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Apple adds ProRes and ProRAW support to the the Windows iCloud app
You'll be able to generate strong passwords and store them in iCloud Keychain too.
Apple updates Final Cut and Logic to take advantage of new M1 Pro and Max chips
Apple has updated Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro to take advantage of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips inside new MacBook Pros — including playback for seven 8K video streams.
Apple takes home an engineering Emmy for its ubiquitous ProRes video tech
Apple took home an engineering Emmy award for its ProRes video codec first developed in 2007 that has become widely used in digital television and film production. Epic Games also won an Emmy for its Unreal Engine software, used in Disney’s The Mandalorian.
Apple brings ProRes RAW support to Windows video editors
Thanks to a combination of more affordable cinema cameras and increasingly powerful software, professional video producers are able to net some impressive results. One major part of the equation for achieving high-quality footage is shooting in a RAW codec, which creates lossless files that are suitable for color correction and other enhancements. Apple's ProRes RAW codec isn't a very popular choice among shooters, but that may change now that the format isn't exclusive to Apple's computers. The company released beta software that lets Windows editors work with ProRes RAW files in Adobe's Premiere Pro, After Effects and Media Encoder. This means they won't have to devote time or computing power to transcoding the files -- they can simply load them into their editing suite and get to work.
Blackmagic BMPCC 4K review: A pint-sized video powerhouse
The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC 4K) is Blackmagic's most desirable camera yet for budget filmmakers. Blackmagic has added features that video shooters have been demanding for years, and the price is right at a mere $1,300. But with powerful, video-friendly mirrorless cameras coming out seemingly every month, is there still a place for a dedicated cinema camera? As it happened, I was able to test it at the same time as the all-new and formidable Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R and Fujifilm X-T3 mirrorless cameras. After seeing those, and looking at what's missing in the BMPCC 4K, let's just say it's not for photographers who only dabble in video. For serious video creators, however, it's a different story. Demanding videographers will love the handling and usability, and it delivers where it counts in image quality. Best of all, it's cheaper than most video-capable mirrorless cameras.
Blackmagic's new $1,295 compact shoots 4K RAW movies
As it teased, Blackmagic Design has unveiled a 4K version of its popular portable RAW camera at NAB 2018. The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K packs a full-size, dual native ISO Micro Four Thirds sensor and can internally record 4K HDR RAW at 4,096 x 2,160 and 60 fps in 12-bit RAW or 10-bit ProRes. Best of all, it costs $1,295, nearly half the price of Panasonic's video-oriented GH5s, making it the cheapest 4K RAW camera available by a long ways.
AJA's 4K camera runs $9,000, but nobody will mistake you for a tourist
Though AJA is best known for disk recorders, it's just revealed the 4K CION, its first cinema camera. It'll take on BlackMagic Design and a growing list of 4K DSLRs -- including Sony's new Alpha A7s and the Panasonic GH4. While the $9,000 model loses out on price, AJA is targeting serious users with features like a shoulder mount, 12-bit 444 ProRes recording, an SSD drive and a PL lens mount. It also has a APSC-sized global CMOS sensor and 12 stops of dynamic range, just like BlackMagic's new URSA model. However, the latter runs a much lower $6,000, and BlackMagic also has the Production Camera 4K at a mere $3,000 after a price drop. But the CION might work for those who find the 6K Red Dragon Scarlett too much, especially if it actually makes its summer ship date.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera now supports RAW video for better dynamic range
After releasing its $995 Pocket Cinema Camera last summer with ProRes422 support only as it warned, Blackmagic Design has finally unleashed RAW CinemaDNG video recording with a firmware update. The format losslessly compresses each frame like a .zip file to capture 1080p video from the Super 16mm sensor -- unlike ProRes422, which is a reasonably high quality but more compressed format. That'll preserve the full fidelity of the video stream, letting cinematographers save files with more dynamic range for increased flexibility during color correction. That's not to say that ProRes422 is shabby, as we saw from earlier footage -- but shooters who want RAW in a small form factor now have a way without hacking (and possibly bricking) a Canon DSLR.
Atomos Ninja and Samurai HD video recorder / monitors bring compression jutsu to pro filmmaking
We all drool over the hi-res video shot by cameras like the RED EPIC, but for indie-film types, processing the massive files produced takes a lot of time (and therefore money) and not everyone has an ARRI ALEXA to do native recording compression. Enter the Atomos Ninja and Samurai HD recorder / monitor / playback devices that take your 10-bit video and compress it in Apple's 1080p ProRes QuickTime format to make your post-production life a little easier. The Ninja pulls video through HDMI and deposits it on your choice of 2.5-inch HDD or SDD storage, does playback via a 4.3-inch 480 x 270 touchscreen, and has continuous power thanks to dual hot-swappable batteries (available in 2600, 5200, and 7800 mAh varieties). Meanwhile, the Samurai matches the Ninja's specs, but swaps out the HDMI connection for HD-SDI ports and adds SDI Loop-Through to connect an external monitor, a larger 5-inch 800 x 400 display, and 3D support (if you get two Samurais genlocked together). Both units have FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 and 3.0 connections for offloading your vids. Those with Spielbergian aspirations can pony up $995 for the Ninja right now, or pay $1,495 for the Samurai upon its release this summer.
ARRI's ALEXA busts out native ProRes recording, plans for RED smiting
It's taken three years, but one of the big boys may finally have an answer to the RED ONE camera -- the device that took the cinema world by storm in 2007 as the first affordable digital movie cam with a 35mm, full-frame sensor, 4k resolution, and rugged good looks. Venerable camera-maker ARRI has finally revealed both the full specs for its upcoming ALEXA digital camera and reconfirms Hollywood's propensity for over-capitalization. Regarding the specs, you can color us impressed. The ALEXA is something of a follow up to the ARRIFLEX D-21, the company's first foray into digital cams, but besides writing data in 0s and 1s the two cameras share little in common. ARRI is positioning the ALEXA to compete directly with the RED ONE (and forthcoming EPIC and SCARLET cameras), so you can expect a price point in the sub-$60k range. Besides the low price tag (for a professional movie camera), a few newly-announced features may have indie-shooters on a budget thinking hard about picking up an ALEXA for their next bit-crafted, cinematic yarn. We'll break it down for you after the break.
Apple ProRes QuickTime Decoder 1.0 for Mac and Windows
Earlier tonight we saw the release of the ProRes Decoder tool for QuickTime. According to Apple, this tool will allow QuickTime to play Apple ProRes 422 files, using the codec that provides "visually lossless, uncompressed HD video at SD data rates" for Final Cut users. This is the first version of the codec that includes playback on Windows machines."It is an excellent choice for mastering and can easily be transcoded to distribution formats like H.264. With new support for playback on both Mac and Windows computers, Apple ProRes can also be used for review and approval of Final Cut Studio sequences," says Apple.The Mac update/plug-in can be downloaded for free from Apple's support downloads website, and if you are using QuickTime on Windows, there's a separate download.
FCS2 page hints at pending QuickTime 7.1.6 update
Many of Apple's media apps rely on QuickTime in one way or another, so it probably comes as no surprise that a Final Cut Studio 2 announcement means we'll see at least a slight QT update to bring everything up to speed. Sure enough, eagle-eyed TUAW readers have caught QuickTime 7.1.6 listed on the System Requirements page for FCS2. Though a minor upgrade that is probably filled with compatibility updates, it is also likely to include that fancy new Apple ProRes 422 codec (who names this stuff?) which supposedly offers uncompressed HD quality footage with SD file sizes. That's a pretty tall claim to fill, but we'll have to wait for the reports to roll in on whether Apple delivers on the promise.Regardless, it's a pretty obvious bet that QuickTime 7.1.6 will soon be coming to a Software Update near you.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
