Summary Avid’s Xpress Pro system continues to add refinements, including new video format and Macintosh OS X support. Xpress Pro 5.6 provides a wide range of professional editing features and the lowest cost entry into the Avid editing world. However, the Mac version of Xpress Pro does not have as full a feature set as Apple’s comparably priced Final Cut Pro Studio suite.
What's Missing
Third-party hardware support, Digi 002 support on the Mac, Universal software format for Intel-based Macs
Ratings: Products are rated for features, performance, ease of use and overall value.
Specs
Dual 3.2 or 3.6 GHz Xeon processor OR Pentium M 1.8 GHz processor (mobile configurations)
Windows XP Professional w/Service Pack 2
2 GB minimum RAM (3 GB recommended for HD and high-stream count SD projects)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3450, 3400, 1400 or 1300
Built-in FireWire
40 GB or larger hard drive for program, additional storage for video
CD or DVD-ROM drive
Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later. (NOTE: Earlier versions of Mac OS X are not supported)
Any dual G5 processors from 2.0 to the Quad 2.5 GHz processors
Minimum Mac system memory 2 GB, 3 GB recommended
Working with XDCAM or P2 footage? This version now supports those formats, so you no longer have to transcode your files before dropping them on your timeline.
MAC-Ready, with an Impressive Array of Video Format Support
Erik Holsinger
September 1, 2007 Source: Studio Monthly
This is our third outing with Avid’s Xpress Pro software, which is now available on the Mac OS X platform. Since our last review, Avid has been busy adding more video format support, as well as upgrading the core processing from 8-bit to 10-bit. Xpress Pro was Avid’s first attempt at providing competition for Apple’s Final Cut Pro package, offering many features passed down from the Media Composer line. Now that Media Composer is available as software, Xpress Pro is being positioned as more of an offline system.
Access to the last 90 days of content is always free. Paid subscribers can access older stories as part of their membership.
Avid Xpress Pro can work with multiple video formats on the same timeline.
Stand Out Titling Tools
Xpress Pro’s impressive titling tool, Marquee, creates and animates both 2D and 3D titles.
Comments (2) for "REVIEW: Avid Xpress Pro 5.6"
1.
A un-usually narrow review from SD that makes it obvious the reviewr hasn't used a wide variety of NLE's. "Xpress Pro has one feature the other software-based NLEs can’t touch, and that’s the ability to mix different video formats on the same timeline." Really? Sony's Vegas has had a complete format, codec and resolution independent timeline for more than 5 years with significantly better RT performance than Xpress Pro. Likewise Premiere Pro for the past 2 versions can easily mix resolutions, SD to HD in different codecs. The only NLE that has been WAY WAY WAY behind the game on this is Final Cut Pro; an issue only recently addressed with FC6 but which is still not nearly as effective as the open timelines of PremPro, Vegas and Avid. But to suggest that Avid have a unique position on this is just ill-informed.
Posted by Mike Jones on Monday, October 8, 2007 @ 12:13 AM
2.
Premiere Pro can easily mix resolutions by what definition? Yes you can mix resolutions and it can playback sort of the moment you try introducing any kind of effects just plain slows down. Try dropping an HDV,DV and HD Mpeg on a Pro timeline and add a colour correct and try playing it back in real time. It will choke. Xpress Pro on a lesser machine can handle the playback without choking and on a weaker machine. AVID handles more formats the pro noticeably XDCAM HD (need to spend 5 grand for that option.) FCP and Xpress Pro does it natively.
Posted by Vencer on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 @ 02:46 PM
