Little Frog in High Def

I wonder if a MXO gives better performance in Color than a Kona or Decklink card. I especially wonder if this might be true on G5 machines compared to Intel machines.

Color PERFORMANCE isn’t capture card based, but processor, RAM and graphics card based.

So would you say this is a better solution than monitoring to a PVM-20L5 using component video in off a Kona LHe?

No, I would not. There isn’t really an LCD that compares to the image you get on an HD CRT, which the 20L5 is. Now, if you used the MXO and the 20L5, you’d get the same image as you get with the Kona…just FYI.

What I am trying to point out here is an inexpensive way to monitor a broadcast quality HD signal from FCP. Your Kona LH and 20L5 set you back, what…$4000? $4500? And really, that amount today will ONLY get you a decent HD LCD, not the capture card to view the footage on.

With the MXO and ACD, you get color accurate broadcast quality viewing for under $2000. And it is very close to the image I see on my HD CRT…except that the blacks aren’t as black. But that is an issue with ALL HD LCDs (except the eCinema CRT Replacement, which is cost prohibitive at $35,000).

THAT is the selling point.

I currently edit with two 19″ LaCie monitors to view FCP’s workspace and have no Cinema display. Would the Matrox solution work by turning one of the LaCie monitors into an HD display (if the monitor was set to 1920x…) and, could I make use of this Matrox solution and still retain my two monitor set-up to view the FCp interface with? Currently each monitor is connected to each DVI output from the back of my G5. Is there some y-connector I would need to buy? I really want to make this work without shelling out any more than I have to!
Thanks, Brian

Brian, the MXO is really designed for the Apple 23″ LCD. I tried it with the Dell 2405, and it didn’t get me nearly as good of an image as the ACD did. Each LCD has different qualities, depending on the manufacturer, and the LaCie’s you have might not balance right…who knows? Don’t know until you see.

But the Dell also ran at 60Hz, not the 59.94 that the ACD runs at, which is what the MXO is balanced for, so on the dell there is slight flickering.

As for using this in conjunction with your two monitor setup already…you could look into getting another graphics card, but I am not sure how that would work. And Matrox does make a Dual and Triple DVI splitter, that you could hook the LaCie’s too, and then the ACD to your second built in. But I was sent a few test units and couldn’t get any of them to work right. So really, this wouldn’t work in a dual monitor setup (IMHO), but would be something you could do when it came time to color correct, use one monitor to look at your sequence, and the second routed thru the MXO for the broadcast Image.

But, again, you’d need the Apple display. It is designed for that monitor.

ythe masterin mode settings are a nice new feature – but: how do i use them without having a reference like a hd crt. how do i know when it ist perfectly calibrated?

one more problem with mxo/acd: when capturing, sound is is always out of sych because the acd has no video in. you need a second monitor for capturing

Shane,
Thanks for your insight. I should have mentioned that the LaCie’s I own are CRTs, not LCDs! I also just bought a 17″ Apple CRT from a friend. So maybe I have the best of both worlds: a CRT-yet-computer monitor to look at my output on?
Let’s say for one minute that I got the Matrox and a dual DVI splitter, and continued to use the two monitors as FCP environment; then how would I change over the one that was connected to the splitter when it came time to use it as broadcast monitor/output of the MXO? Is there a button to push or a setting to reset?

“how do i use them without having a reference like a hd crt. how do i know when it ist perfectly calibrated?”

You don’t need the HD CRT to compare to. You just need to know how to calibrate a monitor and have a good eye. First you need to find your WHITE point…the “D65.” For this I suggest the Eye2One or Spyder software. Then, you can follow the steps outlined here:

http://www.lafcpug.org/phorum/read.php?11,152712,170810#msg-170810
http://www.execulink.com/~impact/bmonitor.htm
http://www.synthetic-ap.com/tips/calibrate.pdf

“one more problem with mxo/acd: when capturing, sound is is always out of sych because the acd has no video in. you need a second monitor for capturing”

The MXO/ACD is for output from the computer only. For monitoring while you capture, you need a monitor hooked up to the DECK. This combination cannot help with that.

Brian…your LaCie’s are COMPUTER CRTs…not EVEN close to a broadcast CRT. Sorry, no matter what, you cannot use those to judge color at all. The Apple LCD display is at least very similar to those used in HD LCDs. But no…no CRT computer monitor…even the Apple 17″, will work with this box. Sorry man.

OK, I cry uncle. I will NOT attempt to use my computer monitors to judge color. So let’s say I buy the Matrox and an Apple 23″ monitor. Should I toss my LaCies and use the Apple display for FCP workspace AND broadcast output? Or would you recommend keeping one LaCie for FCP and using the Apple for output? (This latter method brings down my FCP real estate from 2 monitors to one. But it sounds like I may have to do this as I make the move to HD with finite dollars.) Yet, if my one monitor was the Apple, it would still be bigger than the 19″-er I have now. So is the Matrox capable of doing both FCP and broadcast with the flick of a … setting?

“Should I toss my LaCies and use the Apple display for FCP workspace AND broadcast output?”

Well, you need TWO monitors at least. One to monitor your FCP interfact…and the other, the ACD, for your broadcast monitor. SO keep one of the LaCies for the computer monitor. Then yes, this would work.

“Or would you recommend keeping one LaCie for FCP and using the Apple for output?”

See, you knew that.

“(This latter method brings down my FCP real estate from 2 monitors to one.”

ONLY when you color correct. You can use both as computer monitors for the main editing. The MXO can play thru the Desktop.

” So is the Matrox capable of doing both FCP and broadcast with the flick of a … setting?”

Yup.

If I am working with XDCAM in 1080 24p will the MXO work with me. Thanks for the review.

Yes Ben, it will work.

Hey Shane,

Nice review. What do you know about the new MXO 2 that was anounced at NAB? It doesn’t have DVI output anymore. Do we need to use a HDMI->DVI cable to hook up a ACD?

Hmmm…. just saw your new blog about the MXO2 forget my question. I’ll read the new blog entry first.

Just wondering if anyone can help me figure out why my video would look pixelated through my MXO. I am downconcerting HD shot on my EX-1 to SD and outputting SD to my LCD monitor and it looks pixelated around the edges…

Hi Shane, thanks for your insight on the MXO.

We have HDCAM EX 35Mbs HQ 1920 X 1080 50i footage and HDV 1440 X 1080 50i footage mixed in ProRes HQ sequences.

When using FCP, what setting do we use for the Video Playback output, 1920 x 1080 50i Uncompressed? I read the Ken Stone article about the setup but it left me confused.

We're mostly interested in the MXO as a monitoring solution for Apple Color. Are there any remaining issues there?

We will try to find and buy a pair of 23 inch Cinema Displays, one as backup. You said an advantage was that it scanned at 59.94. However, we will be running it at 50 Hz.

You wrote above:
> First you need to find your WHITE point…the "D65." For this I suggest the Eye2One or Spyder software.

But I read elsewhere that the Spyder settings are not used with the MXO, and the Spyder kit is not needed. We would definitely buy it if it helped.

Cheers.

Sorry, I have zero experience with XDCAM footage..I’d just be guessing. But Matrox 8-bit 1920×1080 29.97 or 59.94 seems like is should work.

The MXO works with Color as long as you are running Leopard.

The Spyder is no longer needed, as the MXO calibration tool now does the trick.

And I am afraid that the MXO will not work with the ACD with PAL footage…at least that is what I am told.

Thanks for the info.

We’re not working in PAL. When you say “will not work with PAL footage”, do you mean 1080/50i ?

That would seem to be contradicting Nigel’s article at
http://www.dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=172

As far as the Spyder, I read that the monitor requires pre-calibration before connecting through the MXO. This is where the Spyder might be useful?

Assuming I can still get a 23 inch ACD in Thailand. If I have to get a Dell Ultrasharp 24, I would be even more desirous of the Spyder to get things accurate.

1080i50, 1080p25….yes. The issue is that the ACDs are 59.94 Hz only, not 50hz. So I am told they will not work. I have no experience with this first hand, being in NTSC country…so I cannot say with authority.

The SPYDER or Eye2One will be helpful in making sure that you get the proper starting point on the monitor…true. Then the MXO calibration tool makes it even better.