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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Matrox MXO and MXO2 test

I can totally reproduce this, MXO2's HDMI can playback RGB. It's selectable between YUV and RGB, but playing back DPX is another thing, so I'd have to test it.
 
Hi Katu,

I'd appreciate any advise with regard to the following.

I'm trying to get the MXO to work with Prores HQ @ 25 fps. 1920X1080 48kHz.

FCP

When I hit play I get a still of the first frame on the ACD but the clip plays fine in the canvas window on the primary monitor. When I stop the playhead the still image updates to the current position of the stopped playhead.

Color

When I go to Color - the sequence will play but there is a strange problem with the application.

Normally when I click on the ACD monitor the full screen image gives way to a windowed image and the scopes. This isn't working with anything going through the MXO. The cursor doesn't appear in the window at all or if it does - the image of the cursor freezes on the image.



Sequence preset: Uncompressed 8-bit Pal 48kHz
V Playback : Mxo uncompressed 1080p 25 - yuv (1920x1080)

System:MXO/FCP2/2x3 GHz quad intel xeon/
Software for everything is up to date.
 
Hi,

I don't have a PAL file so I can't really reproduce this, but setting up the project with the PAL preset, placing 24p material, it works.

When only the still frame shows but never plays in motion, that is because the clip's or sequence's frame rate is not matched to the choice you made in the "view/video playback". Does it play from the viewer (which means double clicking the clip)? If it does then the clip is right but the sequence setting is not. If that is the case then when throw in the clip to the sequence, FCP asks you to match the sequence setting to the clip's setting, so choose "yes".

FCP gets confused with the settings we make separately in sequence and the video playback, so go into the preset, choose the appropriate preset for you project, then start a new project. There are otherways to set it up, but that is the basic when things are confusing to you.


In Color, I selected the 1080/25p ouput in the "Video Output" and it seems to work fine.

What is the clip's format that you are working with?

Kaku

billymc said:
Hi Katu,

I'd appreciate any advise with regard to the following.

I'm trying to get the MXO to work with Prores HQ @ 25 fps. 1920X1080 48kHz.

FCP

When I hit play I get a still of the first frame on the ACD but the clip plays fine in the canvas window on the primary monitor. When I stop the playhead the still image updates to the current position of the stopped playhead.

Color

When I go to Color - the sequence will play but there is a strange problem with the application.

Normally when I click on the ACD monitor the full screen image gives way to a windowed image and the scopes. This isn't working with anything going through the MXO. The cursor doesn't appear in the window at all or if it does - the image of the cursor freezes on the image.



Sequence preset: Uncompressed 8-bit Pal 48kHz
V Playback : Mxo uncompressed 1080p 25 - yuv (1920x1080)

System:MXO/FCP2/2x3 GHz quad intel xeon/
Software for everything is up to date.
Click to expand...
 
Matrox MXO2 1.3
(March 26, 2009, 6.03 MB )

Matrox MXO2 version 1.3 provides the following:
Scaling on the input for capture
Improved support for 720p workflows
ProRes 422 720p capture on a MacBook Pro
Improved support for 1080p workflows
Support for 1080p at 23.98 fps via the HDMI output
Preservation of 23.98 fps when cross converting from 720 to 1080
RGB component output
Apple Xserve support
Matrox MXO2 Rack support
 
I tested MXO with Color and I'd recommend following setting:

When you grade native R3D footage with MXO's mastering mode, the footage is RGB based (I think), so the Color would show the clip in gamma 1.8 from MXO YUV output selection, so apply 0.818181 in the Master gamma (Primary in or Primary out), that would give you gamma 2.2 on your monitor. Then upon rendering, take off the master gamma setting before rendering, since the Color would apply the gamma change so what you had monitored with master gamma at 0.818181 and the rendered DPX would look consistent. Upon rendering to QT, then you want to keep this master gamma value (0.818181) so the rendered QT becomes gamma 2.2.

I'd guess MXO2 would work the same way.

RGB choices for the video out shows 2.2 gamma curve but the gain seems lifted so I'm recommending YUV output at this moment.

Extra info.
MXO's presentation mode displays gamma according to what you set in System Preference/Displays/Color (1.8 or 2.2). At this point, I haven't check whether REDCINE displays materials in 1.8 or 2.2 but I will find out and post the update, but my guess is that we should set it at 1.8 in the system preference/displays.
 
Hi Katu,

Thank you so much for this thread and your help. After you comments I decided to buy the MXO2 and I am very happy with it. Now I am working on a project and I have some doubts. It doesn't quite relate to the Matrox, but more to Gamma and color spaces. But I thought I could ask here and maybe you guys could help me out.

I am working on a project using AE CS4. I have my MXO2 connected to a Trinitron SD monitor, and a Dell 24i HDMI monitor. I get pretty good image on both using the YUV 24 1080 settings.

I am going to have different deliverables. 1 Standard DVD. 1 Blue Ray, and also Quicktime for website or proyector. (PC and MAC) At this point the way I am working with my master is working on Rec709 color space in After effects and do my color correcting with the HDMI monitor and SD monitor to get the master. But when I export a quicktime, and place in it my web server, it looks much darker. I am working with 2.2 6500K gamma settings on my Mac.

I thought it is best to work with this settings to do my master. have my SD DVD made, so the color should be good, as I see it on my SD monitor. Then the Blue Ray. Is it also Rec709 the Blue Ray, or should I make some color adjustments? (I've never made a blue ray DVD :embarassed: ) and then for web, I guess I would choose either 2.2 or 1.8 or something in between. What is the best way to adjust a quicktime that has been done in AE Rec709 (with Mac 2.2 gamma) into just RGB gamma 2.2?

Thanks a lot for your help.
 
For Bluray, you can stay REC709 and gamma 2.2.

For the web, mac users would be viewing at gamma 1.8 and windows users at 2.2, so your idea with something in between could work.

And I want to stop everybody to call me Katu, my name is Kaku :).
 
The MXO2 Mini should be very appealing for RED users. Does anybody know if it supports 720 an 1080 at 24 and 25 progressive via HDMI? The PDF at their site doesn't state the formats it digests…
If you are at NAB, could someone please ask them?
 
The product manager is very much aware of the RED ONE market, so I'd imagine Mini would support cinema frame rate. The I/O is limited comparing to MXO2, so it wouldn't be like the Intensity which is strategically limited to broadcast format.
 
Well, the SDI cards are limited to PsF as well, that's why I'm asking.

I consider the MXO2 Mini very attractive, since the calibration tools for these boxes are quite capable. We own the "classic" MXO and use it with a nice old JVC HD tube…

If you are by chance at NAB, please nail it down for us!

TIA
 
Uli, wayne at Matrox is back at the office, so I will ask him for the clarification.
 
Uli,

MXO2 mini only support PsF. Also, Matrox said it won't work as well for red workflow as MXO2.
 
Sigh, I was afraid to hear this.

Thank you anyway!
 
On supporting red workflow, as long as it works with open timeline then should be useable. I will test it as I received it.
 
I was considering it for input (quick rushes), not for output.
 
okay.
 
Hi Kaku: Does MXO2 scale in Quicktime or FCP? Or does it scale to an input or output device only? I'm trying to cut a messy commercial that is using footage shot in various formats and different time bases (24p, 23.98 and 29.97, hideous...) and am looking for the best way to scale these previously-captured files. Can MXO2 scale previously digitized footages -- or is the scaling functionality limited to only during capture and output?

I'm reading differing opinions about this on the web. Some people seem to claim that scaling can happen in the computer via MXO2, some people seem to be saying that it scales on Input or to an output device only.

I may buy one anyway -- it seems like a nice device for running a video split, even if it can't be used for scaling captured footage.

Can you help me out? Thanks.
 
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