June 24, 2024

Earlier this month, anger and distrust reigned as Adobe's Terms of Use were discovered to be far more intrusive than most of us expected. Adobe reacted to the outrage by revising and clarifying their Terms of Use. Here are the highlights:

1. Adobe does not own your content in any way.
2. All content stored on local devices cannot be monitored by Adobe.
3. All content stored on Adobe cloud services is licensed by you to Adobe for purposes of providing their services and meeting legal requirements, but you still own it.
4. Adobe does not use your content for training generative AI, unless you upload it to Adobe Stock.

Here's the link to their revised Terms of Use. Adobe now provides summaries of what the legal language means, especially check out sections 2.2 & 4.

Last week, Apple released new versions of Final Cut Pro (Mac & iPad), Compressor and Motion. Here's a list of what's new.

Link: Apple Updates Final Cut Pro, Compressor and Motion (June 2024)

It is good to see the extensive list of fixes to the application. New features are nice, but fixing bugs is critical. There's so much new that I summarized the new features and explained how they work.

Link: Key New Features in Apple Final Cut Pro 10.8 (Mac)

IMPORTANT CAUTION: With the FCP 10.8 update, Apple removed a key feature. Read my article below.

With the release of the latest version of Final Cut Pro, Apple updated its Pro Video codec to version 2.3.1. This explains how to verify installation and upgrade.

Link: https://support.apple.com/en-us/101631

In the news:

TVBEurope reports an increasing trend in broadcast worldwide to standardize on 1080p HLG HDR, rather than convert to 4K. HDR, it is felt, provides a better viewing experience than 4K. Already a major European sports franchise is moving back from 4K to 1080p. HLG HDR is easier for broadcasters to support than PQ.

Link: Why HDR is Better for Broadcast Than 4K

Link: UEFA Soccer Federation Standardizes on HD HDR, Not 4K

BorisFX released Continuum 2024.5, with AI-driven time warps, instant face detection and over 100 new presets.

Link: https://borisfx.com/products/continuum/

FXFactory released Soccer Tools, a high-quality graphics package for Final Cut Pro.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER7v6ewQWZE

VidOvation highlighted Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), Private 5G at the forefront of connectivity solutions, especially for live remote production scenarios. This eliminates interference, provides enhanced security, and improves reliability. 

Link: VidOvation Highlights 5G Connectivity Options

CAUTION: With the release of FCP 10.8, Apple removed the ability to burn DVDs. Here's what you need to know and a workaround.

Link: CAUTION: Apple Final Cut Pro (Mac) 10.8 No Longer Supports DVD Burning

In January, I tested how rendering affects export speed using ProRes in Final Cut Pro. Last week, Flick asked if it was possible to create either H.264 or HEVC render files to save time on exports. That resulted in this article.

Link: Faster Ways to Export H.264 and HEVC Video from Final Cut Pro

The brouhaha over Adobe's Terms of Use makes clear that licenses matter, that privacy matters, that who owns our content matters, and that how generative AI is trained matters. All too often, we click past these legal documents without reading them, only to discover later that we've given up rights to our content that we would never agree to if these documents were written more clearly and we actually read them.

The cloud is simply a server located somewhere else, run by people you don't know, with access to your data in ways you don't expect. Cloud services are often essential, but there's nothing wrong with being somewhat suspicious. I've canceled services like DropBox and Spotify because they collect too much data and do too much with it. Your data is yours - until you give it away.

Until next Monday, stay safe, stay healthy and edit well.

TUTORIALS & REVIEWS

» Apple Updates Final Cut Pro, Compressor & Motion (News)

  » Here's everything that's news, with links to Apple New Features pages

» Key New Features in Apple Final Cut Pro (News)

  » Here's what they are and how they work on the Mac.

» CAUTION: Final Cut (Mac) No Longer Burns DVDs (News)

  » Apple removed this feature. Here's a workaround.

» Is Adobe Accessing Your Private Data - Updated (News)

  » Adobe revised their Terms of Use. Here's the updated article.

» Faster Ways to Export H.264 and HEVC Video from Final Cut (Tutorial)

  » Yup. Some ways are faster than others.

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