It seems that Apple does not want to let us spend a weekend relaxed and does not stop launching news in terms of updates. In a previous article, our colleague Miguel Ángel Juncos informed us of that a Final Cut Pro X update, 10.1.2, had been released.
After having studied all its novelties, we can highlight one of them, and that is incorporates an awesome new video codec which, of course, is created to make the most of the characteristics of our precious black cylinder, the new Mac Pro.
If we stop to read the news that is included in the new Final Cut Pro X update, we can see that there is a new codec listed that It calls itself Apple ProRes 4444 XQ.
- Optimized content storage, proxy and rendering in any location outside the library.
- Easy removal of optimized, proxy and rendered content from Final Cut Pro X.
- Content indicators used in Composite, Multicam and Synchronized clips.
- Ability to view only unused content in the browser.
- Applying a standard aspect (Rec. 709) in real time to videos with a wide color gamut and high dynamic range made with ARRI, Blackmagic Design, Canon and Sony cameras.
- Automatic application of a 3D LUT with embedded ARRI from the new AMIRA camera.
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Apple ProRes 4444 XQ compatibility.
- Faster and more accurate clip syncing.
- Audio recording enhancements such as countdown function and automatic audition creation from multiple takes.
- Fast export of cutting projects with only XDCAM content.
- Exporting an entire library as a single XML file.
- Displaying key metadata in the inspector when selecting a library.
- Adjusting the relative and absolute volume of a clip or a range selection.
- Create keywords from Finder tags when importing content.
- Option to sort events by date or name in Libraries list.
- Importing a clip by dragging it directly into the browser.
- 4K video posting to Vimeo.
This impressive codec has been created so that final projects that are created can have more quality, pushing it to the limits of ultra high quality. Proof of this is the data that Apple has specified in the Whitepaper, so that all video editing professionals can work with higher quality without making the process slow and tedious.
From now on it will be possible to maintain an extreme level of detail in the images even maintaining a large dynamic range. Proof of this is what we can deduce by seeing the following table in which it can be seen that one hour of video recorded at a size of 1920 × 1080 at 50p will occupy 372 GB and at 60p a chilling 445 GB. If you keep looking at the table that appears in the documentation, you will be able to see that at much higher resolution, the weights of the files for an hour of video become gigantic.
The Apple ProRes 444 XQ codec, it will support 12 bits per channel, reaching 16 bits in the case of an alpha channel. In short, a codec that the thousands of professional followers of Apple and its applications will already be sinking their teeth to see what they show off in this case.
