sharronsuss
Level 1 (13 points)

Q: Upgrade FCE 3.5 to FCE 4.0?

I purchased FCE 3.5 in November 2007 with my original underwater video setup.

 

I'm finally ready to upgrade to FCE 4.0 now! (Long story, related to output from newer videocams...)

 

I think I should be entitled to this upgrade for free.  How do I do it?

 

If anybody knows the answer it would be someone on this forum - I'd be very grateful for any practical solution.

 

Sharron Sussman

Posted on Feb 17, 2014 8:34 PM

by MartinR,Solvedanswer
MartinR MartinR
Level 6 (14,891 points)
A:

At one time long ago there was an upgrade from FCE v3.5 to FCE 4 but it was never free.  And since FCE was discontinued back in 2011 the only way you can still get FCE is in the used or resale market.    Try eBay.  Keep in mind there is no guarantee you will be able to install or run FCE on Lion, Mt. Lion or Mavericks.

 

It would be advisable to make the transition to Final Cut Pro X, which is the current software from Apple and supported on current versions of OS X.

Posted on Feb 18, 2014 5:26 AM

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sharronsuss

Q: Upgrade FCE 3.5 to FCE 4.0?

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  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Feb 17, 2014 9:11 PM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Feb 17, 2014 9:11 PM in response to sharronsuss

    FCE has been discontinued for years now.

     

    If you want v4, start looking on eBay. It will not be free.

     

    Otherwise, FPX is available for $300

     

    x

  • by MartinR,Solvedanswer

    MartinR MartinR Feb 18, 2014 5:26 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 6 (14,891 points)
    Feb 18, 2014 5:26 AM in response to sharronsuss

    At one time long ago there was an upgrade from FCE v3.5 to FCE 4 but it was never free.  And since FCE was discontinued back in 2011 the only way you can still get FCE is in the used or resale market.    Try eBay.  Keep in mind there is no guarantee you will be able to install or run FCE on Lion, Mt. Lion or Mavericks.

     

    It would be advisable to make the transition to Final Cut Pro X, which is the current software from Apple and supported on current versions of OS X.

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 19, 2014 12:06 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 19, 2014 12:06 AM in response to sharronsuss

    Thank you both for replying.  Actually, at one time long ago about six weeks after I purchased FCE 3.5, FCE 4.0 was introduced.  I was entitled to a free upgrade then, but was just making some progress with FCE and elected not to take advantage of it, newbie that I was.  That was then, this is now.  It's not about free, it's about what's possible!

     

    I have been told that FCP X will import project files from FCE 4.0 but not from FCE 3.5  That's why I want a copy of FCE 4.0, as an intermediate step in converting some very large - essentially archival - FCE project files into a form that FCP X (and hopefully whatever comes next} will read.

     

    I am currently running FCE 3.5 without problems in Snow Leopard.  As MartinR warned, FCE indeed wouldn't run under Mountain Lion on my late 2007 MBP. Does Snow Leopard support FCP X? 

     

    I'd like to buy a new camcorder- a Canon G20 and associated underwater housing - for reasons of image quality and the more efficient and energy-efficient.workflow of random-access media.  The Canon outputs MPEG4 HD files.  But I don't want to lose my older project files.

     

    Can I get there from here? 

     

    Would really appreciate help in formulating a plan.

     

    Thanks,

    SS

  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Feb 19, 2014 5:35 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Feb 19, 2014 5:35 AM in response to sharronsuss

    Final Cut Pro X requires OSX 10.9. It will not install on 10.6

     

    Do you really need to bring old projects into the new editior?

     

    One solution is to run two systems - one with FCE and a new(er) computer that will run FPX.

     

    While the projects from FCE will not move forward, the material will work in current software.

     

    x

  • by MartinR,Helpful

    MartinR MartinR Feb 19, 2014 6:18 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 6 (14,891 points)
    Feb 19, 2014 6:18 AM in response to sharronsuss

    Here's what I did - I have kept two Macs on 10.6.8 specifically for use with Final Cut Express (4.0.x).  For the forseeable future, they remain my video workstations.

     

    I have not heard of any effective way to migrate FCE projects into FCPX.  You can reuse the source media files, but not the FCE projects themselves.  There is an app called 7toX that can convert Final Cut Pro 7 XML files into FCPX projects but as far as I know it does not work with FInal Cut Express projects.

     

    (I have not yet made the move to Final Cut Pro X for three primary reasons and a myriad of minor reasons. There is much to admire about FCPX but there is also much to loathe.)

     

    ps.  The Canon HF G20 is an AVCHD camcorder, so it should work fine with Final Cut Express 4.x

  • by Ian R. Brown,

    Ian R. Brown Ian R. Brown Feb 19, 2014 10:49 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 6 (18,660 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 19, 2014 10:49 AM in response to sharronsuss

    Will you really need to do any complex editing in the future on your current projects?

     

    Most likely not.

     

    I would simply export your projects as QT Movies in the same quality as the source material/project.

     

    If necessary you will be able to import them into FCP X and cut them up and add bits.

     

    The only thing you won't be able to do is readjust any transitions, effects or background music in them  ..........  unless you haven't edited tightly, in which case you could cut out transitions and insert new ones losing about a second from the ends of the clips.

     

    In any case you should have your original material on tape which you could use for re-edits.

     

    Regarding FCP X, most people who use it regard it as the best thing since sliced bread and I suspect a little hyperbole in Martin's use of "loathe".

     

    True there are minor niggles but tremendous advantages  ........  it's rather like complaining that your new Rolls Royce doesn't give you the same sensation of "fresh-air" that you got pedalling your old bike.

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 25, 2014 12:37 PM in response to MartinR
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 12:37 PM in response to MartinR

    Thanks Martin -

     

    You answered one burning question I hadn't quite gotten around to asking - whether FCE 4.0 would work with Canon G20 output.

     

    I only have one Mac, running 10.6.8, and it's my video workstation.  How complicated will it be to install FCE 4.0 on it?  Is it an "upgrade" or do I need to remove 3.5 and do a new installation?  I don't have a good mental picture of how to import (upload? capture?) the FCE 3.5 project files into 4.0 - can I just save them to an external drive and import them when I've installed FCE 4.0?  Or do I need to hunt down another Mac that will run Snow Leopard?

     

    And is eBay really my only option for buying a good copy of 4.0?  I would think there are a lot of people on this forum who will never use FCE 4.0 again and might be willing to sell their copy to me.

     

    My objectives are to maintain access to my old project files AND to upgrade my videocam and housing to a non-tape, higher-quality-image system, AND to be able to edit it all with one editing program.  

     

    Sharron

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 25, 2014 12:52 PM in response to Ian R. Brown
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 12:52 PM in response to Ian R. Brown

    Thanks for reply, Ian -

     

    Unfortunately, I DO expect to be editing material from my older projects in the future.  A "project" as I have set it up is a sorted collection of species-identified clips from a specific region where I've been diving, sometimes repeatedly.  Fish, invertebrates, pinnipeds, corals, etc., sometimes even other divers...

     

    I always thought when I got too old to dive I'd still be able to use this archive to make short videos sharing the underwater world with friends, associates and family.  I'm just trying to preserve that option - and buy a better camera too, while I can still use it!

     

    Sharron

  • by Studio X,

    Studio X Studio X Feb 25, 2014 1:04 PM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 1:04 PM in response to sharronsuss

    You miss the point of the suggestions.

     

    You CAN use old clips in new NLE software. You just can't open the Projects.

     

    For example, I have a bunch of clips I recorded 10 years ago around a certain event. I edited those clips into a project using Premiere 4 on a PC then output a final version.

     

    If I wanted to go back to that project, it will not open on my Mac. However, I still have direct access to ALL the clips I recorded during that event. I simply import them into whatever new project I need them and keep going. The downside is they are all going to be DV/NTSC instead of some variety of HD, but that is what was recorded and there are ways to work around using SD material in HD timelines.

     

    x

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 25, 2014 2:22 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 2:22 PM in response to Studio X

    Thanks for trying to help me - it wouldn't be the first time I've missed a fundamental point!

     

    But simply importing clips, either from the original tapes as shot (on a Sony HDR/HC7 & HC9) or from the QT movies on the Capture Scratch (media) drives, isn't enough.  It would mean repeating an enormous amount of work already done.   I use the Log Note field for descriptive metadata, along with Duration, Good and Master Clip, and organize all the clips in the project based on mostly biologic criteria. Clip Name is used for location and date info.  It seemed like a good method at the time.

     

    For instance, If I want to make a video about sea turtles,  I can easily find, all the green sea turtles I've shot in the Philippines, in the Western Pacific project file, and  then go to the Cozumel project file (and associated media drives) for all the hawksbill turtles.. 

     

    I don't think there's any metadata on the media drives or the tapes.  And remember with HD tape in FCE 3.5 you basically push the Capture button and capture the whole tape!  I have about 3.5 TB of media, classified and organized only in the project files.  Without the metadata, it's a library without a catalogue, a fair amount of which is junk ("NG" in the Log Note field...)

     

    I would be delighted to be wrong about this...

  • by Studio X,Helpful

    Studio X Studio X Feb 25, 2014 3:05 PM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 7 (27,074 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 3:05 PM in response to sharronsuss

    You were using FCE as a DAM (Digital Assetts Management) system and, for that to work, you have to stay in the FCE ecosystem. I doubt that metadata would transfer into FCX but I could be wrong.

     

    If you need to stay in FCE for the time being, your only real option is to see if you can find version 4 on ebay. Understand that its life span is limited by your hardware.

     

    Back to the DAM issue, I would suggest picking up a copy of Lightroom 5 and Premiere Pro CC. Lightroom is an image and video database app (that does a bunch more but it is a really powerful cataloging system) and Premiere will allow you to edit like you did in FCE. FPX is a very very different beast and I am not at all enthusiastic about how it handles media.

     

    Good luck,

     

    x

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 25, 2014 6:22 PM in response to Studio X
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 25, 2014 6:22 PM in response to Studio X

    That's a very interesting suggestion.

     

    Do you use LR/Adobe Premiere Pro on a Mac or a PC - or both?

     

    I have checked out the Adobe helpx Pro Topics and System Requirements sites:  to get FCE3.5 project files into Premiere Pro I would have to get them first into FCE 4.0 and then FCP, from which they can be exported as XML files into Premiere Pro.

     


    Two questions arise:  which versions of FCP can export XML files to Premiere Pro? and are the XML project files imported into Premiere Pro also imported into Lightroom?

     

    I think the first thing I need to do is probably get hold of a good copy of FCE 4.0, which is the essential start point for moving my project files forward. 

     

    Any further thoughts or suggestions appreciated. 

     

    Thanks,

    Sharron

  • by Ian R. Brown,

    Ian R. Brown Ian R. Brown Feb 26, 2014 12:15 AM in response to sharronsuss
    Level 6 (18,660 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 26, 2014 12:15 AM in response to sharronsuss

    Here's another suggestion but you might find it too horrific to contemplate  .  .  .  .  what about decimating your clip collections?

     

    The curse of video is that it is virtually free.

     

    In the days of film, the price was so prohibitive,  we had to think carefully about what we shot, but with video we can capture hours of footage which tends to be excessively repetitive.

     

    Like many other amateurs, I am loathe to delete any clips because (in my mind) they are all extremely valuable, even the rare dodgy ones!

     

    The truth is that probably 90% of them could be trashed and our audiences would be eternally grateful.

     

    If you can make yourself view them objectively, you will see that  sequences lasting minutes can frequently be reduced to a few seconds with great effect.

     

    I am suffering the same problem with my 2 year old grandson. I'm shooting hours of video which is technically good but artistically unbelievably boring  .  .  .  .  even to other family members.

     

    You can always keep the tapes for the unlikely occasion when you may need them but chop the catalogued clips down to the valuable highlights.

  • by sharronsuss,

    sharronsuss sharronsuss Feb 26, 2014 2:11 PM in response to Ian R. Brown
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Feb 26, 2014 2:11 PM in response to Ian R. Brown

    You are absolutely right, Ian!  And one of the main reasons I'm on the move toward a non-tape-based camera now is to be able to capture selectively at the camera.  That is - to capture less, and better.

     

    I'm already consciously shooting less underwater - half as much the past 2 weeks in Wakatobi as I shot there 2 years ago. And I learned long ago how to back up over accidental footage (didn't realize the camera was still recording) on the fly, or rather, on the fin...

     

    But I agree - I am irrationally fond of these TBs of clips that constitute my first 6 years ever with a videocam. And the DAM system I seem to have created with FCE 3.5 has been very useful.  I can find what I want and pull the best bits out for short videos.  Too many clips is not really the problem.  But not to be able to use any of them at all would be sad.  And, as you suggested, 10-15% of them are quite good!

     

    If cross-platform incompatibilities don't preclude it, I am thinking about putting Lightroom on my 10.6.8/FCE 4.0 late 2007 MBP - after I upgrade 3.5 to 4.0 with the new upgrader that is now en route from Canada.  But not till after I'm shooting with the new camera. Maybe LR can facilitate a selective trimming of my fishy archive!

     

    Thanks,

    Sharron

     

    PS   Isaac Bashevis Singer said "In art, truth that is boring is not true."

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