Entered CNET Catalog: 01/14/2005
SKU: M9732Z/A
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Manufacturer description
Take your filmmaking to the next stage with Final Cut Express HD. Along with powerful DV editing tools, Final Cut Express HD now offers high-definition video (HDV) capability to beginners and experienced editors alike. And full versions of LiveType and Soundtrack let you create animated graphics, text effects and custom soundtracks. Whether you want to make sophisticated home movies complete with transitions and effects or pro-level videos for your business, Final Cut Express HD provides the compositing, titling and effects capabilities you need to express your creativity. As a full-featured package, Final Cut Express HD offers an unparalleled combination of power and affordability. Insert, overwrite, replace or fit to fill clips into your sequence by dragging them directly into the Canvas or Timeline. Use precision tools and techniques like slip, slide, ripple, roll, split and extend. The flexible interface lets you move seamlessly between editing, compositing and effects functions. Final Cut Express HD also features dynamic and asymmetrical trimming. With dynamic trimming, you can now edit in the Trim Edit window using the J-, K- and L-keys. Edit points automatically follow the position of the playhead. And with its asymmetrical trimming capability, Final Cut Express HD allows you to edit video and audio items in the Timeline separately to create split edits, adding to the sophistication of your projects. With Final Cut Express, you have hundreds of transitions, filters and effects to choose from to enhance your video project. And in most cases, you don't even need to wait to see what they'll look like. The RT Extreme engine in Final Cut Express HD lets you preview effects and transitions in real time without rendering - saving you precious time. Achieve impressive results by layering video clips or graphics files, such as multilayered Adobe Photoshop files, to create rich visual images and animations. Then refine your effects with Bezier curves, motion paths, time effects, frame blending and more. Final Cut Express now features LiveType, a full-featured, professional-quality animated titling program. Create eye-popping titles using exclusive LiveFont animated font technology, as well as an extensive library of textures, templates and effects. Final Cut Express also includes 2D and 3D text tools with the bundled Boris Calligraphy. Create custom musical accompaniment for your Final Cut Express HD video projects with Soundtrack, even if you have no musical experience. Export your Final Cut Express HD project with scoring markers and Soundtrack's easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface. Then choose from thousands of included professionally recorded instrument loops and sound effects, and combine and customize these loops in real time. By adding Soundtrack to your editing toolset, you can compose the perfect score for your video, DVD, web site or presentation. Final Cut Express HD lets you mix up to 99 audio tracks using pans, levels and the three-band equalizer. Further enhance your audio with transitions and filters such as cross fades, reverb, EQ, echo, noise gate and more. For documentary-style projects, use the VoiceOver tool to record narration into an audio track while your video plays.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/25/2005
Upside: Final Cut Express HD comes loaded with many extras, including nondestructive drag-and-drop editing (meaning the original clip is not altered during the edit), multiple undos, compositing, limited keyframing, support for Adobe After Effects and LiveType title animation tools, alpha channel support, and support for High-Definition Video (HDV). It also comes with professional tools such as razor blade, named after the sharp-edged old-school celluloid editing tool, and a good set of transitions that you can preview in real time. The interface is clean, comprehensible, and not at all dumbed down. In addition, Apple provides an easy upgrade route from Express to the Pro edition so that you don't have to relearn everything if you decide to buy the big guns.
Downside: Final Cut Express HD and Final Cut Pro HD don't always process tasks the way other Mac OS X applications do, so Final Cut Express HD may bog down all but the most powerful computers when working on complex projects. And Final Cut Express HD doesn't support all video formats (for example, Express doesn't work with uncompressed 8- and 10-bit video), doesn't edit to tape, doesn't do batch capture or export, and doesn't have some advanced color-correction features. While these are key capabilities to professionals, amateurs probably won't miss them.
Outlook: No other application at this price level works with HDV, making Final Cut Express HD the first prosumer application to make the leap to the high-quality standard. If you're operating on a tight budget, we predict it'll be a great deal. Check back soon for our full review.
