Final Cut Studio 2 is on its way
 

Final Cut Studio 2 is on its way. The 499 dollar update includes: Final Cut Pro 6, Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, DVD Studio Pro 4 and Color — a brand-new application for professional colour grading

FCP6 brings a new high quality HD codec: ProRes 422. One can drag clips with different formats and even different frame rates into the new open format timeline. Also better support for XDCAM HD footage.

Find out for yourself at http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/

What way is it better for XDCAM HD?

In FCP6, XDCAM HD 18/25/35 are fully paid up members of the "camera - native" club, which means you'll be able to mix them in an "Open Format Timeline" along with DV, DVCPRO, DVCAM, HDV, DVCPRO 50, IMX, DVCPRO HD, Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit SD and Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit HD ... all in real-time, without transcoding.

Not too shabby for our venerable FCP.

Also XDCAM Transfer 2.0 will improve things workflow wise, adding ...

"... the following new features: clip rename and deletion, quick thumbnail load, metadata editing, connect multiple XDCAM devices via FAM, import with 'Disc Name + Clip Name', improve performance of partial HD clip import, cliplist preview and import partial HR clip, support for PDW-U1 bare drive. The transfer speeds are going to be faster too. This is because proxies are currently cached and are not accessed directly from the disc. With the new PDZK-P1 software the proxies will be accessed directly from disc so overall transfer/import times will be much quicker."

Has anyone been the the Apple booth at NAB to confirm if FCP 6
has / does full support of HD XDCAM Proxies?

I don't think it offers proxy support yet which is a shame, but I'm sure it will come.

What about support for XDCAM Proxies in FC Server? That is where I really want XDCAM proxy support.

Apple's site says:

Tapeless formats
It’s easy to work with the latest high-speed, tapeless devices from Panasonic and Sony. Use the Log and Transfer function in Final Cut Pro for ingesting Panasonic P2 files or Sony’s free XDCAM Transfer software for ingesting 18-, 25-, and 35-Mbps XDCAM HD footage. Preview shots before you bring them in, add In and Out points, and incorporate metadata before you transfer files to save time when you get to the edit. Ingest tapeless files in the background at high speeds while you continue to edit or preview other material.

I can't figure out FCP has a better ingest function inside the program or do they talk about XDCAM Transfer to do the job?

>I can't figure out FCP has a better ingest function inside the program or do they talk about XDCAM Transfer to do the job?

They're talking about XDCAM Tranfer ... FCP's built in MXF import module is for P2 ingest

Edius Broadcast from Grass Valley < Canopus > works and play well with all
flavors/fomats including XDCAM HD on the same TL.
Also works with proxies too.
It's a great editing app, with a free trial to check out.

It certainly does work, and the 4.5 update is much anticipated ... but "great editing app" ? I think that depends on your point of reference. My first NLE's were Lightworks and Heavyworks, then I moved to Avid MC's and thence to FCP and back and forth. Now my job requires I use Edius. Its painful at best.