Final Cut Pro X update introduces new Metal engine for increased performance

Today, Apple updated Final Cut Pro X with a new Metal engine that delivers performance gains across a wide range of Mac systems and takes advantage of the tremendous power of the all-new Mac Pro and the high-resolution, high-dynamic-range viewing experience of Apple Pro Display XDR. Apple is also releasing updates to Motion and Compressor that feature the same modern Metal engine with performance optimisations for Mac Pro and support for Pro Display XDR.

Today’s update to Final Cut Pro delivers a new Metal-based engine that improves playback and accelerates graphics tasks including rendering, real-time effects and exporting on Metal-compatible Mac computers. Video editors with 15-inch MacBook Pro, the most popular system for Final Cut Pro users, will benefit from performance that’s up to 20 percent faster, while editors using iMac Pro will see gains up to 35 percent.¹

Final Cut Pro works with the innovative new Sidecar feature of macOS Catalina that enables users to extend their Mac workspace by using iPad as a second display to show the browser or viewer. Video editors can use Sidecar with a cable or they can connect wirelessly for even greater flexibility — whether they are working on the go with a Mac notebook or in the edit suite with a Mac desktop.

Final Cut Pro will leverage the enormous power of Mac Pro, offering support for multiple GPUs and up to 28 CPU cores. This means that rendering is up to 2.9 times faster and transcoding is up to 3.2 times faster than on the previous-generation 12-core Mac Pro. And Final Cut Pro utilises the new Afterburner card for unparalleled performance when working with ProRes and ProRes RAW — the groundbreaking format from Apple that combines the image quality and flexibility of RAW video with the performance of ProRes. This allows editors to simultaneously play up to 16 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video or work in cutting-edge 8K resolution with support for up to three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video.

With a massive 32-inch, Retina 6K display, P3 wide colour and extreme dynamic range, Pro Display XDR provides an immersive and true-to-life viewing experience. Final Cut Pro users can view, edit, grade and deliver high dynamic range video with 1,000 nits of full screen sustained brightness, 1,600 nits peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Pro Display XDR easily connects to the Mac through a single Thunderbolt cable, and pros using Final Cut Pro on Mac Pro can simultaneously use up to three Pro Display XDR units — two for the Final Cut Pro interface and one as a dedicated professional reference monitor.

• Grade high dynamic range video with enhanced colour mask and range isolation tools.
• View high dynamic range video tone-mapped to compatible standard dynamic range displays when using Final Cut Pro, Motion or Compressor on macOS Catalina.
• Select which internal or external GPU is used to accelerate graphics processing.
  

Final Cut Pro companion apps, Motion and Compressor, also benefit from the new Metal-based render engine, resulting in improved playback and accelerated graphics. Both apps are designed to take advantage of multiple GPUs and up to 28 CPU cores in Mac Pro, tap into the power of Afterburner and support professional HDR workflows on Pro Display XDR.