Report from NAB 2006 – new Matrox products!
(Having just returned from the NAB 2006 show in Las Vegas, DigiTek Systems' President Matt Drabick sums up the hot new Matrox products that he saw.)
Matrox announced two hot, new products at NAB 2006:
Coming soon after the recently-released Matrox Axio LE editor, the RT.X2 promises to be as successful as it immediate predecessor, the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro and even the earlier RT2500 and RT2000!
Unlike those earlier cards, however, the RT.X2 works with both HDV (high-definition) and SD (standard-definition) video. You can actually mix clips from different formats including HDV, MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-Frame HD, DCVPRO and DV clips in the same project while still working in real-time. At the Matrox booth on the NAB 2006 floor I watched the system playback three HDV clips and one DV clip in real-time via the new multicam mode found with Premiere Pro 2.0. Depending on the host PC, the RT.X2 can playback up to 6 DV clips in real-time without rendering. Once the project is done, the video can be played-back from the timeline as HDV or DV video in real-time.
Most of the real-time capabilities enjoyed by the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro, and more, are found with the RT.X2 including three-way color correction, three-way secondary color correction (you can “turn-off” other colors and retain only one color in a video clip, etc), extremely smooth slow motion, 3D DVEs, superb chroma-keying (even better than the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro), wipes, dissolves, page curls, accelerated shine, etc. The RT.X2 even includes three real-time effects not found with the more expensive Axio HD, SD and Le series: crystallize, old movie and lens flare.
The RT.X2 includes two pairs of RCA connectors for working with analog audio. Composite, Y/C and component video input and output plus FireWire or IEEE1394 video (and audio) is also included. The RT.X2 is a single card that uses a PCI-express slot. A nice touch is the inclusion of VU meters for monitoring audio levels during capture.
Editing resolutions include HDV 1080i (1440 by 1080) @ 29.97fps, HDV 1080i (1440 by 1080) @ 25fps, NTSC, PAL and 486p @ 23.98fps.
Capture/editing formats include HDV 1080i, DV and DVCPro. The RT.X2 doesn’t support any uncompressed formats, but you can capture video via the analog component video inputs as MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame HD at 1440 horizontal resolution at between 50 to 100 mbps. To allow working with older projects, the RT.X2 also works with legacy RT series AVI clips. Plus you can capture SD or standard-definition MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame video with data rates ranging from 10 to 25 mbps.
As an added bonus, the RT.X2 card provides a DVI digital connector that allows you to preview your video as a full-screen display at up to 1920 by 1080i pixels using an inexpensive monitor. Or you can use the high-definition component video output from the breakout box and use an LCD monitor like the Westinghouse LTV-27w6.
Unlike the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro which included a large Adobe software bundle (Premiere Pro, Audio, Encore and After Effects) the RT.X2 only includes a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. You can always add the Adobe Production Studio Premium if you need the additional software. A $200.00 coupon is included with the RT.X2 kit towards the cost of the Production Studio software.
If I understood the Matrox demo correctly, you can capture HD material with the RT.X2, edit the footage while previewing the results in real-time, but only output the finished project as SD (perhaps even as HDV) material in real-time. This means you could use the RT.X2 as an off-line editor for working with true HD material and output the finished video as SD (or maybe even HDV), etc.
You will need a fairly robust PC to take advantage of the RT.X2's capabilities . . . The Matrox RT.X2 is optimized to run on both AMD and Intel processors and to take full advantage of their unique architectures. Single-core and dual-core processors are supported. A minimum of two processing cores is required - either two physical single-core processors, or one physical dual-core processor. Choosing top-of-the line processors may give you additional realtime capability that can be a significant time saver. More processing power will also benefit many of your other applications, such as Adobe After Effects, Discreet Combustion, etc. Click here for a list of approved RT.X2 motherboards and PCs.
The RT.X2 has a list price of $1,995.00. For those RT2000/2500/X100 owners willing to trade-in their older video editing cards, Matrox will offer a $200 loyalty trade-in rebate towards the RT.X2. The RT.X2 is now shipping and available for sale! Contact Matt Drabick of DigiTek Systems at mdrabick@mindspring or 919-790-5488 for our special introductory price on the RT.X2! You'll be glad you did . . . .
The other hot, new product announced at NAB 2006 is the MXO . . . . The MXO is an output device for Apple users, obviously aimed at Final Cut Pro users but useful for other QuickTime applications as well. Basically the MXO is an external device that connects to your G5 or Powerbook much like a scan converter and gives you HD output. It hooks up using the DVI output and USB porr from your Mac computer or desktop and delivers both SD & HD output via SDI, analog component, S-Video plus composite video output.
The MXO provides a full-screen display using the Digital Display Mode found with Final Cut Pro. When you choose the MXO mode you output your video via DVI, giving an accurate depiction of a video monitor . . . . in other words, how your video will actually look once it is displayed as video on a TV set and not computer RGB.
The MXO DVI output provides a flicker and artifact free image to your HD flat panel display. MXO supports Apple Final Cut Pro, Motion, Shake, DVD Studio Pro and LiveType as well as Adobe After Effects. As a really cool plus, the MXO also provides 8 channels of SDI embedded audio output plus stereo audio monitoring. The SDI output is also genlockable.
A big plus using the MXO: real-time down-scaling (or down-rezzing) from HD to SD. You can edit in HD but output your project in real-time to SD, giving you the option to quickly deliver a project in both HD and SD without additional rendering.
At only $995 the MXO should be a huge hit with Final Cut Pro editors. Scheduled release is June, 2006.
For more information contact Matt Drabick of DigiTek Systems at 919-790-5488 or via email at mdrabick@mindspring.com
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Another "new" Matrox product displayed at NAB 2005 was the Axio LE. Axio LE demo units were actually in dealer's hands about two months before NAB, with "for sale" units shipping a few weeks before NAB 2006.
The Axio LE is a slimmed-down version of the Matrox Axio product line, sold in both HD and SD flavors. The Axio LE works in both HD and SD modes, and provides many of the same capabilities as the more-expensive Axio HD and SD products.
The Axio LE works with the following capture/editing formats: HDV 10801, DVCPRO HD, DV, DVCPRO and DV50, MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame SD between 10 to 50 mbps, uncompressed 8-bit SD, uncompressed 8-bit HD plus compressed HD for off-line editing.
Legacy support includes playback of Matrox DigiSuite and RT series AVI files. Additional formats via a future software release include P2 MXF, XDCAM MXF, XDCAM HD MXF and MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame HD at 1920 horizontal resolution between 50 to 300 mbps.
All of the real-time capabilities enjoyed by the RT.X100 Xtreme Pro, and more, are found with the Axio LE including three-way color correction, three-way secondary color correction (you can “turn-off” other colors and retain only one color in a video clip, etc), extremely smooth slow-motion, 3D DVEs, superb chroma-keying, wipes, dissolves, page curls, accelerated shine, etc. While SD clip upscaling (or up-rezzing) to HD in the timeline is included, currently HD clip downscaling (or down-rezzing) to SD in the timeline will be available in a future software release.
Because of its more-professional nature compared to the RT.X2, the Axio LE includes balanced XLR analog audio connectors, AES/EBU audio and SDI embedded audio (all 2 in, 6 out) plus a ¼ inch output jack for stereo monitoring.
Video I/O for SD includes 1394, composite, Y/C, analog component, SDI-SMPTE 259M, plus analog genlock. Video I/O for HD includes 1394, SDI HD-SMPTE 292M, analog component plus tri-level genlock.
As an input/output device, the Axio LE allows the user to simultaneously output both HD and SD video. Real-time downscaling from HD to SD via hardware is also included (but currently not from the timeline).
On the editing front, Premiere Pro 2.0 is included. Waveform/vectorscopes are included for monitoring your video signal. Real-time mixed-format multi-cam support is included plus closed-captioning support in NTSC.
For a detailed comparison chart between the Axio LE and RT.X2 go to:
http://www.digiteksys.com/product_selection%20chart.pdf
The Axio LE has a list price of $4,495.00 and is available today! Call now for DigiTek Systems' special introductory price!
For more information contact Matt Drabick of DigiTek Systems at 919-790-5488 or via email at mdrabick@mindspring.com
Summing up the primary differences between the Matrox RT.X2 and the Axio LE (as of 05 06 08):
RT.X2 provides the following not found with the Axio LE:
Three real-time effects not found with the Axio LE: crystallize, old move and lens flare (the effects will be included in the next release of the LE software).
Real-time HD clip downscaling in an SD timeline.
DVI connector that outputs HD to a low-cost monitor.
Works with MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame HD between 50 to 100 mbps (to be available with the LE in the next software release.
Supports editing of HDV 1080i footage at 1440 by 1080 at 29.97 and 25 fps (to be available with the LE in the next software release).
List price of $1,995.00.
The Axio LE provides the following not found with the RT.X2:
Support for more capture and editing formats versus the RT.X2 (DVCPRO HD, DV50, uncompressed SD and HD at 8-bit mode, compressed HD for offline editing (editing only with the RT.X2) plus future support for P2 MXF, XDCAM MXF and XDCAM HD MXF.
Compressed HD for offline editing.
Balanced audio in and out.
Support for AES/EBU audio.
Support for SDI embedded audio. Closed captioning support (NTSC).
Simultaneous HD and SD output.
SD SDI and HD SDI video in and out.
Support for 720P at 59.94fps.
Support for 1080i at 25 and 29.97fps.
Support for 1080p at 23.98, 24 and 25fps.
List price of $4,495.00
For more information contact Matt Drabick of DigiTek Systems at 919-790-5488 or via email at mdrabick@mindspring.com
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Quick note about the Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme Pro
Despite rumors about the demise of the Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme Pro video editing card, the product is still very much alive and available, just packaged without the Adobe software that previously accompanied it. If you are looking for a cost-effective solution for editing DV video (standard definition DV that is) this product is still worth looking at. You can edit in real-time with both video and audio effects and filters. Both composite and Y/C video in and out are supported plus 1394. The cost is hard to beat . . . $695.00. If you already have a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro you're good to go. If not we'll be glad to sell you a copy. For more information contact Matt Drabick of DigiTek Systems.