Matrox MXO2 Mini - Matrox MXO2 Mini is the Missing Link in Your Tapeless Editing Workflow!
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Matrox MXO2 Mini is the Missing Link in Your Tapeless Editing Workflow!
Regardless of what tapeless formats you shoot on (P2, XDCAM, AVCHD, DSLR or H.264): what platform you use (PC or Mac, Workstation or Laptop) what NLE you edit with (Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer) the MXO2 Mini is the perfect HD monitoring solution for you. No other hardware is as powerful, flexible, portable or affordable.
With the Matrox MXO2 Mini you can monitor your timeline in full HD resolution on a flat screen HDTV via HDMI or component video. Matrox's exclusive monitor calibration utility lets you turn your off-the-shelf HDTV into a professional broadcast monitor suitable for color correcting and color grading. Using the Matrox MXO2 Mini as a preview output to an HDMI monitor allows you to use your workstation to spread your workspace over multimple computer monitors. The MXO2 Mini provides an additional full resolution HD output to your workflow. If you edit on a laptop, the MXO2 Mini gives you the same ability to output your timeline in full HD.
For under $500, the Matrox MXO2 Mini is the MUST HAVE hardware for your Adobe, Avid, or Apple editing suite. For just $599 the MXO2 Mini with MAX adds faster then realtime H.264 encoding!
Affordable HDMI/analog video and audio I/O with Matrox MAX for Lightning fast H.264 encoding!
Not only does Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX give you affordable HDMI and analog video and audio input and output for your favorite editing app, it also turbocharges your H.264 encoding for deliveries to the web, mobile devices, and Blu-ray – all in a convenient, portable breakout box.
Only Matrox I/O devices deliver H.264 video up to 5 times faster without sacrificing quality
If you’re delivering H.264 content for the web, mobile devices, Apple TV, and Blu-ray discs, you know how painful it can be to wait for the long encoding times needed to create high-quality video files using software only. You might even be tempted to sacrifice quality for speed. With Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX, you no longer need to even consider making that trade off.
Get the most from your favorite apps
Matrox MXO2 Mini amplifies your productivity with all the industry’s leading editing and content creation software for Mac and PC, as well as a wide variety of H.264 encoding, Blu-ray authoring, and streaming applications. Works great with Avid Media Composer & Symphony 6, Adobe Production Premium & Premeire Pro, Apple FCP & FCPX!
HOT PROMO! Matrox MXO2 Mini Max Available Now at Videoguys.com!
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MXO2MINIMAX/D (w PCIe card for desktops) $599
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MXO2MINIMAX/L (w Expresscard for laptops) $599
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MXO2MINIMAX/T (w Thunderbolt adapter) $699
Hurry! Orders your today - this is a limited time promotion!!
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I think it's time to start talking more about one of the most cost effective tools you can add to your HD video editing arsenal - the Matrox MXO2 Mini. There are lots of great features in this mighty mite, and I'm going to use this article to tell you all about them. We've had great success in the past using an FAQ format to better explain new products and technology, so we'll keep at it now.
What is the MXO2 Mini?
The MXO2 Mini is a portable I/O (input/output) device. It supports both Standard Definition and High Definition footage. On the SD side you get composite, S-Video and Component input and output. For HD you get Component and HDMI in and out. HDMI can of course also be used for SD footage, but I like to think of it as an HD interface.
How do I hook up the MXO2 Mini to my computer?
The MXO2 Mini is an external device that works with both desktops and laptops. It supports Windows (Windows 7, Vista & XP - including 64-bit) and Mac OSX (including Snow Leopard). The MXO2 Mini comes with your choice of PCIe adapter card for your desktop or ExpressCard/34 card for your laptop or NEW Thunderbolt adapter ($299 coming in July)
The Mini is flexible and portable. You can easily disconnect the Mini from one machine and attach it to any other, as long as one of the Matrox interface cards are installed in it. This means that you can use it with multiple machines, in different locations, in the field or in the studio. Just add an affordable adapter card (available for just $99.00 each) to any machine. It's that easy and inexpensive!
Matrox Delivers Thunderbolt Support for All MXO2 Devices!
Matrox Video Products Group announced at NAB 2011 Matrox MXO2 devices featuring the all-new Thunderbolt technology developed by Intel® and brought to market with collaboration from Apple.
Thunderbolt technology is a high-speed I/O technology running at 10 gigabits per second that brings together high-speed data transfer and high-definition (HD) display on to a single cable. It is currently available on the Apple MacBook Pro and newly annonce iMac line. The Matrox MXO2 devices provide broadcast-quality video and audio capture, monitoring, output, and H.264 encoding for use with leading editing and content creation applications.
What NLE software does MXO2 Mini Support?
Matrox Hardware is "Triple AAA rated" Now Supports Avid, Adobe & Apple!
The Matrox MXO2 Mini was the FIRST I/O device recommended by the big 3 NLE vendors Apple, Avid and Adobe. The MXO2 Mini with MAX is only one that gives you faster then real-time H.264 encoding! That is why we say Matrox MXO2 family of products are AAA rated. No other hardware company delivers accelerated encoding and AAA connectivity! So whether you use PC or Mac; Desktop or Laptop; Adobe, Avid, or Apple, an MXO2 family I/O box is the right choice for you!
Matrox MXO2 Mini for HD Monitoring with Avid Media Composer 5
Just as important was Avid's announcement with Matrox that the MXO2 Mini can now be used as an HD monitoring device! That's right, for under $500 you can monitor your timeline in full HD via your choice of either component video or HDMI. One important feature of Matrox MXO2 family of products that Avid editors are sure to appreciate is it's professional monitor calibration tool. Using this tool you can easily turn any flat panel HDTV into a broadcast monitor. Think about that. You can use an off the shelf HD LCD TV instead of spending thousands of dollars on an HD broadcast monitor. With the money you save on glass, you can get that new DSLR you've been coveting so badly!
Matrox Mini MAX hardware is now officially supported with Avid Media Composer 5.5!
Matrox announced support for the newly released Avid® Media Composer® V5.5 editing system. Matrox MXO2 Mini turns a user’s HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor with the unique Matrox HDMI Calibration Utilty. MXO2 Mini is a small, lightweight, external box which is ideal for file-based workflows in studio, on set, in the field and in OB vans. It provides HDMI, analog component, S-Video, and composite output and cross-platform support for Macs and PCs, laptops and workstations. Users can also take advantage of the Matrox Vetura Capture application for quick and easy capture to Avid DNxHD or other popular Avid-supported codecs. Media Composer V5.5 adds support for new 720p and 1080p workflows with Matrox MXO2 Mini including the ability to select PsF or true P output in 1080p modes.
“We spearheaded our openness initiative with the Matrox MXO2 Mini and this decision has proved very fruitful. This platform has given Avid Media Composer release 5.0 an excellent HDMI monitoring tool for digital workflows,” said David Colantuoni, Director, Product Management, Avid Technology. “In addition, our new release of Avid Media Composer 5.5 brings new format and frame rate support and unique H.264 delivery options with Matrox MAX technology. Our continuing relationship with Matrox is a benefit to our mutual customers.”
MATROX MXO2 Mini MAX now with Real-Time Editing for ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CS5/ CS5.5Matrox announced support for Adobe Creative Suite® 5.5 Production Premium software with the Matrox MXO2 family of I/O devices. The award-winning Matrox MXO2 devices provide cross-platform Mac and Windows support and can be easily moved among desktop systems in a facility, installed in an OB van, or taken on the road with a laptop. Key features include: full-resolution, full frame rate, multi-layer, realtime video editing via Matrox RT™ technology; lightning fast H.264 file creation for smart phones, iPad, the web, and Blu-ray via Matrox MAX™ technology; and professional audio and video input and output with 10-bit hardware up/down/cross conversion. In addition, the Matrox MXO2 devices ship with a variety of productivity enhancing applications: Matrox A/V Tools (PC) for fast capture/ playback of audio, video, and still frames, Matrox MAX H.264 Capture (PC) for direct capture to H.264 files, Matrox Vetura Capture (Mac) for quick and easy capture to a variety of QuickTime codecs, and Matrox Vetura Playback (Mac) for convenient playback of H.264 and .mov files.
"Having a range of I/O options is important for our customers," said Ginna Baldassarre, senior product manager for professional video editing at Adobe. "The unique features of the Matrox RT technology such as hardware encoding to popular formats gives our customers more capabilities for both Macintosh and Windows. Combined with software innovations such as the updated Mercury Playback Engine in Adobe Premiere® Pro CS5.5, we jointly provide productivity advantages that positively impact nearly every area of professional editing and I/O."
"Content creators catering to the broadcast market, in particular, will benefit from the tight integration of the new Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 software with Matrox MXO2 devices to view closed captioning data of SD and HD timelines on HD-SDI, SDI, or analog SD monitors," said Alberto Cieri, senior director of sales and marketing at Matrox. "In addition, they can simultaneously deliver HD and SD masters containing closed captioning."
The Matrox MXO2 platforms with MAX feature Matrox RT technology that enhances the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine to provide full-resolution, full-frame-rate, multi-layer, realtime video editing. Matrox RT technology is designed for use with or without the presence of GPU acceleration. It provides many of the benefits of GPU acceleration but works with any system, even laptops. It optimizes your system to output to professional monitors at full-resolution and full-frame-rate. In addition, Matrox RT provides advanced realtime Matrox Flex CPU effects such as primary and secondary color correction, smooth speed changes, and many more! We have added much more detailed information about the Matrox MAX RT engine for CS5 later on in this article.
What kind of HD workflows does MXO2 Mini support?
The MXO2 Mini supports HDV, XD CAM, DVC Pro HD, P2 and uncompressed HD. With the MXO2 Mini you can go directly from your Final Cut or Premiere Pro timeline out to your HD monitor via component and/or HDMI. I think it's important to note that both of these outputs are active at the same time, meaning you can simultaneously preview your timeline on your HDMI equipped HDTV while recording to an HD deck via the component output.
You can capture HD footage into your NLE via the MXO2 Mini's HDMI or Component video input.
Does MXO2 Mini Support ProRes?
Absolutely! In fact you can capture directly into ProRes via the Mini's HDMI or Component inputs if you have a fast enough Mac (4 cores or more).
While you edit, your ProRes HD timeline will play out directly via the MXO2 Mini's outputs. Matrox supports all the new ProRes flavors introduced as part of the new Final Cut Studio 3 with the exception of ProRes 4444.
How do you capture HD with Adobe Premiere Pro on Windows?
MXO2 Mini gives you two options for HD capture in Adobe Premiere Pro. You can capture uncompressed HD or you can capture into the Matrox MPEG2 HD CODEC. The Matrox MPEG2 HD CODEC allows you to variably set the bit rate and has been used in Matrox's Axio and RT.X line of products for years. It is tested and proven in even the most demanding broadcast environments.
Does Matrox MXO2 Mini support AVCHD?
If you're working with AVCHD, you can capture the footage using the MXO2 Mini via the HDMI or Component video input into ProRes with Apple Final Cut or the Matrox MPEG2 CODEC as mentioned above with Adobe Premiere Pro.
The MXO2 Mini also supports CineForm NeoScene and NeoHD. You can't use the Matrox MXO2 Mini to capture directly into the CineForm CODEC yet, but Matrox and CineForm are working together to add that support to the MXO2 Mini with CineForm's NeoHD. For now, you need to convert your AVCHD files into CineForm's CODEC and then edit them with Adobe Premiere Pro. This conversion is faster than realtime and an hour of AVCHD footage usually takes between 20-30 minutes to convert, depending on the speed of your computer. Your CineForm timeline will then play out through the MXO2 Mini's HDMI or Component video outputs.
Videoguys' Tech Note: Cineform NeoScene and NeoHD are available for the Mac but have not been tested with the Matrox MXO2 Mini with Apple FinalCut Pro at the time of this article.
The advantage of using CineForm over native AVCHD is that it is a better compression for video editing. AVCHD is amazing and it packs a ton of exquisite HD footage into very small files. Unfortunately these files require a ton of horsepower to edit. Even with a powerful machine editing more then 2 layers of AVCHD footage becomes problematic. You'll see sluggish timeline performance and jittery previews. The CineForm CODEC is practically lossless. Your video will look just as spectacular, in full 1920 x 1080 resolution, only it will be much easier to edit. You'll even be able to handle multiple layers of CineForm HD footage with filters and effects on a Core i7 machine.
What does up/down convert and cross convert mean in the MXO2 Mini Specs?
Great question and one that is causing lots of confusion. The MXO2 Mini will allow you to convert from one format to another during capture or output. This is done on the fly utilizing the Matrox MXO2 Mini hardware at 10-bits. For example, if you have an HD timeline that you need to output to SD you can just use the Matrox MXO2 Mini to down-convert your HD footage to SD on the fly as you output and you won't need to re-render your project.
Cross conversion means you can output a 720p timeline as 1080i and vice versa. This can save you a tremendous amount of time if your customer, client or boss requires a specific output format that doesn't match your original footage. No need to re-render, just let the MXO2 Mini do the heavy lifting!
Videoguys' Tech Note: The MXO 2 Mini will not convert or accelerate the rendering of your timeline from one format to another. The MXO2 Mini does it's conversion magic during capture or output.
What is Matrox MAX Technology and why do I want it?
Matrox MAX technology is a special hardware chip that gives you H.264 acceleration. There is a version of the Matrox MXO2 Mini with MAX that has this hardware built right into the box and is available for only $400 more than the standard MXO2 Mini.
MAX allows you to encode your video to H.264 for Blu-ray, Flash or YouTube at faster than real-time! How fast is it? Right now a fully loaded 8-core Mac Pro tower will take several hours to encode one hour of ProRes HD video to H.264 - with the Matrox Max it will take less then an hour! That's right faster then real-time encoding - even on a slower Mac.
At the 2010 NAB SHOW, Matrox announced that the MXO2 Mini with MAX would support the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine. You may use a Matrox MXO2 family I/O device with Matrox MAX technology to tap into the Mercury Playback Engine and deliver multiple layers of AVCHD or DSLR footage with full speed, HD playback to an HDMI enabled flat panel display. Cool! Combine it with a CUDA graphics card and you'll get an amazing level of real-time performance!
Note: Initially the Matrox MAX RT Mercury Engine will be for Windows only.
What is H.264?
H.264 is an encoding standard used to produce the very highest quality Blu-ray and web based video. It is used by Hollywood and the networks to provide the highest possible image quality in the smallest possible file sizes. That means it is very highly compressed video. As a result encoding your HD video to H.264 gives you the very best possible quality video but, unfortunately, H.264 encoding takes lots of computer power and rendering time. The MXO2 family of products with MAX technology massively accelerate your H.264 encoding.
Can I buy the Matrox MXO2 Mini now and upgrade it with MAX later?
Not exactly. When you purchase the MXO2 Mini you have to decide if you want it with or without MAX technology. Unfortunately you can't upgrade an MXO2 Mini to a Mini MAX. The MAX chips are integrated into the main circuit board during manufacturing.
If you decided to buy an MXO2 Mini without MAX now and you want to add it later, you do still have an option if you are using a workstation. You can add the Matrox Compress HD card ($495) and it will deliver the full range of MAX features plus the added benefit of being able to encode in the background while you are using your MXO2 Mini for monitoring the output of your timeline!
What is the difference between the MXO2 Mini and the other flavors of MXO2?
The difference in the MXO2 family of products is the input & output options available on them. The features, capabilities, performance and power of all of the MXO2 family of products are exactly the same.
The MXO2 LE adds support for SDI I/O. SDI stands for Serial Digital Interface and it is used with broadcast gear. If you do not have decks or camcorders that require SDI, then you do not need to step up to the MXO2 LE. The MXO2 Mini has everything you need!
- If you need SDI then the MXO2 LE at under $1,000 is a fantastic choice. It also adds RS422 deck control and XLR Audio.
- The MXO2 adds additional audio I/O and SDI channels.
- The MXO2 Rack adds even more audio I/O and genlock loop-thru in a rugged rack mount design for broadcast environments.
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MXO2 Mini
$449.00 |
MXO2 LE
$995.00 |
MXO2
$1,595.00 |
MXO2 Rack
$1,995.00 |
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| Video Inputs | ||||
| Composite & Y/C |
YES
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YES
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YES
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YES
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| Component HD/SD |
YES
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YES
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YES
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YES
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| HDMI |
YES
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YES
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YES
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YES
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| SDI |
YES
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YES
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YES
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| Audio Inpu |
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