Rendering...

In Final Cut Pro, when you perform a render operation, the program gives you an ETA for completion: 15 minutes, 45, minutes, 2 hours... (Just like most programs that perform long tasks.)

The estimate usually turns out to be pretty accurate, though it often takes a minute or two for FCP to calibrate its prognosis properly. I've seen the ETA jump from 2 hours down to 5 minutes, after a few seconds- the estimation algorithm seems to require more information to make an accurate guess than it has when it first gives it a shot.

I'm working on a project with some pretty complex graphic work, which means long render times. I just began a render that FCP initially estimated would take 2 days to complete- and it literally said "2 days", not "24 hours".

That's pretty cool, and it made me wonder: did the FCP programmers add in logic for "weeks"? "Months"? "Buy a new computer"?