Product Reviews

Apple's Final Cut Express has always been something of an oddity. On paper it looks tremendous, delivering all the core video editing tools of Final Cut Pro for only £200. It's arguably the most business like editing program you'll find at the price on any platform, but still fails to adequately fill the mid-price market. While a stripped down version of Final Cut Pro is massively attractive to students and aspiring pros on a tight budget, Express does very little to ease the learning curve for video novices moving up from iMovie. Now in version 3.5, Final Cut Express hasn't changed at all in that department.

Final Cut Express HD 3.5 comes in smaller packaging than before, with a lightweight introductory booklet but no printed manual. There is a training DVD in the pack with four software discs which contain the core Final Cut application as well as Soundtrack 1.5 for sound editing and LiveType 2 for titling. There are very few new features across the board, but this is reflected in the program's nominal upgrade price of £65. Perhaps the most fundamental step for the main Final Cut editing application is its support for Intel processors as well as Power PC Macs. It also takes advantage of Quartz Extreme graphics cards to deliver better real-time performance under OS X 10.4.6 or later. Real-time playback quality can be set manually in terms of frame rate and image quality, or left to the software to adjust dynamically for optimal performance. Limits can also be set on the data rate of real-time playback - useful when working with lots of video feeds or editing across a network, where data bandwidth is restricted. At a creative level, Express now offers more comprehensive keyframing tools for motion effects and filters, plus more sophisticated motion algorithms for compositing effects. Accompanying programs, LiveType and Soundtrack have seen more serious updates, however, LiveType features more preset templates for DV and HDV projects, more fonts and

As with version 3, Final Cut Express won't edit native HDV in the same way as Pro (or most HDV-ready editors for the Windows platform). Instead, Mpeg program streams are converted to an I-frame intermediary format on the fly during capture, and encoded back to HDV Mpeg at the end of the editing process for export to tape. In theory, transcoding to an I-frame standard can be a bonus for compositing effects as well as frame-accurate cutting, but it also puts massive demands on hard drive space and bandwidth - something that will affect users of iMacs and laptops.

Aside from this gripe, Final Cut Express is much the same. The interface and available toolkits are rich, being derived directly from its Pro sibling. Media management tools are much more primitive, and there's no multicam editor, but the program is still outrageously sophisticated for the price. Far from suiting the keen amateur, we're certain that many professionals working in the DV environment will find enough in Express and not need to spend a premium on Final Cut Pro. The interface is virtually identical to that of Pro too, making the upgrade path easy, if you need to take it. And the Final Cut workflow is so close to that of other prosumer and professional editors that it's a great stomping ground for students and aspiring freelancers. Core editing tools are sensible, accurate and responsive, and even though the range of effects is overbearing, they don't get in the way of storytelling. Real-time performance with DV on a dual processor G5 Power Mac was good, and compositing tools are first-rate. LiveType is an easy titling program and excellent results can be achieved. Soundtrack, also, is a bonus for adding music loops and sound effects but represents a side of postproduction that's often ignored by video enthusiasts.

Even though iMovie projects can be opened and edited with Express, the Final Cut language and workflow are different to what iMovie users are used to, and that must be addressed urgently. The interface is logical for those in the know, but newcomers will feel like they've been dunked in the deep end. Fortunately, Apple has provided itself with the best model with DVD Studio Pro, with a choice of interfaces - from a simplistic iDVD-like one to a more professional workspace. If Apple wants Final Cut Express to be all things to all people at the mid-price market, it must give more consideration to where its users are coming from.