The new Matrox MXO2 is the first truly portable device that gives you broadcast-quality input/output, monitoring, and up/down/cross conversion to streamline your workflow with Apple Final Cut Studio 2 and Adobe CS3 Production Premium on the Mac. It’s lightweight, fits in your laptop bag, and runs for hours on a field battery. It lets you work seamlessly in any format you want. Enjoy new-found freedom with Matrox MXO2 – edit anywhere!

Key features of Matrox MXO2

• Works with Intel-based MacBook Pros and Mac Pros
• Lightweight – less than 3 ½ lbs. (1600 grams)
• Fits in your laptop bag – 13" x 9½" x 2" (330mm x 241mm x 51mm)
• Can run off a field battery (or its AC adapter)
• HD/SD SDI, HD/SD analog component, Y/C, and composite inputs and outputs
• Genlock – SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync
• HDMI input, output, and monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only
• 10-bit realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion
• Up to five user selectable simultaneous video outputs – HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog
• Professional audio inputs and outputs with 5.1 surround sound monitoring
• RS-422 machine control for frame-accurate capture and print-to-tape
• Captures to a variety of codecs – Apple ProRes 422 HQ, 10-bit uncompressed HD, and many more
• Supports file-based workflows – XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD
• Works with Final Cut Pro, Apple Color, Adobe After Effects and all QuickTime applications that support the V-out component
  

Input

Output

Truly Portable

Matrox MXO2 is the first truly portable I/O device for the Mac. It fits easily into your laptop bag and can run off standard field batteries or the included AC power adapter. It connects to your MacBook Pro via Apple’s ExpressCard/34 slot or to your Mac Pro via a PCI Express adapter card.

Matrox MXO2 features a full complement of professional inputs and outputs. RS-422 machine control is provided for frame-accurate capture and print-to tape with Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro. Up to five user selectable simultaneous video outputs, HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog are supported.

Inputs

Video

• SDI - HD/SD
• Component - HD/SD
• Y/C
• Composite
• HDMI - HD/SD

Audio

• 2 XLR - stereo pair (balanced)
• 2 RCA - stereo pair (unbalanced)
• 2 AES/EBU
• SDI embedded – up to 8 channels
• HDMI embedded - up to 8 channels

Outputs

Video

• 2 SDI - HD/SD
• Component - HD/SD - 12-bit
• Y/C - 12-bit
• Composite - 12-bit
• HDMI - HD/SD

Audio

• 4 XLR - 2 stereo pairs (balanced)
• 6 RCA - for surround sound monitoring (unbalanced)
• 2 AES/EBU
• SDI embedded – up to 8 channels
• HDMI embedded - up to 8 channels
  

Matrox MXO2 provides SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync genlock. It can genlock to any type of video input or to house sync. Timing offset controls can be used to align your video output relative to your external genlock source to compensate for cable delays within your facility.

Flexible workflows

Capture to a variety of codecs

Matrox MXO2 gives you a wide range of workflow possibilities by providing frame-accurate capture via RS-422 deck control to a variety of codecs including:

• ProRes 422
• ProRes 422 HQ
• DV
• DV50
• DVCPRO
• DVCPRO HD
• Uncompressed HD/SD (8- and 10-bit)
• Offline RT

Realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion

Matrox MXO2 lets you deliver in any format your clients demand. The 10-bit hardware scaling provides high-quality mastering.

Matrox MXO2 provides realtime HD to SD downscaling so that you can monitor or record an SD master of your HD project in real time. Proper conversion of the HD color space to the SD color space and proper aspect ratio conversion to anamorphic, letterbox, and center cut are supported.

Matrox MXO2 provides realtime SD to HD upscaling with proper conversion of the SD color space to the HD color space.

Matrox MXO2 offers realtime cross conversions from 720 to 1080 and 1080 to 720. Realtime frame rate conversion is also supported with the following cadences – 2:3:2:3, 2:3:3:2, and 2:2:2:4. This feature is useful if, for example, your source material is recorded at a different frame rate or resolution than the delivery format your client requires. It also facilitates monitoring when, for example, you need to work with 23.98 fps footage but your monitor does not support that frame rate. You can use MXO2’s realtime frame rate conversion to view your project at 29.97 fps.

Hardware acceleration of Final Cut Pro Dynamic RT segments to original frame size

In Dynamic RT editing mode, Final Cut Pro automatically reduces frame size to let you preview non-realtime segments of your project at a better frame rate. With the MXO2 hardware upscaler, these segments are accelerated to their original frame size saving processing power for other Final Cut Pro operations, so you get better realtime performance.

Matrox MXO2 FAQs

Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Matrox MXO2.

1. How does Matrox MXO2 connect to my Mac?
Matrox MXO2 connects to a MacBook Pro via the ExpressCard/34 slot. You may have been told that this precludes you from using the best storage solution but FireWire storage is actually more than adequate for editing multiple layers of SD or compressed HD footage. With Final Cut Pro, FireWire 800 storage lets you transfer up to 6 layers of DV, 8 layers of HDV 1080i, 2 layers of DVCPRO HD 1080i, 2 layers of ProRes 422 1080, or 2 layers of 10-bit uncompressed SD in real time.

Matrox MXO2 connects to a MacPro via the internal PCIe slot. This allows you to use any storage solution. The benefit of using the PCIe connection is that you can work with uncompressed 10-bit HD video as well as any other format including ProRes 422 HQ. You have complete flexibility.

Everything you need to connect to both systems is included in the Matrox MXO2 package.

2. What inputs does Matrox MXO2 have?
Matrox MXO2 offers a full complement of analog and digital, HD and SD, video and audio inputs. You can attach a variety of devices to Matrox MXO2 and use the control panel to select the active input via software. Matrox MXO2 supports SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync genlock. It can genlock to any type of video input or to house sync. Timing offset controls can be used to align your video output relative to your external genlock source to compensate for cable delays within your facility.

3. Does Matrox MXO2 support ProRes?
Matrox MXO2 supports ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 HQ. It also gives you the freedom and flexibility to use a wide variety of other codecs and video formats.

4. Can Matrox MXO2 capture to ProRes and ProRes 422 HQ in real time?
Yes. Using a QuadCore 2.4 GHz or faster CPU, Matrox MXO2 lets you capture to ProRes and ProRes 422 HQ, 720p or 1080i, in real time.

5. What other codecs does Matrox MXO2 support?
There are many different codecs and video formats in use today. Unlike some other products, Matrox MXO2 does not force you to use one specific codec. You are free to use the codec that is best for each job, including your camera’s native codec.

In HD for example, MXO2 supports ProRes, ProRes422 HQ, HDV, DVCPRO HD, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD 422, and XDCAM EX. Since Matrox MXO2 takes full advantage of the high bandwidth of the PCI Express bus (It is not a FireWire 800 device.), it also supports 8- and 10-bit uncompressed workflows.

6. Can Matrox MXO2 capture to DVCPRO HD in real time?
Yes. Using a 2.4 GHz or faster Core2 Duo CPU, Matrox MXO2 lets you capture to DVCPRO HD at 720p and 1080i in real time.

7. What output and monitoring capabilities does Matrox MXO2 provide?
Matrox MXO2 gives you complete freedom to customize your video and audio outputs to support the equipment in your facility and the optimal workflow for each project. You can select up to five simultaneous video outputs for print-to-tape and monitoring. The two SDI outputs are always the same, either HD or SD. The SDI, HDMI, and analog outputs are independent. You can choose whether each is HD or SD. Matrox MXO2 provides built-in 5.1 surround sound monitoring via RCA and HDMI so you don’t need to invest in additional equipment as you do with some other I/O products. Matrox MXO2 also gives you the flexibility to map any audio track in Final Cut Pro to any audio output.

8. What can the Matrox MXO2 upscaling and downscaling feature do for me?
Matrox MXO2 provides realtime 10-bit hardware scaling on the outputs. You can upscale from NTSC or PAL to either 720 or1080. You can downscale 720 or 1080 HD footage to NTSC or PAL.

Matrox MXO2’s realtime scaling feature is particularly useful when you need to master both HD and SD because it lets you output both simultaneously from the same timeline. It is also invaluable when you need to proof DVD content from an HD video source or make quick SD rushes from HD material.

9. Can Matrox MXO2 convert my 720p timeline to 1080i and vice versa in real time?
Yes. Matrox MXO2 provides realtime cross conversion in hardware, saving you hours of rendering when your source material does not match your client's delivery requirements.

10. I shot at 23.98 fps, but now my client demands 29.97 fps for broadcast, can Matrox MXO2 help?
Yes. Matrox MXO2 provides realtime frame rate conversion in hardware. It can output a 23.98 timeline to tape at 29.97 fps in real time, saving hours of rendering. This feature is also beneficial if you work in 23.98 but your monitoring equipment does not support that frame rate. Matrox MXO2 lets you view your 23.98 fps project at 29.97 fps to ensure correct title placement and accurate color temperature of your 23.98 fps project. Conversion from 23.98 fps to 25 fps is handled by Final Cut Pro and the host.

11. Can Matrox MXO2 run off standard camera batteries?
Yes. Matrox MXO2 can run off field batteries as well as its power supply. For example, we have validated the Anton Bauer Dionic90 and Dionic160 field batteries for use with MXO2. A special cable adapter is required and can be purchased from your Matrox dealer.

12. Does Matrox MXO2 provide deck control?
Yes. Matrox MXO2 comes with an RS-422 port to communicate with devices that support this protocol. Frame-accurate capture and print-to-tape with guaranteed audio video sync are provided.

13. What are the system requirements for MXO2?
Matrox MXO2 requires a Mac system with the following configuration:

• Intel-based Mac Pro or MacBook Pro
• Mac OS X v10.5 or later
• One free PCIe slot on the Mac Pro to install the Matrox PCIe host adapter
• One free ExpressCard/34 slot on the MacBook Pro to install the Matrox PCIe host ExpressCard/34 adapter
• If using MXO2 with Final Cut Studio 2 – 2 GB physical memory (RAM) when working with compressed HD and uncompressed SD sources, or 4 GB physical memory (RAM) when working with uncompressed HD sources
• HDMI monitor that supports 1920×1080 and "dot-by-dot" mode is recommended for 1:1 pixel mapping