Final Cut Comparisons

Lanz

I'll be quick and to the point: I'm going to be upgrading to a mac in the near future and plan to do a lot of video editing on the system. Except for one thing: What version of Final Cut do I go for.

Until now, I only knew of Final Cut Express and Final Cut Studio (the latter of which I use at a weekly internship). But, as I go looking around for pricing deals on Amazon and such, I stumble across what Apple calls "Final Cut Studio Upgrade"

"Oh, an upgrade set," I figure. But, being curious and noticing it's sub $300 price tag on Amazon, I go to look at it out of idle curiousity, figuring that It'd still need the $800-nearly $1000 Final Cut Studio.

Except I read this:

Edit, animate, mix, grade, and deliver on a Mac with Final Cut Studio. It includes more than 100 powerful new features. Use new versions of the ProRes codec to edit at high quality with reduced file sizes in a wide variety of workflows. Work with clients or colleagues in real time from anywhere in the world using iChat Theater. Add dramatic 3D graphics, repair common audio problems, and automate delivery in just a few clicks. The leading post-production suite now includes significant upgrades to Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Soundtrack Pro and updated versions of Color and Compressor. It also includes DVD Studio Pro, the industry standard for DVD authoring.

Which makes the thing sound like it's actually fully contained and not just upgrades to those FCS programs

but that seems to conflict with

Product Features
Upgrade from Final Cut Studio
Easy export. Use the new Share window in Final Cut Pro 7 or Motion 4 for single-click delivery to your Apple devices, the web, a Blu-ray disc, or a DVD.
iChat Theater support. Work with clients or colleagues in real time from anywhere in the world. Just send your Final Cut Pro video to iChat Theater.
New speed change tools. Change clip speeds with ease from the redesigned Change Speed window in Final Cut Pro 7.
3D shadows and reflections. Motion 4 lets you add dramatic shadows and dazzling reflections that respond naturally as objects and lights move through 3D space

So, Technology Tavern, I suppose what I'm looking for is: Just what the heck does "Upgrade" do? Is it an addon? And what Final Cut programs, if it is, can I use to upgrade it from?

Dehumanized

Final Cut Studio Upgrade is an upgrade from prior versions of Final Cut Studio.

http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/product/MB642

Upgrade from prior versions of Final Cut Studio, Production Suite, or Final Cut Pro*

*About the Upgrade

The Final Cut Studio upgrade provides an upgrade path from Final Cut Studio 2, Final Cut Studio 1, Production Suite, or any prior version of Final Cut Pro. Academic and Not-For-Resale (NFR) versions are not eligible for upgrade.

Lanz

aaaaaah, Thanks.

Is it possible to get Pro on it's own without the full suite or is that pretty much a no-go at this point?

useless4

No go.

Find some one who can get you academic discount. (Though you won't be able to use the upgrade on that in the future.)

Drunk_caterpillar

As someone that has been using Final Cut since version 3.0 I can tell you right now that it will serve you well, if you intend to work in the industry as an editor, to buy a retail copy as soon as possible. If you're having trouble affording it, getting the educational version is an acceptable stopgap. There is literally no difference except for the licensing agreement.

Good luck and have fun!

nexuscrawler

The upgrade discs are standalone but apple requires you mail them your old ones

syndalis

as a user of another one of Apple's Pro Software Packages (Logic Studio) I had to do no such thing as mail back my old version (A good thing; the fucker came in a massive box that weighed more than my PS3), but they do want you to apply your old serial to the new one, which means that your old copy is largely worthless to anyone else.