By Carolyn Giardina
Apple previewed its soon to be released Final Cut Pro nonlinear editing system version 5.1.2 at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), which concluded in Amsterdam earlier this week. (Full show coverage will appear in next week’s SHOOT).
Compatibility is a big focal point in this release–compatibility with additional formats and compatibility with the new Apple Mac Pro, which includes real time profiling, taking advantage of the dual core processors in the new Mac Pro. Version 5.1.2. also addresses compatibility with third-party PCIe cards on the Mac Pro, from manufacturers such as AJA Video and Blackmagic.
Available as a free software update for registered owners of version 5.1, Apple reported that its new version would include native support for HDV 720p/25 and 720p/24 editing, as delivered by JVC’s ProHD camcorders. Apple explained that “native editing” means that the video is transferred directly into Final Cut Pro from the source without any changes, so that the video is edited in the same camera-original format that was shot and stored on the tape.
Important particularly in the European market, Apple is also adding 25p support for Panasonic’s new P2 format. And, Final Cut version 5.1.2 addresses compatibility with Sony’s new XDCAM format, with variable bit rate settings at 18 and 35 Mb/s.
Final Cut Pro is a part of the Final Cut Studio package, which also includes: Motion for graphics and animation, Soundtrack Pro for audio sweetening, DVD Studio Pro for SD and HD disc authoring, and Compressor for high-performance encoding and format conversions. Final Cut Studio 5.1 is universal, meaning that it will run on both legacy PowerPC hardware and the new Intel-based systems from Apple.
Apple also used IBC as a platform to remind customers that two Final Cut Studio programs will be discontinued by the end of the year: Universal Crossgrade, a promotion designed to enable customers who own a current PowerPC version of one of the Final Cut Studio products to “crossgrade” to the Universal version; and the Final Cut Studio Upgrade, a promotion to bring customers with standalone applications to the Final Cut Studio package.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads โ essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More