Videoguys Top 10 Product of 2010: Matrox MXO2 Mini

OK, I realize that Matrox didn't actually introduce any new MXO2 hardware this year, but they did release new drivers that added support for Avid Media Composer 5 and Adobe CS5 Production Premium. That makes the MXO2Mini one of the most versatile pieces of hardware available with support for PC or Mac, desktop or laptop, and with or without Matrox MAX technology. The MXO2 Mini is also the only "Triple-A" rated I/O hardware on the market - which is our way of saying it is approved and recommended by Avid, Adobe and Apple for use with their professional editing applications. This is huge! No other hardware gives you the features, performance, flexibility and stability of an MXO2.  When you add in their MAX technology for faster then real-time H.264 encoding, you can see why we say that the "Matrox MXO2 Mini is the Missing Link in Your Tapeless Editing Workflow!"

Matrox also released new drivers that add yet another level of performance for Mac based MXO2 users. The Matrox Vetura Capture utility allows you to quickly and easily capture QuickTime files using popular CODECs installed on your editing system. If you use Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, you can capture to the Matrox MPEG2 I-frame full raster (1920 x 1080) HD CODEC or to other popular Adobe-supported CODECs. If you're editing with Apple Final Cut Pro, you can capture to ProRes and other popular Final Cut Pro CODECs. Finally, if you're using Avid Media Composer, you can capture directly to Avid DNxHD .mov files or other popular Avid-supported CODECs.

The Matrox MXO2 Mini with Max delivers even more features! If you're editing on a Windows PC with Adobe CS5, the Matrox MAX technology will give you additional real-time playback performance with the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine. The Matrox MXO2 Mini with MAX will also give Avid editors using a Mac the ability to encode directly from the Media Composer timeline to H.264 for Blu-ray Disc or high-definition multimedia video. Matrox continually provides new drivers with  additional features and performance FREE to all registered owners so the MXO2 Mini that you buy today will only get better with age! In fact, the next release scheduled for February 2011 will include a new utility for PC that will allow you to capture directly into H.264 for web and mobile videos including YouTuve, iPad, Iphone, iPod Touch and more. No wonder it is being included on Top 10 lists all over the web!

Regardless of what tapeless formats you shoot on (P2, XDCAM, AVCHD, DSLR or H.264): what platform you use (PC or Mac, Workstation or Laptop) what NLE you edit with (Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer) the MXO2 Mini is the perfect HD monitoring solution for you. No other hardware is as powerful, flexible, portable or affordable.

With the Matrox MXO2 Mini you can monitor your timeline in full HD resolution on a flat screen HDTV via HDMI or component video. Matrox's exclusive monitor calibration utility lets you turn your off-the-shelf HDTV into a professional broadcast monitor suitable for color correcting and color grading. Using the Matrox MXO2 Mini as a preview output to an HDMI monitor allows you to use your workstation to spread your workspace over multimple computer monitors. The MXO2 Mini provides an additional full resolution HD output to your workflow. If you edit on a laptop, the MXO2 Mini gives you the same ability to output your timeline in full HD.

For under $500, the Matrox MXO2 Mini is the MUST HAVE hardware for your Adobe, Avid, or Apple editing suite.