MXO or MXO2

Hi All,

I currently edit with a MacBookPro 15'' 2.33GHz. I monitor the video on the MBPro screen and I have my timeline on an additional Samsung monitor.

I have done the best I can to calibrate the MBPro screen (playing DVDs on the screen and matching the colour with what I see on a TV playing the same DVD) -not perfect but a lot of what I do is for web anyway. I always check any DVD versions by burning a test copy and checking the colours/levels on several different TVs around the house, making any changes if necessary.

Now it's time to take things up a notch and I want to either get an MXO and Apple Cinema Display or wait for the MXO2 and get a LCD with HDMI in.

The only thing is I'm likely to be moving to a MacPro in the next 12 months so I want whatever I do to work with that too.

So can I get an Express card adapter for the MacPro and if so is it likely to work with the MXO2 or is it best just to go with the MXO?

Another factor... I have an XLH1 so I guess the opportunity for HDSDI in on the MXO2 is another factor in its favour -for the occasional studio-bases chromakeying.

I suppose this is a decision I'm really going to have to make on my own but does anyone have any input that might help?

Many thanks,
James

Personally, I'd get the MXO2, no question as I'd be more interested in its I/O features than its ability to make a 23" Apple Cinema Display or Dell Ultrasharp monitor look like an almost-reference LCD.

You have to ask yourself the same question. What is the primary purpose for the purchase? DO you have a compatible Cinema Display or Dell monitor. Is reference color correction what you need? Do you need I/O support, or will you be looking at an AJA Kona or Blacmagic Decklink solution or similar anyway?

FWIW I believe the MXO is set to ship with the ExpressCard adapter in the box

Thanks for the response Andy,

I was leaning towards the MXO2 for just that reason. For the moment colour reference is my main aim with the I/O for HDSDI being a benefit for the future. I work almost exclusively in DV/HDV at the moment.

As I said, the I/O will only really be used for studio-based chromakey with the XLH1 which I'm not planning on doing that often and I could always hire a HVX200(a) if I need to do chroma.

I don't currently have a ACD or Dell.

>FWIW I believe the MXO is set to ship with the ExpressCard adapter in the box<

To confirm, are you saying the MXO2 ships with an adapter to allow you to use it with a MacPro (tower) as well as a Macbook Pro? If that's the case I think MXO2 wins.

yes, sorry, the MXO2 is noted to ship with the ExpressCard adapter ... if you are looking to use the unit to provide a well calibrated HD reference display then you will need a high quality HDMI compatible display. At this point I don;t think Matrox have recommended any specific models as being fully tested and compatible but I dare say they will once it starts shipping ... which brngs up another valid consideration. There is always something better just around the corner (except for wives of course) ... the MXO2 is not yet shipping and until it does then none of us can really know whether in fact ever will come to market and if it will live up to the hype. Until it ships its just a balsa wood cutout.

>There is always something better just around the corner<

That is a good point. I suppose if I go the MXO way all I end up buying is a 23'' ACD and the MXO (at $1100ish) and the ACD (at $1000) will always be useful as a computer display.

Also, it takes a while for newly released products to make it to my home market so I could be looking at 4 months or so before I can even get my hands on the MXO2, let alone the "beta-stage drivers being tested by paying customers stage" (I had a Matrox RT2000 back when they first came out and I remember all the mess, work-arounds and frequent downloads at dial-up speed that involved).

In the meantime I could save myself hours of re-compressing those test DVDs by investing in the MXO -time which will pay for the MXO many, many times over.

There we go then, decision made (unless anyone has any thing else to say!!)

If you need to capture footage from HD SDI, HDMI or Analog, then get the MXO2. If all of your captures can be done via firewire, then the MXO2 is a good option.

They are both very different boxes, so they serve very different purposes. Figure out what you need and then the device to suit your needs.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

That makes sense Shane, thank you.

Yes I think the MXO will suit me for the foreseeable.

Andy Mees wrote >make a 23" Apple Cinema Display or Dell Ultrasharp monitor look like an almost-reference LCD<

Not wishing to start controversy, IYO, is almost-reference good enough for web and DVD colour assessment?

James

BTW, great interview on [www.macvideo.tv] !!

Web...tough, because computer monitor gamma differs from TV and HDTV gammas. But for DVD, heck yeah.

[library.creativecow.net]


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Weird idea

has anybody thought about use two MXO N°1 on a 30" Display ?
could it work ?

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

>Web...tough, because computer monitor gamma differs from TV and HDTV gammas<

This I have noticed -that's why every .flv (or whatever the client wants) gets checked on my MBPro (built in screen and Samsung monitor), Sony Vaio and HP laptop -although now I think about it I don't have a VGA CRT... does anyone still use those?

The MXO is single DVI, not Dual DVI. It will not work on the 30" monitors.

It works best on the 23" monitors, because it is a pixel for pixel mapping of the data. The ACD and Dell are 1920x1200, so there is a small amount of unused space.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

We've been working with the folks over at Matrox to put together the MXO2 FAQ

[www.videoguys.com]

I think you'll find a lot of useful info about the new MXO2. Now all we need is for MAtrox to start shipping it. Latest word we have is that it is stall a few weeks away.

Gary
Videoguys.com 800 323-2325

great job !

reading it, the main question remains though :

will MXO2 provide the same accurate monitoring on a desktop monitor via HDMI that MXO offers via DVI ?

( de-interlacing, aterfact removing, color calibration)



and what about "PAL" (say 25f/s 50i users ?) ADC & Dell don't show the proper refreshing rate..

is MXO 2 tested in lab with a monitor like Eizo Color Edge CG241 ?

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

MXO2 handles only Monitors with HDMI from what I can tell. Its a different beast than the MXO. I'd look at the specs over on the MXO site starting with this.

[www.matrox.com]

Michael Horton
-------------------

The MXO2 HDMI output will not work with computer type HDMI monitors. The reason being that those monitors expect a 1920x1200 signal. The MXO2 sends out a video signal of 1920x1080, 1280x720, 720x486 and 720x576.
We don't have one of those Eizo Color Edge CG241 monitors in our labs but since it is a 1920x1200 monitor it will not be supported with the MXO2.


cheers,

Joe



Joseph Trepanier
Product Specialist
Matrox Video Products Group

thank you Joseph for the precise answer.

Does it mean that MXO 2 will only output to high end hight def monitors ?

I consider trying an MXO 1 with "this pal refreshing" Eizo monitor

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

No...the MXO 2 will output to HDMI monitors...all sorts of plasmas and LCDs. Input from HDMI too. And then also input/output component, composite, S-video and SDI.

But for accurate color correction monitoring, yes, it will only work with pro monitors.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

So get both and swap them out. Matrox would love that.



Michael Horton
-------------------

If monitoring on an ADC plus a capture from tape solution is required...
Why not both gears ?

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

so my question Joe, is can I get one in time for the Olympics .. and if so, where can I get one in Beijing?

The MXO2 is not shipping yet. Can't get it anywhere. I'd imagine an MXO could be had in China. Go to their web site and look up an Asian Reseller.

Michael Horton
-------------------

cheers Milke
an MXO2 is what I need tho, not an MXO
(sadly) I know its not yet shipping, t'was just an opportunity to give them a 'hurry up' kind of poke! :-)
... and who knows maybe they have a pre-release unit they'd like me to test (yes please Joe)
best
Andy

excuse me Joe but I am back on that native 1920x1200 versus 1920x1080 required for HD video pro.

a native 1920x1200 monitor is able to display 1920x1080 anyway ... I am right ? Dvi or HDMI *

are you saying that this way of monitoring wouldn't be accurate enough ? not pixel to pixel ?

and therefore Mxo 2 would be to picky to send an HDMI signal to such a monitor ?

----------------------
* after all : Apple Cinema displays are 1920x1200 and are recommended for MXO 1, (of course througt DVI there would be an other process I guess)

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

Since the last post about this issue we have done some more testing and can now say that any HDMI monitor that can accept a 1920x1080 signal via HDMI should work with the MXO2. So even if your monitors native resolution is 1920x1200 but supports a 1920x1080 signal you will be able to drive it with the MXO2.

As for pixel to pixel mapping this would depend on the model of the monitor. Many monitors have a dot by dot setting which should show you the exact 1920x1080 resolution in the 1920x1200 display space leaving small black bars at the top and bottom of the monitor.

Cheers,

Chris Ellis
Product Specialist
Matrox Video Products Group