As part of the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit technology in macOS, you might see an alert in Final Cut Pro or Motion about legacy media files that won't be compatible with macOS Catalina.
Apple has released MacOS Catalina 10.15 GM Seed to users enrolled in the beta testing program. The GM seed carries build 19A582a and arrives just a few days after the 10th beta version was released for testing. Golden Master, abbreviated as GM, typically represents the final version of software that will be released to the public. MacOS 10.15.3 Catalina Final VMware & VirtualBox Image January 28, 2020. MacOS 10.15.3 Catalina Final (One Full — Google Drive) — The macOS Catalina VMware and VirtualBox image is the latest edition of macOS Catalina. If the newer version is out, we will keep you updated. To download, click the image and you may download it within an instant. MacOS Catalina Mac App Store Link. In order to download macOS Catalina over the air, just connect to the internet and follow the steps outlined below: Step 1. Launch System Preferences.
Before you upgrade to macOS Catalina, you can use Final Cut Pro to detect and convert all incompatible media files so they'll be compatible with future versions of macOS. After you upgrade to macOS Catalina, the option to convert the incompatible files will no longer be available.
To make sure any new media files you create are compatible with macOS Catalina, use cameras and media formats supported by Final Cut Pro, and use media formats supported by Motion.
When trying to play incompatible media in macOS Catalina, you might see an incompatible media message in the viewer if you haven't converted the media before upgrading to macOS Catalina.
When you import media or open a library in Final Cut Pro 10.4.7 or later in macOS Mojave 10.14.6, a window appears that lists any incompatible media files.
To convert incompatible media files immediately, click Convert in the window. Final Cut Pro creates copies of the media files in the Apple ProRes format, places them in the library’s current media storage location, and relinks clips in the library to the converted files.
If you choose Cancel, you can resume scanning the library and convert the incompatible files at any time in macOS Mojave:
Learn more about how Final Cut Pro detects and converts incompatible media files.
To convert incompatible media files detected in Motion and Compressor in macOS Mojave, use QuickTime Player to convert single files, or use Compressor to convert multiple files at once.
You can also use Final Cut Pro to manually identify the format or codec of any clip in your library:
When you create optimized media, Final Cut Pro makes copies of the original files in the Apple ProRes 422 format. These copies will be compatible with macOS Catalina. If you created optimized media, you should still convert the original files for future compatibility. When you convert the files, they will be in the same ProRes 422 format as the optimized media.
Final Cut Pro won't detect incompatible media used in Motion projects. To see if a Motion project uses incompatible Media, open it in Motion. A message will appear if incompatible media is detected. If incompatible media is present, you can use QuickTime Player or Compressor to convert incompatible media in the Motion project in macOS Mojave.
In macOS Mojave, you can use Compressor to transcode one or more media files into a supported format such as Apple ProRes, which preserves image quality and provides the best performance when editing in Final Cut Pro.
In macOS Catalina, you can't convert incompatible media with Compressor.
You can also convert incompatible media files in macOS Mojave by opening them with QuickTime Player (version 10.0 and later), then saving a copy with a new name. Versions of macOS after macOS Mojave will no longer support this method.
In macOS Catalina, you can't convert incompatible media with QuickTime Player.
These video, audio, still-image, and container formats don't rely on the QuickTime 7 framework, and are compatible with Final Cut Pro, Motion, and Compressor in macOS Catalina:
2 These formats are supported in Final Cut Pro and require additional software from the camera manufacturers.
In macOS versions up to and including macOS Mojave, third-party software has extended the QuickTime 7 framework to support many incompatible media formats. In macOS Catalina, the QuickTime 7 framework will no longer be available, so incompatible formats won't be supported in Final Cut Pro, Motion and Compressor.
Third-party developers may continue to offer compatibility with some formats by building support directly into their apps. Contact developers of third-party apps for more information about media formats supported in their apps.
Here are examples of media formats affected by this transition: