Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac Today

Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11.

Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with a number of “intelligent” improvements.

With Final Cut Pro 11, Apple is making sure to take advantage of the full power of its M-series chips. Magnetic Mask, a new AI-powered tool, lets video editors isolate people and objects in a video clip without a green screen or time-consuming rotoscoping.

Magnetic Mask is ideal for customizing backgrounds and environments, and it can be combined with color correction and video effects for more control over each project.

Another new AI feature, Transcribe to Captions, lets Final Cut Pro automatically generate closed captions in the timeline using an Apple-trained large language model that analyzes spoken audio in a video.

Final Cut Pro 11 now has support for editing spatial video. Users are able to import footage from the iPhone 15 Pro models, iPhone 16 models, or Canon’s R7 camera with RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual Lens to make color corrections, add effects, and enhance video with titles and other features. The depth position of titles and captured footage can be adjusted using FCP, and there are different viewing modes for previewing left and right eye angles on the Mac.

When a Mac is paired with a Vision Pro, the Mac Virtual Display can be used for editing spatial video with the Final Cut Pro software. Spatial videos edited in Final Cut Pro can be exported directly to a user’s Photos library to be viewed on Vision Pro, or they can be shared with others by uploading them to the visionOS Vimeo app. Other new Final Cut Pro features:

– Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips.
– Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline.
– Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects.
– Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions.
– Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline.
– Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1 improves the touch-first editing experience by adding support for Enhance Light and Color, which refines color balance, contrast, and brightness in video or still images with one tap.

There’s haptic feedback support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which means users will feel a light pulse when trimming clips, moving media, navigating the timeline, and resizing viewer clips to snapping points. Apple added four new inks for the Live Drawing feature on ‌iPad‌ for adding animations to videos. There are now watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen options.

Other improvements include a vertical pinch gesture for expanding or minimizing clip height in the timeline, an option for dynamically adjusting the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode, and timeline support for recordings at 90 to 120fps on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The content library features additional modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.

Apple also updated Final Cut Camera to version 1.1, adding support for capturing Log-encoded HEVC video in either standalone or Live Multicam sessions, pairing the dynamic range of Log with reduced file sizes. Users can also enable a preview lookup table (LUT) while recording in Log.

‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ users are able to record 4K 120fps footage for smoother cinematic slow motion and then import it into Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ to edit. Other new features include an advanced level with roll and tilt indicators and a crosshairs indicator for top-down shots.

Along with these updates to Final Cut Pro, Apple refreshed Logic Pro for Mac and Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌, adding support for a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in. There are also updates for Motion, Compressor, and iMovie.

The new versions of Final Cut Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌, Final Cut Camera, and Logic Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌ can be downloaded from the App Store. Final Cut Pro for Mac is priced at $299.99, while Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year. The version 11 update is available to existing users for free.

Logic Pro for Mac is priced at $199.99, while Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Tag: Final Cut ProThis article, “Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Apple’s new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro and M4 Max chips introduce Thunderbolt 5 connectivity to the Mac lineup for the first time, bringing the first major bandwidth increase since Thunderbolt 3 debuted in 2015. While this next-generation standard promises significant improvements, understanding its specific benefits can help you decide whether it’s really essential for your needs.

Let’s take a closer look at Thunderbolt 5 – what it does, whether it’s necessary, and which accessories leverage the latest standard.

Thunderbolt 5: What It Does
Thunderbolt 5 doubles the standard data transfer speed to 80 Gbps in both directions, with a special “Bandwidth Boost” mode reaching up to 120 Gbps for video-intensive tasks. This asymmetrical mode allocates 120 Gbps to display data while maintaining 40 Gbps for other data transfers, effectively tripling the bandwidth compared to Thunderbolt 4. The standard also increases maximum power delivery to 240W, up from Thunderbolt 4’s 100W limit, enabling faster charging for power-hungry devices like the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Intel specs: Thunderbolt 4 (today) vs. Thunderbolt 5 (tomorrow)
The increased bandwidth supports more demanding display configurations for M4 Pro and M4 Max-powered Macs. Thunderbolt 5 also incorporates DisplayPort 2.1, enabling features like 4K displays at 240Hz refresh rates, for smoother motion during gaming and video playback. Like previous versions, the standard maintains backward compatibility with older Thunderbolt standards and USB devices, including the latest USB4 2.0 specification.

Latest Macs With Thunderbolt 5
Apple’s latest Mac models featuring Thunderbolt 5 offer enhanced external display support, varying by specific chip configuration. Both the Mac mini with M4 Pro chip and MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max chip provide three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what’s capable in terms of display configurations:

MacBook Pro Models

MacBook Pro with M4 Pro Chip:

Supports up to two external displays:

Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt.
One display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.

Alternatively, supports one external display:

One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI.
One display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

MacBook Pro with M4 Max Chip:

Supports up to four external displays:

Three displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.

Alternatively, supports up to three external displays:

Two displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

Mac mini Models

Mac mini with M4 Pro Chip:

Supports up to three external displays:

Three displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt.

Alternatively, supports one external display:

One display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one display with up to 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

Note that the Mac mini with the standard M4 chip features Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports up to three external displays, with specific configurations as detailed in Apple’s technical specifications.

Do I Need Thunderbolt 5?
For most users performing everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, or even photo editing, Thunderbolt 4’s 40 Gbps bandwidth remains more than adequate. Even 4K video editing and working with large file sizes works smoothly with Thunderbolt 4 connections, as many professionals will attest. The new Mac mini and base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip includes Thunderbolt 4 ports that should serve most of these users.

It’s worth considering Thunderbolt 5 if you work with 8K video, require multiple high-resolution displays, or regularly transfer extremely large files. The technology will be particularly beneficial if you work with virtual reality, 3D rendering, or high-end video production where every bit of bandwidth matters. However, remember that taking full advantage of Thunderbolt 5 requires compatible peripherals, which are just beginning to enter the market and typically command premium prices.

For most users, the presence of Thunderbolt 5 shouldn’t be the deciding factor when choosing between M4 and M4 Pro/Max Macs. The standard M4 models with Thunderbolt 4 will continue to serve the majority of users well, making Thunderbolt 5 a “nice-to-have” rather than a necessity for typical Mac buyers. The technology’s true benefits will likely become more apparent as compatible peripherals become more available and affordable over time.
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Thunderbolt 5 Accessories
The first wave of Thunderbolt 5 peripherals is beginning to arrive. Apple’s Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable ($69) features a braided black design, supports the full 120 Gbps bandwidth and 240W power delivery, while maintaining backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3/4 and USB standards.

For storage, OWC’s Envoy Ultra external SSD achieves speeds over 6GB per second – double that of previous Thunderbolt drives – and comes in 2TB ($399.99) and 4TB ($599.99) configurations with a built-in Thunderbolt cable.

Lastly, OWC’s Thunderbolt 5 Hub ($189.99) expands a single port into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port, supporting up to 140W power delivery – enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro. The hub enables three separate device daisy chains and can drive up to three 8K displays at 60Hz with Display Stream Compression. Its aluminum enclosure uses passive cooling for silent operation, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments like recording studios.Tag: Thunderbolt 5This article, “Thunderbolt 5 in New Macs: Features, Benefits, and Is It Needed?” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums