It’s common knowledge among post-production pros that 64-bit operating systems are the best choice for top-of-the-line performance, especially when producing HD or higher-resolution content. After 3 versions of simultaneous 64 bit and 32 bit support for After Effects and Premiere Pro, we wanted to let you know today that CS4 will be the last version of Adobe’s leading video applications to support 32 bit operating systems.

The majority of video professionals have already transitioned to 64-bit capable systems, including Mac OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, or 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Almost all Intel-based Macs are 64-bit friendly, and if you bought your PC after 2005, chances are it’s capable of running a 64-bit operating system (if it’s not already!).

New Macs run 64-bit directly; if you are buying a new PC, make sure to choose the Windows 7 64-bit version. You’ll see up to 200% performance gains on CS4 Production Premium immediately, and you’ll avoid having to upgrade the OS later.

By focusing exclusively on 64-bit operating systems and native 64-bit support for After Effects and Premiere Pro, we’ll be able to offer even better performance and large project stability for the industry by building on the support we have delivered for the last several development cycles.

We’ve optimized and architected the past three versions of Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects to deliver better performance on 64-bit operating systems, and our customers have seen significant productivity gains as a result. For example, HD workflows using CS4 Production Premium on a 64-bit system with 16GB RAM are 50% to 200% faster than they would be on a 32-bit system with 4GB of RAM. Performance gains include increased editing speed, rapid switching between tools, and faster rendering-leaving you more time to be creative.

Because of the dramatically superior performance native 64-bit OS support delivers, the CS4 releases are the last versions that will support 32-bit operating systems. Why? We believe that developing professional tools that leverage up-to-date hardware and operating systems is the best way to deliver great performance. We’ve heard loud and clear from our customers that performance is critical, and from a technology perspective, we know that only 64-bit operating systems are able to deliver the horsepower video professionals require. Our investment in developing the first truly native 64-bit professional video production tools sets the stage for the industry’s future by delivering the performance video pros require.

For more information on the benefits you’ll get from running Adobe software on a 64-bit operating system today and in the future, read our 64-bit whitepaper. For details on our move to 64-bit only in the future, check out our 64-bit FAQ.

Simon

Sr. Director of Product Management

Dynamic Media