Product Description

Final Cut Studio 2 helps take you beyond mere editing. Discover theintuitive power of new creative tools designed expressly for FinalCut Pro editors. Rapidly move through editing to motion graphicsaudio editing and mixing color grading and delivery

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1449 in Software
• Brand: Apple
• Model: MA886Z/A
• Released on: 2007-08-06
• Platforms: Mac OS X Intel, Mac OS X
• Format: DVD-ROM
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 6.30" h x 8.66" w x 10.24" l, 17.30 pounds

Features

• The most powerful editing suite on the market
• Fully integrated post-production workflow
• Final Cut Pro 6, Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, DVD Studio Pro 4 and Color
• Rapidly move between all aspects of video post production

Manufacturer's Description
Final Cut Studio 2 helps take you beyond mere editing. Discover the intuitive power of new creative tools designed expressly for Final Cut Pro editors. Rapidly move through editing to motion graphics, audio editing and mixing, color grading, and delivery - all as a natural extension of the work you already do.Final Cut Studio 2 puts a powerful new version of Final Cut Pro at the center of an integrated post-production workflow. Final Cut Pro 6, Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, Compressor 3, DVD Studio Pro 4, and Color - a brand-new application for professional color grading - are all included in Final Cut Studio.

Customer Reviews

Final Cut Studio - expensive but worth every penny.
I'm not a professional film maker but aspire to be one. I've never used Avid or Pinnacle so I can't really make any comparisons. I started by using a bootleg copy of Final Cut Express (FCE) to see how things would go. It took me some time to get to grips with this software and soon appreciated its features but - post production is more than just editing. I read postings saying get FCE, it's just the same as pro. If all you need to do is edit, fine but my advice is save up and go for studio. I've never spent so much on software before but you get 8 DVD's and expect to spend a few hours installing this beast - yes, hours. What you can do with this incredible suite of software is only limited by your imagination and you get tons of content & templates to get you started; fonts, royalty free footage and effects that can be modified to your heart's content - you can really see what you're getting for your money. I read somewhere that just a few years ago you would have to pay thousands of dollars for color, just one of the apps included in this suite of software and when it comes to colour grading your shots you'll see why. Very highly recommended.

Fantastic package - but upgrade asap
I used to use FCP 3 but for the past few years have been using Avid through my work. The beauty of FCP is the ease in which I've picked it up again. It's very instinctive. Of course, things have moved on and now we have FCS 2, and boy is it a powerful beast. I'm only scratching the surface of Color, Motion, Soundtrack and DVD Studio Pro but have been impressed by it's capabilities. There's plenty to keep me occupied during those longer winter evenings - girlfriend permitting.

Yes you will have to invest in a decent Mac, and these don't come cheap. However, the initial outlay is nothing compared to how much you can pay for some editing hardware with software; and these don't necessarily come with all the bells and whistles that FCS 2 comes with.

A word of advice to avoid frustration. A problem with FCP 6 is that it can't see the Motion templates when using Leopard. You will need to download the latest versions of FCP and Motion. The latest versions are currently FCP 6.0.4 and Motion 3.0.2. This won't cost you anything.

Happy editing

A great pro-sumer product.
I'll say right from the beginning, I'm an Avid dinosaur. I've used it for the past 14 years, and as a piece of software/hardware to edit with - I can't see there being any better.

However, if you're looking for something that'll let you edit, mix the soundtrack, do some graphics, titles, grade, then encode to DVD or upload to the internet - then Final Cut has found a niche with the Studio Package.

But, that's not to say it's not for the Pro's too. Yes it's great for those who want to make internet videos, yes it's great for those who want to make wedding videos, corporate videos, or anything at that level - but it's just as good making broadcast TV and movies as it is suited to the more home based markets. It just takes a little getting used to.

I'm still to find out if it's as buggy as the Studio 1 version (which was hell sometimes, from swapping media through projects to having REAL problems getting the programme back to tape) - but from what I've seen so far, it's a lot more solid and reliable.

I'm working at full uncompressed HD resolution with it right now (Uncompressed 8-bit 1920x1080 at 50i) and running on a dual 2.7Ghz G5 it's a bit sluggish when effects are added to it, meaning I need to buy a new Mac if I want to work faster than it'll let me right now - but that's not a fault of the software, more older hardware from 2005 that isn't up to what I'm asking it anymore.

There's still some annoyances (like Real Time effects being a bit touch and go as to whether they'll hold resolution (even in safe mode) and whether colour correction will pop in and out - but again, I'm wondering if that's the fault of my hardware rather than the software.

At this price, the full Studio 2 is well worth the money - it's easy to use (though a bit of a stumble at times when used to Avid) and creates whatever you ask it to. Eventually.

Given infinite resource and choice, I'd stick with Avid - but the flexibility of what's on offer, and the price means that I'm more than happy using Final Cut on this project - for the time being.