Apple has updated Final Cut Pro X to version 10.4.7 with a new Metal engine that purportedly delivers performance gains across a wide range of Macs and takes advantage of the upcoming Mac Pro and the Apple Pro Display XDR.
The upgrade delivers a new Metal-based engine designed to improve playback and accelerate graphics tasks including rendering, real-time effects and exporting on Metal-compatible Macs. Video editors with 15-inch MacBook Pro, the most popular system for Final Cut Pro users, will benefit from performance that’s up to 20% faster, while editors using iMac Pro will see gains up to 35%, according to Apple.
Final Cut Pro works with the Sidecar feature of macOS Catalina that enables users to extend their Mac workspace by using iPad as a second display to show the browser or viewer. Video editors can use Sidecar with a cable or they can connect wirelessly whether they are working on the go with a Mac notebook or in the edit suite with a Mac desktop.
Apple says Final Cut Pro will leverage the power of the modular Mac Pro, offering support for multiple GPUs and up to 28 CPU cores. The company says this means that rendering is up to 2.9 times faster and transcoding is up to 3.2 times faster than on the previous-generation 12-core Mac Pro.
Final Cut Pro utilizes the new Afterburner card when working with ProRes and ProRes RAW. This allows editors to simultaneously play up to 16 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video or work in cutting-edge 8K resolution with support for up to three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video.
Final Cut Pro X users who buy the 32-inch Pro Display XDR can view, edit, grade and deliver high dynamic range video with 1,000 nits of full screen sustained brightness, 1,600 nits peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The Pro Display XDR connects to the Mac through a single Thunderbolt cable. Pros using Final Cut Pro on Mac Pro can simultaneously use up to three Pro Display XDR units — two for the Final Cut Pro interface and one as a dedicated professional reference monitor.
Additional new features in Final Cut Pro 10.4.7 include:
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The ability to grade high dynamic range video with enhanced color mask and range isolation tools.
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The ability to view high dynamic range video tone-mapped to compatible standard dynamic range displays when using Final Cut Pro, Motion or Compressor on macOS Catalina.
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The ability to select which internal or external GPU is used to accelerate graphics processing.
Apple is also releasing updates to Motion and Compressor that feature the same modern Metal engine with performance optimizations for Mac Pro and support for Pro Display XDR.
Final Cut Pro 10.4.7 is available today as a free update for existing users, and for $299.99 for new users on the Mac App Store. Motion 5.4.4 and Compressor 4.4.5 are also available today as free updates for existing users, and for $49.99 each for new users on the Mac App Store. Education customers can purchase the Pro Apps Bundle for $199.99.
