Details
Broadcast-quality HD/SD video and audio input/output
Video I/O
The Matrox MXO2 LE provides a full range of professional video inputs and outputs.
Matrox MXO2 LE 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.
MXO2 LE provides RS-422 machine control for frame-accurate capture and print-to tape with Final Cut Pro.
Matrox MXO2 LE supports up to five user-selectable simultaneous video outputs – HD and/or SD on HDMI, SDI, and analog.
| Video Inputs |
| Component HD/SD |
Yes |
| SDI HD/SD |
Yes |
| Y/C |
Yes |
| Composite |
Yes |
| HDMI |
Yes |
| Video Outputs |
| Component HD/SD |
Yes |
| SDI HD/SD |
Yes |
| Y/C |
Yes |
| Composite |
Yes |
| HDMI |
Yes |
Audio I/O
The Matrox MXO2 LE provides a full range of audio inputs and outputs with the flexibility to map any audio track in Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Proto any audio output.
The MXO2 LE supports Apple’s Core Audio. The audio inputs and outputs of your MXO2 LE can be used as a sound card, even as the default sound card on your Mac system. For example, you can hear your iTunes library through your MXO2 LE or capture audio in Sounprack Pro.
| Audio Inputs |
| RCA Audio (unbalanced) |
2 channels |
| XLR Audio (balanced) |
2 channels |
| AES/EBU (unbalanced) |
No |
| SDI embedded audio (16 channels) |
Yes |
| HDMI embedded audio (8 channels) |
Yes |
| Audio Outputs |
| RCA Audio (unbalanced) |
2 channels |
| XLR Audio (balanced) |
2 channels |
| AES/EBU (unbalanced) |
No |
| SDI embedded audio (16 channels) |
Yes |
| HDMI embedded audio (8 channels) |
Yes |
| Direct surround sound monitoring |
No |
Flexible support for leading codecs, file formats, cameras, and workflows
Capture to a variety of codecs
The Matrox MXO2 LE lets you capture to HD and SD codecs supported by Final Cut Pro. On a Quad-Core Mac Pro, 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), ProRes 422 (Proxy), and DVCPRO HD. On systems equipped with proper storage you can capture uncompressed 8- and 10-bit HD.
The Matrox MXO2 LE lets you work with all the codecs supported by Adobe Premiere Pro including AVCHD, HDV, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV. You can capture also capture video 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
The Matrox MXO2 devices give 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 LE on set and in the post suite.
On set, connected to a MacBook Pro (or Mac Pro), a Matrox MXO2 device gives you live ingest on site. You can connect the SDI output from your RED camera to the MXO2 device and ingest at 720p through your MacBook Pro and FW800 storage while storing the original R3D and proxy files directly to your RED storage. Back in the post suite, you can use one of the three Matrox MXO2 products to work with 1K and 2K RED timelines and output to SD, 720, or 1080 via the MXO2 family’s realtime 10-bit hardware scaling feature.
Workflow enhancements include the ability to:
- set up multiple monitors for previews during filming
- playback your footage right after the take when needed
- accurately monitor colors on inexpensive HDMI monitors thanks to unique Matrox calibration controls including blue-only
- use your existing HD or SD monitoring equipment
- deliver dailies, rushes, or client approval copies in various tape formats in record time
- quickly deliver dailies, rushes, or client approval copies in H.264 formats using the Matrox MAX H.264 encoding option
Smooth file-based workflows for XDCAM HD and P2 HD
Matrox MXO and MXO2 were the first portable I/O devices on the market that let you monitor and output your XDCAM HD and P2 HD timelines at full frame rate and full frame size from Final Cut Pro without first transcoding to an intermediate format such as ProRes or DVCPRO. You save time on every project and enjoy a more fluid workflow on your MacBook Pro or Mac Pro.
While you edit, the Matrox MXO2 devices let you see your XDCAM HD or P2 HD project on your broadcast monitor or an inexpensive HDMI display at the correct frame rate and size with no dropped frames. You just put your footage on the timeline and press play. Once you’ve finished your edit, the Matrox MXO2 devices let you play out your XDCAM HD or P2 HD timeline directly from Final Cut Pro to SDI and analog formats. The same workflow also applies to XDCAM, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM HD422 and P2.
Shoot —> Log/Transfer —> Edit —> Output
Cumbersome XDCAM HD and P2 HD workflows with other I/O devices
If you try to do this with some other I/O devices, you get clunky, stuttering playback on your monitor because they can’t keep up with displaying XDCAM HD or P2 HD footage in real time. And, you’ll still have to render your timeline before you can get it out to tape, wasting time and sacrificing quality.
Shoot —> Log/Transfer —> Edit —> Transcode —> Output
Your other choice is to transcode your XDCAM HD or P2 HD footage to an intermediate format that they can handle in real time, but that adds an extra step and takes time that could be better spent getting right down to the editing. In the time it takes to transcode with another I/O device, you could already be finished with your edit with a Matrox MXO2 device.
Shoot —> Transcode —> Edit —> Output
The clear choice for portable XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422, XDCAM EX, P2 and P2 HD workflows with Final Cut Pro is a Matrox I/O device.
CC CPC Mac Caption
Matrox MXO2 LE provides HD-SDI closed captioning support using the patent-pending Matrox 4VANC tool.
With Matrox MXO2 LE, 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. The Matrox MXO2 LE offer 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 the Matrox MXO2 SDI-capable devices. They also provide 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.
Active Format Description (AFD) support
AFD is a standard set of codes in the SDI signal that broadcasters use to enable both 4:3 and 16:9 television sets to optimally present pictures transmitted in either format. Matrox MXO2 LE supports Active Format Description (AFD) in the SDI video signal using the patent-pending Matrox 4VANC tool.
The Matrox 4VANC tool will capture, maintain, and restore your AFD information while capturing, editing and outputting an SDI signal through your MXO2 LE.
Interoperability with Matrox RT.X2 and Axio
The Matrox MXO2 LE 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 a Matrox MXO2 LE will playback in realtime when edited on Matrox RT.X2 and Axio systems. In addition, the Matrox MXO2 LE supports the Matrox 1440 x 1080 MPEG I-frame format so that footage captured with an MXO2 LE from various SDI, analog, and HDMI sources including AVCHD can be transferred to RT.X2 and Axio systems for realtime editing.
Extensive application support
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The Matrox MXO2 LE amplifies your productivity with editing, content creation, and H.264 encoding/authoring applications on the PC.
Editing applications
You benefit from the full range of Matrox MXO2 features with Adobe Premiere Pro. Matrox MXO2 Mini provides a cost-effective HD monitoring solution for Avid editing systems.
Adobe Premiere Pro
The Matrox MXO2 LE lets you get the most from Adobe Premiere Pro on the PC. You benefit from:
- Convenient form factors for use in studio, on set, in the field, and in OB vans
- Broadcast quality HD/SD video and audio input/output
- Flexible support for leading codecs, file formats, cameras, and workflows
- Capture to HD and SD codecs – 8- and 10-bit uncompressed and highly efficient Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame
- 10-bit HDMI input, output and monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only
- 10-bit realtime hardware downscaling on output
- Matrox MAX technology (optional) for lightning fast H.264 encoding
Avid Editing Systems
Matrox MXO2 Mini is your new choice for HD monitoring with Avid editing systems.
- Turns your HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor with color calibration tools including blue-only
- Small, lightweight, external box for use in studio, on set, in the field, and in OB vans
- Cross-platform support – Mac and PC; laptops, desktops, and workstations
- HDMI, analog component, S-Video, and composite output
- Stereo RCA and up to 8 channels of HDMI audio output
- 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring on the HDMI output
- Compatible with Avid Media Composer V5 and Avid NewsCutter V9
Content creation applications
The Matrox MXO2 devices provide WYSIWYG support for applications such as Adobe Encore CS4, Photoshop CS4, and After Effects CS4; Autodesk Combustion; and NewTek LightWave 3D (32-bit versions only).
H.264 encoding/authoring applications that take advantage of Matrox MAX technology
The Matrox MXO2 devices equipped with Matrox MAX technology tap in to Adobe Media Encoder to let you quickly and easily create H.264 files for Blu-ray, the web and mobile devices. You can create Blu-ray H.264 level 4.0 files, directly from Adobe Media Encoder that can be authored in Adobe Encore and burned without re-encoding on either Blu-ray or DVD media. These Blu-ray H.264 level 4.0 files can also be used for mass replication of Blu-ray discs. |
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The Matrox MXO2 LE amplifies your productivity with a wide variety of editing, content creation, H.264 encoding/authoring, live production, and broadcast applications on the Mac.
Final Cut Pro
The Matrox MXO2 products let you get the most from Final Cut Pro. You benefit from:
- Convenient form factors for use in studio, on set, in the field, and in OB vans with MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, and Apple Xserve systems
- Broadcast-quality HD/SD video and audio input/output
- Flexible support for leading codecs, file formats, cameras, and workflows
- Inexpensive HDMI monitoring with Matrox’s unique color calibration utility
- 10-bit realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output
- Hardware acceleration of Final Cut Pro Dynamic RT segments, HDV, and DVCPRO
- Matrox MAX technology (optional) for faster than realtime H.264 encoding
Avid Editing Systems
Matrox MXO2 Mini is your new choice for HD monitoring with Avid editing systems.
- Turns your HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor with color calibration tools including blue-only
- Small, lightweight, external box for use in studio, on set, in the field, and in OB vans
- Cross-platform support – Mac and PC; laptops, desktops, and workstations
- HDMI, analog component, S-Video, and composite output
- Stereo RCA and up to 8 channels of HDMI audio output
- 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring on the HDMI output
- Compatible with Avid Media Composer V5 and Avid NewsCutter V9
Adobe Premiere Pro
The Matrox MXO2 products let you get the most from Adobe Premiere Pro on the Mac. You benefit from:
- Convenient form factors for use in studio, on set, in the field, and in OB vans with MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, and Apple Xserve systems
- Broadcast-quality HD/SD video and audio input/output
- Inexpensive HDMI monitoring with Matrox’s unique color calibration utility
- 10-bit realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output
Apple Color
The Matrox MXO2 products give Color users maximum flexibility. You can view your work simultaneously in both HD and SD from a single timeline on broadcast monitors or take advantage of Matrox’s unique HDMI calibration tools that turn an inexpensive HDMI display into a monitor you can trust while color grading.
SoundTrack Pro
Every project requires some sort of audio sweetening to enhance the final production. With the Matrox MXO2 devices and SoundTrack Pro, workflows from simple voice-overs to full surround sound mixes can be monitored directly. You can not only hear your audio mix as you work, but also use the MXO2 devices’ video output capabilities to view your video at the same time.
The Matrox MXO2 devices let you map any audio track to any output which is ideal for checking multi-language DVD productions or re-arranging embedded SDI audio tracks.
Motion
While you are creating eye-catching 2D or 3D graphics or special effects sequences in Motion, you can rely on the Matrox MXO2 devices to view your work in all its glory, exactly as it will look to your audience, in HD or SD.
Adobe After Effects
The Matrox MXO2 products let you experience your 2D and 3D motion graphics as you create them in After Effects, at full quality and full frame size, on a wide range of monitors. You see your work as your client will, with accurate color representation and 1:1 pixel mapping. You can judge your work in a brand new way.
Apple Compressor
Matrox MXO2 devices equipped with Matrox MAX technology tap into Apple Compressor to let you quickly and easily create H.264 files from a variety of video sources including SD, HD, and RED proxy files up to 2K.
Telestream Episode
Matrox MAX technology works with Telestream Episode to create H.264 files faster than the software alone.
Adobe Encore
Matrox MXO2 devices equipped with the MAX option work with Adobe Encore to deliver your HD productions to Blu-ray in record time. You can use H.264 files created with Apple Compressor and Matrox MAX in Adobe Encore without re-encoding. The time you save can be spent polishing your Blu-ray interactive menus and features.
Roxio Toast
Matrox MXO2 devices equipped with the MAX option work with Roxio Toast to encode H.264 Blu-ray files and burn Blu-ray discs without waiting for long encoding times. Matrox and Roxio worked together to ensure compatibility of Matrox MAX files in Toast so you can author in record time. |
HD and SD video monitoring
The Matrox MXO2 LE 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’s realtime downscaling feature lets you view your HD projects on an SD monitor.
The Matrox MXO2 LE turns your HDMI monitor into a true-color video display you can trust, even for color grading. They are packed with features that make them 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, the MXO2 LE’s realtime downscaling feature lets you view your HD projects on an SD monitor.
HDMI monitoring with 10-bit 4:2:2 color precision
The Matrox MXO2 LE 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
The Matrox MXO2 LE provides 1:1 pixel mapping on HDMI monitors that support this feature.
- 720 x 486 (NTSC)
- 720 x 576 (PAL)
- 1920 x 1080
- 1280 x 720
Realtime hardware up/down/cross conversion on capture and output
The Matrox MXO2 LE lets you deliver in any format your clients demand. The 10-bit hardware scaling provides high-quality mastering.
HD to SD downscaling
The Matrox MXO2 LE provides realtime 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
The Matrox MXO2 LE provides realtime SD to HD upscaling with proper conversion of the SD color space to the HD color space. MXO2 will "pillarbox" 4:3 footage and scale 16:9 SD footage to full screen.
Cross conversion
The Matrox MXO2 LE offers realtime cross conversions from 720 to 1080 and 1080 to 720. Realtime 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 the MXO2 family’s realtime 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.
Hardware acceleration of Final Cut Pro Dynamic RT segments, HDV, and DVCPRO HD
When you are working with Final Cut Pro Dynamic RT segments or the HDV and DVCPRO HD formats, the Matrox MXO2 family’s 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 realtime performance.
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 Matrox MXO2 family’s hardware scaler, these segments are accelerated to their original frame size.
The Matrox MXO2 LE accelerates HDV and DVCPRO HD to full resolution during playback.
Matrox MAX option for faster than realtime H.264 encoding
The Matrox MXO2 devices are available in versions that include Matrox MAX H.264 encoding acceleration hardware.
Matrox MAX is a unique technology that speeds up H.264 encoding for resolutions ranging from iPod to HD. It uses a dedicated hardware processor to accelerate the creation of H.264 files for Blu-ray, the web, and mobile devices. By using specialized hardware acceleration, jobs are finished with amazing speed and system resources are liberated for other tasks. Quality and flexibility are ensured through direct integration with professional applications such as Adobe Media Encoder and Adobe Premiere Pro on the PC and Apple Compressor and Telestream Episode on the Mac.
Matrox A/V Tools application for fast capture/playback of audio, video, and still frames
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 highlyefficient 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.
Matrox Vetura stand-alone application for convenient playback of your H.264 and .mov audio/video assets
The Matrox Vetura Playback application was designed to give users of Matrox MAX H.264 encoding technology a convenient way to view their H.264 .mov files on external monitors and to play them out to air, because Final Cut Pro cannot play back H.264 files in real time and QuickTime Player cannot output through I/O devices.
In fact, Matrox Vetura Playback lets you play out any 1080, 720, PAL, NTSC or smaller .mov file, including those captured with an iPhone, through your MXO2 device as long as you have the applicable codec installed on your system.
This application is ideal for checking your encodes before sending them off for client approval or to their final destination. It also enables a state-of-the art HD workflow for quick news delivery.
Field journalists equipped with a Matrox MXO2 device that includes the Matrox MAX H.264 encoding accelerator can shoot and edit their stories, then quickly encode to a very high quality H.264 file faster than realtime. Via any internet connection, the small H.264 file can be efficiently uploaded to headquarters then ingested to a video server or played directly to air using another MXO2 device and the Matrox Vetura Playback application.
HD video clips that contain closed captioning information created using the Matrox 4VANC method can be played out of your MXO2 device via SDI using Matrox Vetura Playback. Your Matrox MXO2 device will also let you downscale your HD video clips so you can see your closed captions on an SD monitor which is ideal when HD equipment is unavailable.
Matrox Vetura Playback can be controlled through the GUI (graphical user interface) or keyboard short-cuts. Using the Mark In and Mark Out controls, you can specify a certain portion of the loaded video to be played out of your MXO2 device.
The Frame Grab feature provides a very quick way of creating still images for your productions. You simply open a video file, seek to a specific frame, grab that frame, and save it as a TIFF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, or JPEG 2000 graphics file.