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As you've acquired some broadcast experience, you'll know by now that frame accuracy has nothing to do with FCP but just that firewire cannot deliver the same results as professional device control protocols ie. RS-422. Describing FCP as "the best amateur system" has little meaning. It all depends what the setup is - unlike the various flavours of Avid (for example) the actual software/interface of FCP is exactly the same whether it's a HD or DV system. The current version of FCP can be used by an ambitious amateur, by Walter Murch and everyone between, including you.

BTW "Final Cut Extreme" has yet to be released, there are plenty rumour sites out there but until it's released it's all so much gossip. In the meantime FCP has been used for several years not only by several BBC departments but also Granada and many other broadcasters for everything from documentary to news and hi-end stuff. FCP has great flexibility particularly in effects and layering but the media management and list generation capability are still beaten by Avid. You picks your poison and live by the choice.

At the end of the day the question of whether work is "professional" or not has less to do with the bells and whistles and more with the skill of the editor.

Right enough a proffessional editor can do a proffessional job even on amateur systems like firewire based FCP set ups or on proffessional systems that use FCP as an interface.

I been using liquid for a number of years now and it's great.

By using both the CPU and GPU you get real-time effects no waiting.

I was using adobe but that's slow compared to liquid.

Avid Liquid7 gets my vote