Apple's Final Cut Pro rebuilt with 64 bit support

Apple tonight took the wraps off Final Cut Pro X, a new version of its professional video-editing software that the company says is a complete rewrite of the 12-year-old platform.

Final Cut X is a 64-bit application written in Apple's Cocoa. It sports a new interface, as well as features to speed up the editing process, including background rendering, full use of multicore processors, and Apple's Grand Central Dispatch system, as well as the option to make edits as footage is being imported.

Apple says the tool will be available to users in June as a direct download for $299, replacing the $199 Final Cut Express, and coming in at a steep discount compared with the company's $999 Final Cut Studio suite.