WWDC Keynote; how might pro video apps benefit from High Sierra & iMac Pro?

As the title says, what would be possible? Better motion tracking direct from the OS itself? Intelligent, complex Siri searches in the Browser & Timeline?

1. Well, the new Apple file system will help copy files and probably just increase speed all around. I am sure this will help immensely.
2. HEVC (H.265) will become more standard in FCP, Compressor
3. Metal 2 will be HUGE. especially for Motion.
4. Final Cut pro will probably have better VR support coming
5.. Although not for every editor the linking between photos and Affinity photo and photoshop should be helpful

As for hardware. Is this the PRO apple mentioned a few months back? Because I know people screamed for an expandable computer; which the Thunderbolt 3 graphics card chassis they highlighted might do...but I still feel like this isn't what pros wanted. Someone weigh in please!

I'm a pro, who manages other pros, and teaches pros, and I think the iMac Pro is fantastic. But the interview where an expandable new Mac Pro was mentioned, said not this year, early next. I think this is not that.

Metal is an API to underlying technologies of macOS. FCPX & Motion tap into those technologies directly, they don't rely on Metal. I've had this confirmed to me by Apple. It's the new technologies in High Sierra that will benefit the pro video apps.

H.265 is used in the new broadcast standard coming soon. Will give over-air stations IP & 4K capabilities. My station already has hardware and other upgrades ordered in preparation for the change. Apple is integrating it nicely in plenty of time.

Now, if we could get PRO closed captioning support. But that's a totally different thread...

muddygun wrote: ....Is this the PRO apple mentioned a few months back?...

No, the updated (and modular) Mac Pro will ship sometime next year, maybe even late next year. It will likely be a true workstation-class machine with multi-socket CPU capability, and some kind of plug-in expansion bus to allow future GPU upgrades.

The new iMac Pro is faster than the current top-spec 12-core Mac Pro with dual D700 GPUs, so next year's Mac Pro would be positioned well above that.

Re H.265, no Xeon CPU to date with over four cores has had Quick Sync, which means no hardware-accelerated H264 or H265 encode/decode. This has long been an issue for both PCs and Macs. It remains to be seen if Apple has some solution on the iMac Pro. Since Apple does both hardware and software and our main interest on this forum is FCPX, it is conceivable they could update the OS and FCPX to use an alternate acceleration method such as AMD's VCE (Video Coding Engine) which is on the GPU: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Coding_Engine

Sorry fcpx.guru, I know your a pro. I just didn't take the time to see who posted. Just kind of read it quick. Thanks for getting back with me about the PRO-level computer. Just wanted to get a quick update on that. I was really hoping for 32GB of Ram in the new MacBook, but alas....

The iMac Pro is NOT what I want. I mean, I'd be interested if it didn't come with a screen. I already have my own monitors. And to get the more powerful computers, I need to buy the versions with the bigger monitors which will not fit on my desk. Should I be forced to sacrifice power just because a computer monitor that cannot be separated from the computer won't fit on my desk? That's dumb. I have never liked iMacs for this reason.

Also, the price is WAAAY TOO HIGH. Costing around 2x as much as an equivalent self-built PC. Too bad Apple won't let me build my own Mac.

However hopefully the REAL Mac Pro will put this one to shame in terms of power when it is finally announced in 2226.

Did you see the price comparison in the keynote speech comparing the iMac Pro to a self-built PC with the same specs?

You can always build a Hackintosh.

There is no timetable for the Mac Pro. John Gruber was at that meeting and reported "next year" and Apple wrote to tell him that that wasn't accurate. This is a complete redesign. They talked about the pro market and the Pro iMac saying that this was something that a lot of pros want but that other pros including scientists need. They said "much" of the pro market is happy with iMacs, including the current 5k crop and that's why they developed this new model. As far as the redesigned Mac Pro? They hinted that it would be expandable. When? "Maybe" next year. "Probably" next year. (Both emphasis mine.) We'll find out. At least there is a roadmap. If you are a house with trashcans and think you can hold on to those for 18 months or so, you're probably somewhat happy with that announcement in April. At least happier than before the announcement.

Redifer wrote: ....And to get the more powerful computers, I need to buy the versions with the bigger monitors which will not fit on my desk....

I understand your situation -- when my wife got an iMac 27 I was afraid it would not fit on her small desk which is 39" wide and 24" deep, plus has an overhanging book shelf 21" from the surface. Her desk was built into the wall and book shelf so it couldn't easily be changed. But it turns out the iMac 27 fit perfectly, and even left space for speakers.

Redifer wrote: ...Also, the price is WAAAY TOO HIGH. Costing around 2x as much as an equivalent self-built PC. Too bad Apple won't let me build my own Mac.

In the announcement video they said the entry-level iMac Pro is $2000 cheaper than a tower computer with equivalent specs. Eight-core Xeons are not cheap, and whatever GPU is required to equal the performance of the 8/16GB Radeon Pro Vega would be expensive, likewise the SSD to match the iMac Pro's SSD performance would be expensive.

I'm not sure you could build a PC with equivalent specs for $2,500. I just went to Dell's site and the minimum Precision Workstation you can configure that equals the iMac Pro specs is at least $5000, and maybe considerably more depending on what GPU is required to match the Radeon Pro Vega -- and that does not include a high-quality 27" monitor.

FCPX.guru wrote: …Metal is an API to underlying technologies of macOS. FCPX & Motion tap into those technologies directly, they don't rely on Metal. I've had this confirmed to me by Apple. ...

… you frequently told us …
Listen to Mr Federighi, SVP Software Engineering , starting ~29:00 in the keynote, how he sees Metal

at 31:25 he says literally "Metal is not just about graphics…"
Fererighi mentioned eGPU, or shows DaVinci Resolve, and mentions ML/Machine Learning.
I can imagine, e.g. Voice Recognition should massively improve from ML

at 32:55
"We're optimising our pro-apps, e.g. FinalCut…" (mentions, <yawn> VR)

And wether FCPX profits from Metal, or HighSierra profits from Metal, and therefor FCPX just indirectly… c'mon

I guess we can all agree, macHighSierra will teach FCPX some new features.

Timing is interesting: public beta end of this month, release in Fall … that's 'fits' with the FinalCut Creative Summit in October

MacPro 2018:

the iMacPro looked interesting (apart from the fact the RAM is NOT user upgradable!) but I just saw this morning.. I have no idea where MacWorld get their info from but according to the article it was mentioned at the keynote last night.. well I didn't see it!

However, if this turns out to be true.. then forget the iMacPro.. Modular is key.

www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/new-mac-pro-...tures-specs-3536364/

In home page article Peter writes about limited RAM "we know some people have to cache their timelines whilst using other NLEs, but FCPX users won't see this as a problem."

why that ? (it was my understanding that FcpX as well caches images from the Timeline at first read .

StingRay wrote: … have no idea where MacWorld get their info .. then forget the iMacPro.. Modular is key.
…

I'm sorry to say, but that macworld article is a lukewarm reprise of the famous meeting of 5 journalists at Cupertino in April (for instance John Gruber reported in extenso about it), plus some vague speculations AND completely ignoring the new standards the iMacPro sets… (for instance max Ram)

'Modular' was promised by Phil Schiller … no news. But aside that, a new Mac Pro has to make some pull-ups to be 'better' than the actual announced maxed-out iMp ....

That was the older article but there was another that referenced/reviewed the iMac Pro but don't recall any instance of ram not being upgradeable. I suspect it will be upgradeable like the 5K iMac - just open the ram storage door in the back and swap it out.

Sorry. Here's the link:
www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/new-imac-201...-date-price-3511338/

archhill wrote: … iMac Pro b… I suspect it will be upgradeable like the 5K iMac…

nope.
not user upgradeable:
9to5mac.com/2017/06/05/imac-pro-ram-and-space-gray-accessories/

This was one of the most exciting WWDC in a long time, with many of the enhancements to macOS directly being beneficial to the things I do/FCPX. And the new Macs focusing on more graphics power was nice to see!

I think what might have happened is that Apple was planning to ditch the Mac Pro and was developing the iMac Pro when they realised that they need to have a modular version... so in that regard, even if it's good value for money it suffers from the exact same issues as the trash can Mac Pro, so it is just a stop gap between now and when the new Mac Pro is release (end of next year at the earliest is my guess).

I'm happy to see that the top 27" iMac now is €350-something cheaper than the earlier model, which means I could maybe afford it one day

iMac Pro is still an "iMac", not a "Mac Pro".

This is what I feel, going on what I've heard. Apparently Apple have had off-line meetings to discuss an update to the trashcan Mac pro. I' heard this somewhere online. I don't believe for one second Apple spent all that money designing it only to drop it at its first iteration.

The iMac pro is not a modular design and the current Mac Pro is certainly no less. modular.
With the iMac you are stuck with the monitor… With a Mac pro you are not.

We hear all this hype about it speed and about his design as we did with every iteration of a major Mac computer. I bet it has no real improvement over the current Mac Pro in terms of pound for pound, dollar for dollar . I'm currently running a Mac pro late 2013 eight core 32 gigs of RAM with FCPX.. and the only bottleneck I have on my Gtech hard drives . Rather than invest in the new system I would rather invest in a more expensive RAID array, then I'm sure I will get the performance I'm after.

The iMac Pro is going to smoke our 2013 Mac Pro "tubes". No doubt. The hardware is there to do it. The question is, how much hardware do you REALLY need to do the work that's paying your bills right now? My '13 Tube and Pegasus RAID are doing me just fine in my home studio. At the TV station, a '15 iMac with a hearty RAID5 is doing me splendidly. I'd only upgrade just to have fun.

When someone hits me up for serious VR video work, I'll seriously consider upgrading.