Final Cut Express 4 what's your feedback?

Ok, it just came out today, with AVCHD support! Please report your experiences.

There are less LiveType goodies, compared to FCE 3.0 and 3.5. We had a few DVDs to carry all the goodies—now we've just got one DVD. If this is your first version of FCE, you won't enjoy a lot of the LiveType media that previous versions had. But if you are upgrading, you can still install the LiveType media from your previous version disks, then go into LiveType's preferences and add the data from the old version.
I like the new version of FCE, but I did notice a few shortcuts (things on the right-click menu) that were not longer there. They are still there, but just need to be accessed differently (keyboard shortcut instead of right-click, that sort of thing). It kind of messes up my workflow and I fail to see why Apple had to change this. But, since the features are not actually gone, it's not a huge issue for me. I just don't understand the need for a change in that regard.

Similar Messages

  • Final Cut Express (What Version should i purchase?)

    Sorry but i am a little confused. I see that there is a Final Cut Express and Final Cut Express HD what's the difference? I just need to do a little video editing at the lowest cost possible. With either of these versions do i need a certain graphics card or hardware to run one of these? and also what's the latest version out?
    I already got my videos on the computer in mpeg format, will i be able to load them into Final Cut Express or will i have to convert them?
    Thank you

    FCE HD v3.5 is the current version. That's the version you need for your Intel based iMac. Check the Apple website for complete specs.
    Final Cut Express refers to versions 1 & 2. Final Cut Express HD refers to versions 3 & 3.5. With each release there are more features but the main difference in the HD versions is that that Apple added HD video capability to the product. Version 3.5 is the universal binary version and is what you need if you have an Intel-based Mac.
    FCE does not edit MPEG video. You will need to convert to DV, most people have found MPEG Streamclip very useful. You may also need the QT MPEG2 Playback Component.

  • Can't move a soundtrack file into Final Cut Express

    I most likely doing something wrong. Who can give me directions for importing a Soundtrack file into Final Cut Express.

    What I do Les is go to Share in Sound Track then ...Share to iTunes. Then I go to iTunes and drag it to the desk top then import via FC. There maybe is an easier way but I don't know it.

  • Does anyone know if I can upload from a Sonydcr-sr42 to final cut express?

    Does anyone know if I can upload from a Sony DCR-SR42 to final cut express?

    No.
    Your camera records in MPEG-2.
    This format will have to be converted to one of the codecs FCE can use.
    DV, HDV or AIC.
    I's suggest converting using Streamclip from Squared 5 using Quicktime DV.
    Al

  • Final Cut Express HD Shutdown Problem!

    I duno why when I open up the program, it loads, and after awhile, it was shut down and there is nothing on the finder. Please help! I have assignment to catch up!
    Tried reinstalling it but to no avail.

    These are the only files you need to delete:
    Location and File or Folder to Delete.
    HD/Applications
    Final Cut Express
    HD/Library/Application Support
    BorisFX
    Boris FX
    Final Cut Express Support
    HD/Library/Application Support/ProApps
    Final Cut Express System ID
    HD/Library/Preferences/
    com.apple.RegFinalCutExpress.plist
    HD/Library/QuickTime/
    AppleIntermediateCodec.component
    DesktopVideoOut.component
    FCP Uncompressed 422.component
    HD/Library/Receipts/
    AppleIntermediateCodec.pkg
    FinalCutExpress.pkg
    FinalCutPro.pkg
    ProRuntime.pkg
    Users(Your name)/Documents/
    Final Cut Express Documents
    Users(Your name)/Library/Preferences/
    com.apple.FinalCutExpress.plist
    Final Cut Express User Data

  • Final Cut Express keeps wanting to rename my project

    I've been working on a video in Final Cut Express 3.5.1 for weeks. Now I keep getting a message on the screen that says "Final Cut Express cannot autosave your project unless you save it first. Would you like to save it now?"
    If I hit the yes button, it brings up a save box that says "Untitled" and wants me to give the project a new name and a place to save it. How can I make the autosave feature recognize that this is already a named project, and it can be autosaved without renaming it?
    Tom

    Did a bit of research here. In Tom Wolsky's tutorial book on Final Cut Express 2, on p. 125, his solution to avoiding losing your Favorites bin is to just drag it from the Effects panel into the Browser. He says that this copy in the Browser will remain with the project even if the prefs get trashed.
    He also agrees that a Favorites project should be created in which you keep a bin containing all your favorite effects and filters, sometimes in stacks in separate folders.
    Then when you want to use these effects elsewhere, you can just drag them from your Favorites project into any other project.
    He says you should also burn a backup of this Favorites project to a CD occasionally to ensure you never lose it.
    Tom B.

  • I have been creating a film on Final Cut Express and half of my film has disappeared- what can I do to retrieve it back!?

    I have been creating a film on Final Cut Express and half of my film has disappeared! What can I do to retrieve it?! Furthermore, command Z doesn't appear to be working! Any help would be much appreciated!

    Check the capture/scratch disc to make sure the media is still there.  If it isn't your hard drive may be going bad.  If it is, then you may have inadvertently cut part of the video from the Timeline or deleted it from the Browser.
    As for the Command z issue, see how many levels of undo you have set in FCE preferences.  Also keep in mind that Command z will not work if you close the project and reopen it.
    -DH

  • I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD.

    I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD. Also, I can not afford an expensive camera and need some advice on which of the available cameras would be best and also work well with a Mac. One last issue, I currently use a Panasonic #CCD camera that takes a tape. When I load video to Final Cut the audio and video are out of sinc. Go figure. Can anyone help with these questions. Karen

    Hello Karen,
    If you are using Final Cut Express, then look for camcorders that are AVCHD camcorders.  Look especially for the AVCHD logo and specific mention of AVCHD in the specs.  Most of the major manufacturers produce good quality camdcorders - Canon, Sony, etc.
    Also, be aware that there are a lot of "not quite AVCHD" camcorders on the market (sometimes they say they record video as MPEG4-H.264/AVC) - buyer beware!
    Most everything you are going to find on the market today is HD, which stands for "high-def".
    Regarding your question about the Panasonic camcorder, it's best if you post that as a separate question, and please identify the specific model camcorder and the Easy Setup you are using in FCE.

  • What are the best data and bit rate setting for uploading from final cut express to Youtube?

    Can anyone suggest the best data rate and bit rate presets for uploading footage from final cut express 4 to Youtube? What settings will provide the best resolution, quality, and match the current youtube requirements?
    Thank you in advance for your help,
    Susan Kayne

    It depends on whether you are using aspect ratios of 4:3 or 16:9.
    Below is some simple guidance that will provide good quality with reasonably small file sizes.
    The first part is for 4:3 video:-
    1. File>Export Using QT Conversion.
    2. The "Format" window should say, "QT Movie".
    3. In "Use" select "LAN/Intranet" from the dropdown menu.
    4. Click "Save" and when it has finished encoding, upload it to YouTube.
    If you are making 16:9 video (Standard or High Definition) do steps 1 to 3 above.
    Then when you have selected "LAN/Intranet" press the "Options" button and in the new
    window that opens press the  "Size"  button and change the  "640x480" to  "853x480"
    To do this you will have to click on the  640x480 and a dropdown menu appears.
    Select "Custom" from  the bottom of the menu and in the window that opens
    you will see 2 boxes.
    Put  853  in the first box and  480  in the second.
    Click OK.
    Then Save it.

  • What's the deal with Final Cut Express HD and me?

    A few months ago, I encountered a lot of problems when I was trying to capture some HD video using Final Cut Express H.D. I've set my camera (a JVC GR-HD1U) to the MPEG2 setting, and I changed the set up in Final Cut to Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i60. The good news is that I was able to capture for about 15 seconds. Then the capture stops, and a message comes up telling me that I have reached the end of the tape. Only I haven't.
    So.....what's the deal here?
    Is there something that I am overlooking, or doing wrong? Or is it just not meant to be for me to capture HD Video?
    If someone could let me know, I would appreciate it.
    Thanks everyone.

    Am I right in thinking this camera isn't compatible/on the supported list? Does it work with iMovie? Perhaps you could capture there and import into FCE?
    I see in your earlier post Manson Root had captured from this camera successfully. Perhaps they will reply again.

  • What setting is the best for exporting Final Cut Express HD

    I am new to final cut express HD. I have worked with iMovie and it was very easy to work with and exporting the movie was not too difficult.
    I am curious as to what setting should I set to to export a movie file from final cut express HD. I've exported a short quicktime movie clip but it doesn't look as sharp. Could someone help me.

    For DVD, export as Quicktime Movie NOT Quicktime Conversion.
    You can drop the resulting QT file into iDVD or into Compressor if you are using DVD Studio Pro.
    If you have chapter markers, make sure to select Chapter Markers in the export submenu.
    Bear in mind that iDVD has a limitation of two hours; even if your movie is exactly two hours you will run into probs cause iDVD counts its menus, themes etc as part of that total running time.

  • What's involved with upgrading to Final Cut Express HD?

    I was just wondering what is involved with upgrading to High Definition. My current computer is a PowerBook G4 and I did not know if this would support the HD. What percentage of users are still using the regular and what percent have upgraded to HD.
    I figured that when I buy a new Mac I would upgrade the HD, but until that point I'd stick with the regular resolution. I would need to buy a new HD video camera too.
    Thanks for any thoughts!

    Hi(Bonjour)!
    FCE HD (3.0 and 3.5) is not only for HD editing, it's the new name for Final Cut Express since version 3.0, and you can edit in HDV or SD with the same product.
    HDV is pretty demanding on computer power, RAM and storage.
    Altough a G4 1,0 GHz meets the minimun requirements to do HDV, pay attention to video card itself. See spec section for FCE HD:
    "Macintosh computer with 500MHz or faster PowerPC G4 or G5 (550MHz for PowerBook G4) or Intel Core Duo
    512MB RAM
    Display with 1024-by-768 (or higher) resolution
    An AGP or PCI Express graphics card compatible with Quartz Extreme or an Intel GMA integrated graphics processor in MacBook or Mac mini
    Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later
    QuickTime 7.0.4 or later
    HDV features require 1GHz or faster processor and 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
    500MB disk space required for applications; additional 16GB of additional storage space for Soundtrack and LiveType content (can be installed on separate disks)
    DVD drive for software installation"
    A big monitor is also a good idea (kind of one to one pixel at displaying video:the 23" Apple cinema HD display 1920 X 1200 pixels or greater).
    Think about an external hard drive to store your captured media.
    In the camcorders line-up, it's better to choose a tape recording based one (no hard disk, nor DVD nor media card recorder), because FCE HD allows capture directly from a such camcorder (altough it's possible to download from other sources and convert your material to something that FCE can handles without rendering. A 3 CDD one is better (I own the fabulous FX-1). Many HDV camcorders allows down conversion directly from capturing process: so we can edit in SD format with the same material.
    Currently, HDV can be edited on FCE HD, but you will have to print to tape your edited HDV content to keep it in HDV format. You cannot burn HDV or blue-ray DVD ( aka high definition DVD) from iDVD 6 and watch it on a HD TV set.
    There are some HD DVD burners around the corner ($$$ to buy and blank DVDs are not cheap) but the choice of software is very limited.
    HDV is simply ashtoning to watch on HD tv set and it's the future.
    I think you can count on an instant 200$ rebate if you buy a new mac and FCE HD on apple store:
    http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=37C 4CB71&nclm=Moviedeal
    Good luck.
    Michel Boissonneault

  • What software will convert .MTS files to something that will open in Final Cut Express?

    I need a reccomendation for a software that will convert .MTS file to a file type that Final Cut Express HD will recognize.

    Thanks for your reply, Martin.
    What I'm doing is converting an .MTS file to .mp4 using HandBrake. FinalCut Express opens the .mp4 files (sometimes) but they have pixellation with huge squares all over the screen. I'm guessing it has to do with keyframes. So that's why I'm trying to convert it. When I open the .mp4 file in QuickTime in order to Export as QuickTime Movie I select these options for AIC:
    This is what the QT Inspector window shows for each:
    mp4 file
    mov file
    Format
    MPEG-4(Perian), 1920x1080, MIllions, AAC, Stereo (LR), 48,000 kHz
    16-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo (LR), 48,000 kHz, Apple Intermediate Codec, 1440x1080 (1888x1062), Millions
    FPS
    29.97
    30.33
    Normal Size
    1920 x 1080 pixels
    1888x1062 pixels
    The problem is, I'm only guessing which settings to use. Is there information somewhere that spells that out? Should I be doing something different when I convert the .MTS file in the first place?

  • What video formats does Final Cut Express support?

    I have Final Cut Express HD 3.5. What video formats are compatible with this program? Also, what frame rate and aspect ratio do my videos have to be in for Express to accept the video file?

    Good of you to have read the manual. It helps us answer the question now that you've included that information.
    Your material must be converted to either DV, HDV or AIC (FCE Native formats). As you have discovered, while FCE will accept a number of non-standard or native formats, it will not play happily with them.
    DV and HDV are anamorphic formats. That is, they use non-square pixels. Standard DV is 720x480 (a 3:2 ratio) that FCE will do the conversion magic and have is display in a 4:3 format. Widescreen DV (aka 16:9) is ALSO 720x480 but the narrow dimension of the pixel is oriented the other way. When you tell FCE that the file is 16:9 anamorphic, it will do the magic and display the material properly. If you do not, it will display as though it is standard definition 4:3 and the people will be much skinnier but not taller.
    HDV is 1440x720 but displays in 16:9.
    AIC can be 1280x720 or 1980x1080.
    All other dimensions are not supported and you may have very unreliable results when using them. This very limited abiltiy to deal with more than a couple of formats was one of the main differentiation points between Express and Final Cut Pro. There were a great number of other differences but this was one of the biggest limitations for most consumer level users.
    If you want to edit a lot of non-standard,  non-native formats, look into Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere Pro. Premiere Pro is within the editing paradigm of Final Cut Pro/Express. Final Cut Pro X has gone in a different direction which involves a new learning curve. Don't be fooled by the name, it is a very different animal than Express.
    x

  • I had final cut express 4 already installed on my new macbook but can't open it because it is asking for my serial number which is on the disc. I've put it in with and without dashes and dots and it won't accept it. What do I do?

    I had final cut express 4 already installed on my new macbook pro at the shop but I'm trying to open it up and it wants my serial number. I've typed in the number on the disc labelled 'product serial number' but it won't accept it. The number has lots of dots and dashes in it and I've tried typing these as well, but to no avail. What can I do?

    You do need the dashes.
    Also double check that O & 0, I & 1 are not being confused.
    The serial no. pretty much follows a three numbers then three letters approach.
    Al

  • What is the easiest way to convert .MTS files for use in Final Cut Express

    I initially downloaded my Sony Alpha7 files into iMovie. As the production requires a little more professional software I then tried to import files into Final Cut Express. As these are now .MTS files what is the easiest way of converting them?

    Hey Martin et al,
    Related question...
    After you convert files from M2TS or MP4 into something usable in FCE can you trash the original M2ts/mp4 files ?
    I recently used Mpeg Streamclip to convert Mp4 into AIC for FCE for example..
    Is there a general rule of when you have to save original files so everything works in FCE?
    I'm running out of HD space.
    Thanks a lot,
    Al

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