Final Cut Pro X vs Vegas 10 features

[Magnus Helander]

FCPx has been released. From initial comments i gather that
- new feature "Magnetic Timeline" means that audio stays in sync with video when you move the clip around.
- Media management is outstanding,and audio files in media library are rendered as waveform thumbnails
- It is not compatible with FCP Server, which has reached end of life, and apple is stopping FCP7 support
- FCPx is not backwards compatible with FCP, can not open FCP projects
- Does not use QT libraries/tech
- No multicam
- No external broadcast grade monitoring
- Obviously not ready for professional production yet
- The release notes are... well... concise... Final Cut Pro X: Release notes

I'm still with Vegas, but I am not happy about missing GPU-accelerated preview at full framerate. It appears that FCPx and PPro both has this now. I'm building a SandyBridge system at work over the summer, apparently this will take care of any performance issues related to playback. We'll see..

[Mike Kujbida]

Here are three more "features" to add to that list.
1) No tape capture support
2) Discontinuing DVD authoring support
3) No 3rd-Party Hardware Support

Thanks but I'll stick with Vegas.

[Daniel Trout]

Originally Posted by Mike Kujbida

Here are three more "features" to add to that list.
1) No tape capture support
2) Discontinuing DVD authoring support
3) No 3rd-Party Hardware Support

Thanks but I'll stick with Vegas.

1) FCPX does support capture from tape, so DV, HDV, DVCPro etc. still ingest. But at this point there is no "Lay Back To Tape" with Timecode option with either FireWire or RS422

2) Both the new Final Cut and Compressor support burning to SD, BluRay, and AVCHD disc.

3) This is a major problem at this point. But, Apple has stated multiple times to multiple people that they are planning some rapid updates based upon the customer feedback they're already receiving. I have no doubt that if nothing else, AJA and their installed customer base will pressure Apple.

Everything that I've just stated is right on the Final Cut Pro X section of Apple's site, and the help files are available at: http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.0/

Let me say that I haven't dowloaded FCPX yet, nor do I plan to for a good long while. I'd rather let others beta test it, (and from the sounds of it, it ain't far from that right now.)

Let me also say that aside from everyone's reported problems, I also have a great number of issues with some factors built into it, (the major one, that it is not compatible with Final Cut Pro 7 project files. "Blah Blah, ground up rebuild...Blah Blah 64 bit architecture...blah blah new edit workflow paradigm." If you've reinvented the wheel so much that the new version can't even recognize files generated by the SUPPOSED same software released only 2 years prior, then call it something else, because it ain't Final Cut Pro!)

Have no issues with Sony Vegas, and if you're comfortable and happy with Vegas, for God's sake, stick with it. I've seen some amazing material produced with it. But I did want to correct the above for errors.

If you're going to talk trash about it, talk trash about the FACTS, not misinformation. There's currently PLENTY of facts to talk trash about! ;)

[Paul Cascio]

I'm a Vegas user who's very excited abou X. It's certainly a lot more Vegas-like. It's also got some great featuers, such as color matching.

Best of all, it's fun to hear all the old Final Cut users whining about Apple abandoning them.

[John Cline]

Apple has a long and shameless history of rendering previous generation hardware and software instantly obsolete.

[Magnus Helander]

It amazes me what Apple can get away with. The iPhone initially..
- had no multitasking
- had no MMS
- had very short battery life, most iPhone users in the office were attached to their chargers

and users still went into religious frenzy about the device and the brand. I think the Apple does a great job, the MacBook Air is an engineering masterpiece, OS X has a wonderful user interface - easy to use and powerful at the same time, the iLife collection makes it possible for non-technical users to do fantastic stuff.
The first time I edited digital video was on a Mac Quadra AV on Premiere 1.0

They really trust the cult brand when they force users over to the new version of FCPx by killing support and making the users push/flame hardware vendors to provide drivers and integration. Without backward compatibility. Impressive it is.

[Paul Fierlinger]

Here's testimony from real pros:
Video: Conan O?Brien Lampoons Final Cut Pro ?Ex? | Mac|Life

[Mike Kujbida]

The list of things that have been removed from FCP X shows up at the end of the clip.

[Gerald Webb]

Wow! the video has been removed, lol.
If anyone has an alternative link........

I just got this in my emails,
Apple Final Cut Pro Owners Save $300 on Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium at Videoguys.com
I can imagine the Adobe guys may have been a little nervous the last few months with all the hype over the new FCP, now with everyone smashing it, they're throwing a party.
Great marketing timing, forums all over the net have the FCP people slitting their wrists, now they have some retail therapy available to them.

[Mike Kujbida]

Originally Posted by Gerald Webb

Wow! the video has been removed, lol.
If anyone has an alternative link........

Conan O'Brien Editors: Apple Final Cut Pro X Is Easy To Use

[Gerald Webb]

Thanx Mike,
Every time there is a discussion about editing on the net, it goes the same way.......
about 5 posts go by, then someone says "I'll stick with Sony Vegas thanks".
And it turns into a Vegas bash. The funny thing is, the people doing the bashing are self confessed "non Vegas users". ie. "Ive used FCP since version 1".
Too funny.

[Gene Gajewski]

Well, the Conan clip was funny.

As far as disapointment among FCP users, well, Apple is victim of it's own marketing hype. I mean, if you set yourself up to be the Second Coming of Christ, well, that's a mighty high pedestal to fall off of.

Apple is stuck on bringing new products to market - NEW is the emphasis. There's nothing wrong with that. But, when dealing with an existing market, new had better equate to 'better', not just merely different. I get the feeling that sometimes, Mac products are simply 'different'.

[Leslie Wand]

'Mac products are simply 'different'.'

without being rude, so are mac people.

i have used both platforms professionally in the past, and the tools i worked with did their job. but for my own use i use vegas, just as i know mac people who use fcp for their own use. but what gets me is that while i can fault vegas and win 7 (bit difficult nowadays mind you), they can't fault either mac or fcp. it's a sort of apple indoctrinated view that their equipment and mind set is vastly superior to ANY pc user.

however, when my wife (a computer agnostic) complains about the piss-poor image viewing facilities in mac, and literally shows them explorer's various viewing modes (thumb, filmstrip, etc.,), they either can't believe that it's simply built in to the os, or, grudgingly tell her that there's probably an app for that ;-)

[Gene Gajewski]

"but what gets me is that while i can fault vegas and win 7 (bit difficult nowadays mind you), they can't fault either mac or fcp. it's a sort of apple indoctrinated view that their equipment and mind set is vastly superior to ANY pc user."

Good choice of words - you get it.

This is exactly the attitude and mindset that Apple tries (quite successfully) to inculcate into their users. It's more about the user feeling that they're special while actively ignoring just what it is that is supposedlly special about the product(s) that makes them feel that way. Meanwhile, these same people are spending wads of cash downloading trifles for their iphones and ipads. Fine - I mean if you've got money to blow, go for it, but there's nothing superior about that.

There's not a whole lot that can be done about it - that kind of mental dichotomy. But, there's no need to put up with it. Sarcasm works quite well.

[John Peterson]

Vegas might get a boost on FCP if it were cross platform (PC and MAC).

What do you think?

John