus or adware pop up. Ever. That's not luck, that's simple common sense in action.

Actually Ben, virus can just "pop" onto your PC. Of course, that's if your Windows PC doesn't stay properly updated. As long as you're good about installing security updates, this won't be a terrible issue.

I work in the IT department of a large company, and back when the 'Blaster' virus came out, about 50-80 PCs were infected, and they were infected while the computer was just sitting idle. The Blaster virus spread so fast because it exploited a vulnerability in Windows, and the virus protection on these computer were maybe a day or two behind, which is normally acceptable, but not in this case. The viruses spread very rapidly and we actually had to stop communication among floors and to/from the internet to control it.

Since then, we've changed a lot of our policies, and virus definitions are updated daily, and critical updates released from Microsoft are deployed within 24 hours of a release, and we haven't had problems since. Also, Microsoft has helped secure vulnerabilities like this, so it's a very rare occasion, but it can happen.

Bottom line: it's very much possible to get a virus without opening a file, or clicking a popup, etc.... especially if you don't keep your computer updated with security patches. I'm also on a mac for editing, so I don't have to worry about such things, but I still try to keep as much Internet browsing and such to a minimum. Now ad-aware is another story... that's just lack of common sense :)

[Nick Weeks]

Originally Posted by Mike Schrengohst

DVD Studio Pro IMHO blows Encore out of the water.....

I agree completely. I used Encore DVD 1 and 2 pretty extensively before switching to a Mac, and I was amazed at the capabilities and stability of DVD SP as opposed to Encore. Not to mention its very easy to use, even if you have little knowledge in DVD authoring you can pick up on fundamentals quickly.

[Tony Tremble]

Let me add another vote for DVD SP.

It has grown up a lot since I used it way back 5 years ago or something like that. I was blown away by the simplicity and power. At the time there was nothing like it on the PC at all unless you count Scenarist which not everyone could afford!! :)

I found DVD Lab Pro to be an excellent piece of software for the PC. Not in DVD SP's class but nevertheless still very good.

TT

[Tony Tremble]

Originally Posted by Mike Schrengohst

Everyday new visual effects plug-ins based on FxPlug are coming out that are affordable and bring FCP to another level.
(No I don't work for Apple)

Indeed!

FXPlug is a glipse of the future of FCS. Just look at what DVGarage's Conduit offers. Realtime nodal compositing inside FCP for only $149. Huge functionality increase at a bargain price.

I'd better stop I'm beginning to get a smug feeling...

:)

TT