Hearsay: The real reason Apple dropped out of NAB
Filed under: Final Cut Studio, Opinion, Rampant Speculation, Rumors
Macenstein’s resident NAB correspondent, Agent W, has come through with a bit of NAB/Apple gossip that is too good to pass up. It should be noted that I actually know Agent W, and can vouch that he is a well respected industry insider who has been involved in the NAB scene since before I was born, so whether or not this info is accurate, I thoroughly believe HE believes it to be, and I certainly give it more weight than other random tips we receive.
“According to my most reliable sources — a friend of a friend of a guy who knows — the real reason Apple stayed home from the NAB show was a beef with show management; seems the Cupertino crowd wanted the same sort of discounts afforded some of the Japanese video superpowers. After pointing out (with characteristic humility) that lots of folks make the pilgrimage to NAB merely to see Apple, they let the organization challenge them to a game of chicken, and then called their bluff by pulling out. Of course, staying away wasn’t bravado, but a solid business decision; and it will be a similarly solid decision to return next year, once the NAB lays down and surrenders. At least that’s what they say…”
This seems thoroughly plausible, although I think the fact that Apple did not really have any new or exciting updates to its pro video apps to promote made the decision a little easier. Apple has played hardball with other, more Mac-focused conventions in the past (Cough! Macworld! Cough!) so it would not be the first time Apple took its ball and went home when it didn’t like the way the game was being played.
Rumor: Apple’s Blu-Ray plans revealed
Filed under: Doug's Rumor Corner, Final Cut Studio, Hardware, Rampant Speculation, Rumors
Anyone want a rumor? We got one, cheap.
Sighting “a source” and “info gleaned from various non disclosures”, faithful Macenstein tipster Doug has written us with what he claims is Apple’s forthcoming plan to offer a new Blu-Ray burner/NAS device geared toward video professionals and tying into the Final Cut Server line. As with all rumors we present, this one should be treated as bullshit until someone physically sees such a device for sale in an Apple Store. As the source himself says ” I have no way of determine if a product has been greenlighted, what price or release is…etc”. But hey, there are only so many pics of Paris Hilton you can put up in one day. Read and decide for yourself.
Apple’s Blu-Ray Solution
Many pundits and a small percentage of the public at large have been bemoaning the total absence of Blu-Ray in the Mac lineup. Pretty much every other PC vendor has addressed this, even if its a play-only BTO option. Why has Apple been ignoring (seemingly) Blu-Ray?
Not because they were waiting to see who won the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD war. If they were on a side, it was always going to be Blu-Ray. Its much simpler. Steve Jobs saw it as a product with no real demand. Who wants to watch HD on a small computer screen with tinny speakers? If you’re into Blu-Ray then you have a large, HD flat-screen at home, with surround sound, etc. You can share the experience with others while relaxing on the couch, instead of being tethered at your desk. Also, every Blu-Ray disc sold is one less iTunes sale or rental. And as for using it as a backup solutions, external hard drives are cheap, larger, reusable and faster.
Addressing the professional video segment is where Apple sees the Blu-Ray sweet spot. These folks have real Blu-Ray authoring needs that are currently being met by other vendors, even though they may otherwise be working in a completely Apple/Mac workflow.
Hell freezes over: Final Cut Server now shipping
Well, better extremely late than never…
Remember back at the 1939 World’s Fair when Apple announced Final Cut Server? Well, it is shipping TODAY! Sweet! Maybe this will put to rest the rumors Apple wants to sell off its Final Cut division for a week or two…
Apple today announced that Final Cut Server, a powerful software solution for media asset management and workflow automation, is now shipping. A scaleable server application, Final Cut Server automatically catalogs large collections of assets, allows searching across multiple disks and SAN volumes and enables viewing, annotation and approval of content from anywhere using a PC or Mac.
WTF? - Apple Drops Out of NAB 2008
Apple, who has traditionally had one of the largest booths at the NAB Tradeshow, has announced it will not be purchasing a booth at the event this year.
“Apple is participating in fewer trade shows this year,†said Anuj Nayar, senior manager of PR at Apple. “Often there are better ways to reach our customers. The increasing popularity of our retail stores and Apple.com Web site allows us to directly reach more than 100 million customers around the world in innovative new ways.â€
Given Apple’s huge push in recent years into the film/video/animation industry, this move is fairly major news. While this does not necessarily mean Apple will not conduct user groups or smaller hands-on events (although that quote does not sound promising), “scaling back” their presence at NAB is almost up there with “scaling back” their presence at Macworld.
It’s looking like this year’s NAB will not be the hotbed of digital editing that it was n years past, as only a few months ago, Avid announced it too would not have an NAB booth this year.
Looks like shouldn’t be expecting any huge updates to the Final Cut suite this April.
[UPDATE: TVTechnoogy is reporting that the NAB' Dennis Wharton has confirmed Apple's pullout, but adds that "We’re talking about some on-site business opportunities with Apple." So take from that what you will. Hopefully there will be some sort of Apple presence at the event, although no floor presence.]
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