SPECIFICATIONS

• Inputs
  • Video
    • SDI HD/SD
    • Component HD/SD
    • Y/C
    • Composite
    • HDMI HD
  • Audio
    • 4 XLR stereo pair (balanced)
    • 4 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
    • 8 XLR stereo pair (balanced)
    • 4 AES/EBU
    • SDI embedded up to 8 channels
    • HDMI embedded up to 8 channels

Up to five user selectable simultaneous video outputs, HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog are supported.

REQUIREMENTS

• Mac
  • Intel-based Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, or Apple Xserve.
  • Mac OS X v10.5 or later.
  • One free PCIe slot on the Mac Pro or Xserve to install the Matrox PCIe host adapter, or 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 or later, you need 2 GB of RAM when working with compressed HD and uncompressed SD sources, or 4 GB of RAM when working with uncompressed HD sources.
  • We recommend an HDMI monitor that supports 19201080 for previewing all HD formats, and dot-by-dot mode for 1:1 pixel mapping.
  • Supported programs:
    • Apple Final Cut Pro v6.0.5 or later, Motion v3.0.2 or later, Color v1.0.4 or later.
    • Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.2.
    • Adobe After Effects CS4, and Encore CS4.
    • Roxio Toast v10.0.2 or later.
    • CPC MacCaption v4.1.4 or later.
    • Boinx Software BoinxTV v1.3 or later.
    • Softron MovieRecorder v1.2.6 or later, OnTheAir Video v2.4.6 or later, and OnTheAir Video Express v1.0.2 or later.
    • ToolsOnAir Just:In version 1.010 or later.
    • Media 100 Suite version 1.0 or later.
    • For Matrox MAX H.264 encoding:
      • Apple Compressor v3.0.5 or later (required for Blu-ray Disc).
      • Apple QuickTime Pro v7.6 or later, Apple Final Cut Pro v6.0.5 or later, Adobe After Effects CS4, Adobe Encore CS4, Apple Motion v3.0.2 or later, Apple Qmaster v3.0.5 or later, Telestream Episode and Episode Pro v5.3 or later, Media 100 Suite version 1.0 or later, or other QuickTime-based video applications.
• PC
  • A computer that supports Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 (SSE2), such as an Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 or later.
  • Dual-CPU, or one dual-core CPU.
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate (64-bit), Windows Vista Business or Ultimate (32- or 64-bit) with Service Pack 2, or Windows XP Professional (32-bit) with Service Pack 3.
  • 2 GB of RAM for 32-bit Windows systems, or 4 GB of RAM for 64-bit Windows systems.
  • One free PCIe slot on a desktop computer to install the Matrox PCIe host adapter, or one free ExpressCard/34 slot on a laptop to install the Matrox PCIe host ExpressCard/34 adapter.
  • If you want to use MXO2 with Adobe Premiere Pro, you must have Adobe Premiere Pro CS4/CS5. For Matrox MAX H.264 encoding, you must have Adobe Media Encoder CS4/CS5.
  • Note: Adobe Media Encoder is included with many Adobe programs, such as Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Encore.
  • We recommend an HDMI monitor that supports 1920x1080 for previewing all HD formats, and "dot-by-dot" mode for 1:1 pixel mapping.

INCLUDED ITEMS

• Matrox MXO2 Rack input/output device
• Two mounting ears
• Matrox MXO2 PCIe host adapter 
• Matrox MXO2 PCIe cable (3 meter)
• IEC-C13 power cord
• BNC 75-ohm terminator (for REF OUT connector)

(The optional Matrox MXO2 ExpressCard/34 adapter for use with laptops and additional Matrox MXO2 PCIe host adapters may be purchased separately. A third-party RS422 cable is required for machine control.)

FEATURES

• Rugged 2RU form factor
• Works with Windows 7 and Windows Vista (64-bit) laptops and desktops
• Broadcast-quality HD/SD video and audio input/output

– Up to five user-selectable simultaneous video outputs – HD and/or SD on

   HDMI, SDI, and analog

– Professional audio inputs and outputs including 5.1 and 7.1 surround

   sound monitoring
                • 4-in, 8-out balanced XLR 
                • 4-in, 4-out unbalanced AES/EBU 
                • 8-in, 8-out SDI and HDMI embedded 


– Genlock with loop through – SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD

   tri-level sync

• Flexible support for leading codecs, file formats, cameras, and workflows

– Works with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including

   AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV

– Captures to HD and SD codecs – 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and highly

   efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame

– File-based workflow support – XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD

– RED workflow support

• Extensive application support including Adobe Premiere Pro, Encore, Photoshop, and After Effects
• 10-bit HDMI input, output, and monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only
• 10-bit realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output
• Matrox A/V Tools application for fast capture/playback of audio, video, and still frames
• Also available with Matrox MAX for lightning fast H.264 encoding
• Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support

Matrox Mtx.utils 5.0 (PC) provides the following new features for MXO2 products:

• Unified software for working with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 projects on Matrox MXO2, Axio, and RT.X2 systems. This means that Matrox projects you create using Premiere Pro CS5 on MXO2 can be edited on an Axio or RT.X2 system, and Matrox projects created using Premiere Pro CS5 on Axio or RT.X2 can be edited on your MXO2 system. Note: In order to make Matrox projects that you create on MXO2 compatible for editing on Axio and RT.X2, Matrox SD sequences other than PAL now have a frame size of 720×486 instead of 720×480. For details on how to work with previously created MXO2 NTSC and 480p sequences, see the Matrox MXO2 Release Notes.
• Support for capturing DVCPRO HD material natively over the 1394 interface in a Matrox sequence, and exporting a Matrox sequence to a DVCPRO HD device using Adobe DV/HDV device control.
• Support for capturing material to a Matrox .m2v file in a Matrox SD sequence for DVD authoring using Adobe Encore.
• The Matrox effects that are available in Adobe Premiere Pro, such as color corrections and chroma key effects, are now also available in Adobe After Effects.
• More WYSIWYG output configuration options are available to let you configure the settings you want for previewing your WYSIWYG output, similar to the video output settings available when you use MXO2 with Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Support for streaming Matrox .mp4 files that you create using the Matrox MAX H.264 codec on MXO2 products with MAX technology.

Note: Avid has not qualified this release for use with Avid editing software.

Matrox Mtx.utils 2.1 (Mac) provides the following new features for MXO2 products:

• New Matrox Vetura Capture application that lets you quickly and easily capture clips for use with Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer 5, and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5. 
• Support for Adobe CS5: 
  • Matrox playback plug-in and MXO2 presets for previewing Premiere Pro sequences using the MXO2 outputs. 
  • Matrox playback plug-in for Encore. 
  • Matrox WYSIWYG for After Effects (real-time RAM Preview). 
  • Matrox WYSIWYG for Photoshop. 
  • Chapter marker support for Encore. 
• You can now save and load MXO2 presets in the MXO2 preferences window. 
• Keyboard shortcuts for the HDMI monitor calibration proc amp controls. 
• Support for 1080p at 24 and 30 fps for capture, edit, and playback. 
• Output true 1080p at 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, and 30 fps from MXO2 HDMI/SDI output using Apple Final Cut Pro. 
• New HDMI 3D Viewing Mode option that automatically switches your HDMI 3D television's viewing mode to the specified signal type (Side by Side, or Over/Under). 
• New HDMI audio output selection (two or eight channels of embedded audio). This is especially useful for HDMI monitors that don't support more than two audio channels. 
• Matrox MAX H.264 encoding: 
  • Support for 1080p at 24 and 30 fps. 
  • Chapter marker support when encoding in Apple Compressor for use in Adobe Encore.

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Other New MXO2 Features and Updates (PC): 

• Support for Adobe Creative Suite 5 Production Premium software, including Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, Adobe Encoder CS5, and Adobe Encore CS5 
• You can now add many Matrox effects to your Adobe Premiere Pro sequences, including chroma key, luma key, and wipes.
• On MXO2 systems that have MAX technology or a Matrox CompressHD card, new Matrox RT technology gives you full-resolution, full-frame-rate, multi-layer, real-time video editing in Premiere Pro. With Matrox RT technology, all the Matrox effects are real-time, and many Premiere Pro effects and transitions are accelerated for real-time playback, including Motion effects, dissolves, fades, and speed changes. 
• Up/down/cross conversion for video capture and output, and support for selecting analog component RGB or YUV output.
• Matrox RS-422 device control for capturing clips and exporting your Matrox sequences to tape in Adobe Premiere Pro.
• New 32-bit and 64-bit Matrox Video for Windows (VFW) codecs, including “+ Alpha" versions of the Matrox uncompressed and MPEG-2 I-frame codecs.
• The Matrox WYSIWYG plug-ins now support 32-bit and 64-bit applications.
• When encoding using the Matrox MAX H.264 codec on MXO2 products with MAX technology and CompressHD, the following new features are provided:
  • Support for H.264 levels 4.1 and 4.2, and a maximum data rate of 50 Mb/sec.
  • A maximum GOP size of 254.
  • A slider is provided to let you adjust the bitrate for AAC audio.
  • Support for transcoding directly to Matrox H.264 format for Blu-ray Disc authoring in Adobe Encore.

Other New MXO2 Features and Updates (Mac):

• Support for Mac OS X Snow Leopard only (v10.6.4). 
• 1080p at 23.98 fps, 25 fps, and 29.97 fps support on HDMI and SDI outputs. 
• Genlock support for 23.98 fps on MXO2, MXO2 Rack, and MXO2 LE. 
• New Matrox MAX H.264 encoding features:
  • For Apple Compressor: 
    • Variable bit rate.
    • Scene detection. 
    • Constant quality. 
    • Noise filter. 
    • Chapter marker support for Matrox MAX H.264 .mov and .264 files. 
    • H.264 level 3.1 support for encoding HD video for use with Apple iPad.
  • For Telestream Episode version 5.x, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Apple QuickTime: 
    • Constant quality.
    • Noise filter.
    • H.264 level 3.1 support for encoding HD video for use with Apple iPad.

Note: This release is not supported for use with Avid editing software. At present, you must use Mtx.utils version 2.2 if you want to use your MXO2 Mini or MXO2 Mini with MAX with Avid Media Composer or NewsCutter.

Matrox RT technology and H.264 encoding acceleration can be added to systems using versions of the MXO2 family without the MAX option by adding a Matrox CompressHD card.

Matrox MXO2 Rack is a new version of the award-winning Matrox MXO2 I/O device for the Mac and PC. The 2RU-sized Matrox MXO2 Rack is designed for broadcast news operations, OB vans, and other environments where heavy-duty, rackmountable equipment, more audio inputs and outputs, and genlock loop through are required. It gives you broadcast-quality input/output; monitoring; up/down/cross conversion; and support for a wide variety of formats and codecs.

Key Features (Mac)

• Works with Intel-based MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, and Apple Xserve systems
• Rugged 2RU form factor
• HD/SD SDI, HD/SD analog component, Y/C, and composite inputs and outputs
• Genlock with loop through - SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync
• 10-bit HDMI input, output, and monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only
• 10-bit real-time hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output
• Up to five user selectable simultaneous video outputs - HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog
• Professional audio inputs and outputs including 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring
  • 4-in, 8-out balanced XLR 
  • 4-in, 4-out unbalanced AES/EBU 
  • 8-in, 8-out SDI and HDMI embedded
• 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
• File-based workflow support – XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD
• RED workflow support
• HD-SDI closed captioning support
• Works with Final Cut Pro, Apple Color, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and all QuickTime applications that support the V-out component
• New drivers available for Premiere Pro CS4 version 4.2!
• Also available with Matrox MAX for faster than real-time H.264 encoding
• New Matrox Vetura Playback application.
• Now supports up to 16 audio channels on SDI input/output instead of eight audio channels.
• Closed captioning capture and playback is now achieved using SDI audio track 16 instead of audio track eight with the patent-pending Matrox 4VANC method.
• Now supports AFD (active format description) data for capture, edit, and playback. AFD data capture and playback is achieved using SDI audio track 15 with the Matrox 4VANC method.
• Core audio support.
• Updates to address specific customer issues and to improve overall stability.
• Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support

Key Features (PC)

• Works with Windows 7 (64-bit), Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows XP (32-bit) laptops and desktops
• Rugged 2RU form factor
• HD/SD SDI, HDMI, HD/SD analog component, Y/C, and composite inputs and outputs
• Genlock with loop through – SD analog black burst (bi-level) or HD tri-level sync
• Unique Matrox calibration controls for 10-bit HDMI monitoring including blue-only
• 10-bit real-time hardware downscaling on output
• Up to five user selectable simultaneous video outputs – HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog
• Professional audio inputs and outputs including 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring
  • 4-in, 8-out balanced XLR
  • 4-in, 4-out unbalanced AES/EBU
  • 8-in, 8-out SDI and HDMI embedded
• Works with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO5, DVCPRO, and DV Captures to HD and SD codecs – 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and highly efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame
• Includes Matrox A/V Tools, an easy-to-use application for fast capture/playback of audio, video, and still frames
• File-based workflow support – XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, P2HD
• RED workflow support
• Works with Adobe Premiere Pro CS4/CS5
• Provides WYSIWYG support for applications such as Adobe Encore, Photoshop, and After Effects; Autodesk Combustion; and NewTek LightWave 3D (32-bit versions only)
• Also available with Matrox MAX technology for accelerated H.264 encoding with Adobe Media Encoder CS4/CS5
• Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support

Rackmount form factor (Mac and PC)

Matrox MXO2 Rack is a very versatile product, designed to fit into virtually any broadcast or post facility. It occupies 2RU in a standard 19-inch rack. It comes with two adjustable mounting "ears" so that the unit can be mounted in the rack with the connectors facing the front or back of the rack. The design of the ears allows you to adjust the depth of the unit in the rack.

It connects to your desktop or workstation via a PCI Express adapter card which is included. An optional ExpressCard adapter can be used to connect Matrox MXO2 Rack to your laptop.

Flexible workflows (Mac)

Capture to a variety of codecs - Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you capture to HD and SD codecs supported by Final Cut Pro. On a Quad-Core MacPro, you can capture HD to ProRes 422 HQ, DVCPRO HD, DV, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50. On a MacBook Pro Core2 Duo 2.4 GHz or faster, you can capture HD to ProRes 422 HQ (720p at 24, 25, and 30 fps), ProRes 422 (LT), and DVCPRO HD. On systems equipped with proper storage you can capture uncompressed 8- and 10-bit HD.

Use your favorite file-based formats - Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you work with file-based formats such as XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, and P2HD. You can play out these formats directly from Final Cut Pro – no intermediate codec is needed. Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you play out these formats from a MacBook Pro without dropping frames.

RED workflow support - RED users can benefit from Matrox MXO2 to capture, monitor, and playback on set. Back in the post suite, they can use Matrox MXO2 to work with 1K and 2K RED timelines and output to SD, 720, or 1080 via MXO2’s real-time 10-bit hardware scaling feature.

HD-SDI closed captioning support - You will no longer need to spend time and money recreating HD captioning data that is typically lost when editing projects in Final Cut Pro. Matrox MXO2 Rack offers a unique workflow to capture, playback, and preserve closed captioning data while editing. Nothing is destroyed even when trimming or color correcting video clips. In addition, Matrox has worked with CPC, the closed captioning software leader, to develop an innovative solution that allows the MacCaption software to encode, decode, edit, and create HD and SD closed captioning for use with Matrox MXO2. Matrox MXO2 also provides a cost effective way to monitor HD timelines containing closed captioning data on SDI and component SD monitors, while also inserting closed captioning information into line 21 of active video for SD deliverables. You can deliver HD and SD masters containing closed captions simultaneously.

Flexible workflows (PC)

Work with a variety of codecs – Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you work with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV. It also lets you capture from its analog or digital inputs from within the Adobe Premiere Pro capture interface to 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame codecs in HD and SD.

Use your favorite file-based formats – Matrox MXO2 Rack gives you full-screen monitoring as you work with file-based formats such as XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, and P2HD in Adobe Premiere Pro.

RED workflow support – RED users can benefit from Matrox MXO2 Rack to capture, monitor, and playback on set. Back in the post suite, they can use Matrox MXO2 Rack to work with R3D files and output to SD, 720, or 1080.

Benefit from the Matrox A/V Tools application – Matrox A/V Tools is a stand-alone application for fast capture and playback of your audio/video assets. It’s particularly useful when all you need to do is quickly capture video for web streaming or DVD authoring. Matrox A/V Tools lets you capture HD and SD analog, SDI or HDMI video from your camera or VTR into AVI files on your computer. You can choose to capture to the uncompressed 8- or 10-bit codecs for the highest quality or to the highly-efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame codec at up to 300 Mb/s. Using the MPEG-2 I-frame codec lets you easily edit XDCAM or AVCHD footage which would otherwise be difficult to work with.

Matrox A/V Tools provides on-screen transport controls to let you navigate quickly and easily through clips on disk. You can create playlists and change the order of clips by simply dragging and dropping them. You can also grab single-frame images and save them as TGA files to create photo montages.

Interoperability with Matrox RT.X2 and Axio – Matrox MXO2 Rack includes the Matrox color correction plug-in for advanced primary and secondary color control from within Adobe Premiere Pro. Color corrected sequences created in the field using Matrox MXO2 Rack will playback in real-time when edited on Matrox RT.X2 and Axio systems. In addition, Matrox MXO2 Rack also supports the Matrox 1440 x 1080 MPEG I-frame format so that footage captured with MXO2 Rack from various SDI, analog, and HDMI sources including AVCHD can be transferred to RT.X2 and Axio systems for real-time editing.

HD and SD video monitoring (Mac)

Matrox MXO2 Rack turns your HDMI monitor into a true-color video display you can trust, even for color grading. It's packed with features that make it the ideal monitoring solution for Final Cut Pro, Apple Color, Adobe After Effects, and other QuickTime-based applications. You won't need to buy expensive HD monitoring equipment. In addition, MXO2 Rack's real-time downscaling feature lets you view your HD projects on an SD monitor.

HDMI monitoring with 10-bit 4:2:2 color precision - Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you adjust and control your HDMI monitor exactly like you would a broadcast HD/SD monitor. Controls for hue, chroma, contrast, brightness, and blue-only are provided. This unique control gives you accurate color representation so that you can use your HDMI monitor even for color grading.

Pixel-to-pixel mapping on the HDMI display - Matrox MXO2 Rack provides 1:1 pixel mapping on HDMI monitors that support this feature. You get accurate monitoring on your HDMI display in the following resolutions:

• 720 x 486 (NTSC)
• 720 x 576 (PAL)
• 1920 x 1080
• 1280 x 720

HD and SD video monitoring (PC)

Matrox MXO2 Rack provides full quality previews on all digital and analog outputs for popular applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Encore, Photoshop, and After Effects; Autodesk Combustion; and NewTek LightWave 3D (32-bit versions only) so you don’t need to rely on just a small preview window on your desktop. In addition, MXO2 Rack’s real-time downscaling feature lets you view your HD projects on an SD monitor.

HDMI monitoring with 10-bit 4:2:2 color precision – Matrox MXO2 Rack lets you adjust and control your HDMI monitor exactly like you would a broadcast HD/SD monitor so you won’t need to buy expensive HD monitoring equipment. Controls for hue, chroma, contrast, brightness, and blue-only are provided. This unique control gives you accurate color representation so that you can use your HDMI monitor even for color grading.

Pixel-to-pixel mapping on the HDMI display – Matrox MXO2 Rack provides 1:1 pixel mapping on HDMI monitors that support this feature.

Audio monitoring (Mac and PC)

Matrox MXO2 Rack provides built-in 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring via XLR so you don't need to invest in additional equipment as you do with some other I/O products. Matrox MXO2 Rack also gives you the flexibility to map any audio track in Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro to any audio output.

Real-time hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output (Mac)

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

HD to SD downscaling - Matrox MXO2 Rack provides real-time HD to SD downscaling with proper conversion of the HD color space to the SD color space and proper aspect ratio conversion to anamorphic, letterbox, and center cut. You can monitor or record an SD master of your HD project in real-time.

SD to HD upscaling - Matrox MXO2 Rack provides real-time SD to HD upscaling with proper conversion of the SD color space to the HD color space. MXO2 Rack will "pillarbox" 4:3 footage and scale 16:9 SD footage to full screen.

Cross conversion - Matrox MXO2 Rack offers real-time cross conversions from 720 to 1080 and 1080 to 720. Real-time frame rate conversion is also supported with 2:3:2:3 and 2:3:3:2 cadences. 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 Rack's real-time frame rate conversion to view your project at 29.97 fps. Conversion from 23.98 fps to 25 fps is handled by Final Cut Pro and the host.

Real-time hardware downscaling on output (PC)

Matrox MXO2 Rack provides high-quality real-time 10-bit HD to SD downscaling with proper conversion of the HD color space to the SD color space and proper aspect ratio conversion to anamorphic and letterbox. You can monitor or record an SD master of your HD project in real-time.

Hardware acceleration (Mac)

When you are working with Final Cut Pro Dynamic RT segments or the HDV and DVCPRO HD formats, the Matrox MXO2 10-bit hardware scaler takes some of the burden off your CPU, saving processing power for other Final Cut Pro operations, so you get better real-time performance.

In Dynamic RT editing mode, Final Cut Pro automatically reduces frame size to let you preview non-real-time segments of your project at a better frame rate. With the Matrox MXO2 hardware scaler, these segments are accelerated to their original frame size.

Matrox MXO2 accelerates HDV and DVCPRO HD to full resolution during playback.