Product Reviews

Last week, Avid Technology released Avid Studio for iPad, now available for $4.99 in the App Store. This app release ends Apple iMovie’s pseudo-monopoly on tablet-based video editing. With the two apps currently at the same price, we thought it’d be an interesting exercise to compare the two side-by-side.

Seven months after the release of FCP X, Apple comes forward with v. 10.0.3 to address some major missing features. Will it be enough?

No doubt by now you’ve heard a bit about the new Thunderbolt technology by, a collaboration effort between Apple and Intel in 2011 for Apple’s new line of MacBook Pro laptops (as well as MacBook Air, Mac mini and iMac)—and though the hype and performance boost have editors drooling, a year later, adoption could still be a ways off for many users.

Singular Software releases their popular Plural Eyes support application for Final Cut Pro X. Available as a free public beta version, this application automates the syncing of audio and video files in your project’s timeline.

In this post we’ll take a look at Event Manager X, an application that allows you to choose what events and projects show up in your FInal Cut Pro X interface. A timesaver and organizational tool, Event Manager X fills a gap in FCPX file management.

Automatic Duck, the Seattle-based conversion software distributor (known for their plug-ins that translate edited sequences between Final Cut Pro, Avid, After Effects, Quantel, Pro Tools), has recently revamped its cost structure for plug-in delivery. Now, their Pro Import AE, Pro Import FCP, and Pro Export FCP (FCP7 and FCPX) plugins are available at absolutely no charge. But… at what cost?

Digital Rebellion releases two new applications to organize and manage your video editing project files and footage. Compatible with AVID, Premiere, FCP and FCPX, Digital Rebellion’s Pro Maintenance Tools and Pro Media Tools will streamline your workflow and troubleshoot common editing application errors.

Dropbox is an exceptionally useful application that allows you to store files within a designated folder on your computer—and with every Save, it instantly and safely backs up your files to the Dropbox servers, and also syncs your updated files to all of your other Dropbox folders located on other computers and mobile devices. Additionally, you can share folders within your Dropbox with any number of collaborators, so every time you make a change, everyone gets the update simultaneously. So, the question is… how does this work with editing projects?

We’ve rounded up the most popular video software encoders! From DVD ripping software to web video compressors, learn about the industry standard encoding and converting applications and find the one that’s right for your video needs!

Want to open your Final Cut Pro projects in FCPX? CatDV is a third party application that acts as a “translator” of XML data…allowing you to open a cuts-only sequence of your FCP7 (or earlier version) in Final Cut Pro X and vice versa. Save time and keep your edits organized using this powerful support application!