Aja or Matrox: which is best choice for PPro CS3?

[Ron Shook]

JD,

[jdwilkin] “I came accross a Matrox PDF on their site last night that announces that the upcoming 3.0 release of RT.X2 (not SD model) will include support for P2 and Sony HDV CODECs.”

Excellent! I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. Note that it says nothing about the other MXF, XDCAM, even though the support for both current varieties of MXF for Axio came at the same time. I suspect that there are several things at play here. Other than Apple, Matrox’s primary competitors are Canopus and Cineform. Cineform is about to deliver P2 support and Canopus has had both P2 and XDCAM support for some time if you purchase the broadcast version of their Edius software. Matrox had to deliver P2 support because the RT.X2 is aimed squarely at the corporate, small facility, religious, etc. markets and the inexpensive Panny HVX-200 handicam camcorder fits squarely in those markets. Currently there is no XDCAM camcorder that fits those market niches because they’re too expensive. However, if the $8k XDCAM HD EX is a hit later in the year, Matrox is liable to deliver XDCAM support to RT.X2 sometime next year.

[jdwilkin] “On the P2 side, it is a little more hazy. They mention the HVX-200 but also comment on support for “Panasonic P2 cameras”, so, maybe all P2 models will be supported.”

P2 is P2, right, whatever the camcorder? Well not exactly. Some of the newer, much more expensive P2 camcorders from Panny use the new AVCHD codecs within their MXF wrappers. Any P2 camcorder that uses DVCPRO codecs in their MXF wrappers, like the HVX-200 should work fine with the RT.X2 but I very much suspect that the AVCHD P2 support will be limited to Axio for some time, at least until there is an under $10k camcorder that uses it. And of course it depends to some degree what the competition does as well.

[jdwilkin] “So, in light of this, do you still feel that the price difference (Axio LE vs RT.X2) is worth it? I guess there is still some hardware assist in the Axio and of course, the XLR and SDI in/outs are very helpful.”

I don’t know what your business is and where you want to take it, so I can’t really say, i.e., I can’t read your future any better than I can read this industry’s. (g) While the RT.X2 also assists in rendering like the LE I think there are some bandwidth limitations that probably make it not quite as good in that respect. Also, while the RT can use the Matrox MPEG2 I Frame codecs, it’s limited in HD to 100 mb/s and while the Matrox codec is good at this rate it’s not excellent like the same codec on the LE at 2-300 mp/s. You have to take other HD formats other than those that’ll input via firewire into the RT via component rather than SDI and convert them to the MPEG2 I frame at a rate that isn’t pristine, so look at the RT as a great HDV editor and not so great as an editor for much other HD. If that suits what you will use it for, great, but if you envision more, not so great.

The other thing to take into account, because we can’t see the future clearly is that the various versions of Axio are Matrox’s flagship products and Axio will adapt to new industry developments well before the RT.X2 will. You’ll stay closer to the literal cutting edge if you need to have those new capabilities.

Ron Shook

[Mike Cohen]

We bought a refurbished M100qx board from B+H back in 1999 which ran Premiere 5.0 on a G3. We later replaced it with a refurb M100 LE which believe it or not we are still using 8 years later.

Mike Cohen

[Jim Wilkinson-ray]

Mike,
I believe it…I still use my M100 XS on a G4 running OS9. It’s still a great tool for simple or long format SD pieces coming from Beta or DV. Very weiry of using its old tools, though, to get jobs out to DVD and streaming formats.
On the other hand, its drama-free … more like running a dedicated box when compared to the newer systems based on MS OS.

[Jim Wilkinson-ray]

Ron,
Great insights into the product line and P2. I’ve been coming to the same conclusion around Axio’s advantage via Matrox’s bigger resource commitment to it. Been cruising their support forums. Seems like good CODEC support, decent first level support and modest, if slower, bug fix rate.

BTW, my read on the Sony HDCAM EX is that it will only offer 25MB/s HDV. Hope I’m wrong.
Thanks again,
Jim

[Ron Shook]

JD,

[jdwilkin] “my read on the Sony HDCAM EX is that it will only offer 25MB/s HDV. Hope I’m wrong.”

I’m almost positive you are wrong. When it comes out, it will have the 35 mb/s XDCAM codec, while the shoulder mount big brothers will gain a 50 mb/s 4:2:2 new codec. If it doesn’t, it’d probably be a bust without a tape transport to service standard HDV.

Ron Shook