-
Blackmagic Deck Link Mini Monitor Card?
On my MacPro with AVID Media Composer 4.0.5 I am wanting to connect a large HD monitor. A friend told me that I needed to install the Blackmagic Deck Link Mini Monitor card, in order to connect the monitor. I found it at this site: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/decklink/techspecs#35423.
Has anyone done this? Does this seem the right thing to do? I have two computer monitors already hooked up, and they work fine, but I really need a good HD monitor to be able to really see the footage that I am editing.
I would greatly appreciate advice before I buy and install this card! Thanks!
Ross
Never Give Up
-
8 Replies
-
You can use such third party I/O devices, but not on MC 4. You’d need to upgrade to at least v5.5. You can upgrade to v7 for just 399 USD.
-
If I remember correctly, 5.5.x only supported the AJA i/O Express and it was v6 that opened it up to many more. But as Job states, the upgrade to v7 is a good deal.
Michael
-
Thanks very much. That brings up the next question: whether to upgrade or not. The late Larry Rubin, whom many will fondly remember, told me that MC 4.0 was the most “stable” of all the AVID media composer version, and that it would do everything I needed to do on my project. So, since I am smack in the middle of a longterm project involving many hours of digitized footage, I am still using MC 4.0.5. What would be your reaction to that situation? How “dangerous” is it to upgrade in the middle of a big project?
Never Give Up
-
If you just want HD output and a stable version, you can either go to 5.5.3.7. This will let you use either the Matrox MXO2 Mini or the AJA Io Express to connect your monitor. These units are for monitoring only, 5.5 won’t let you capture.
But 6.5.3 was good on me too until I recently upped to v7.
-
Thanks so much for telling me about the different versions! I really appreciate it. What I need to know is how risky is it to change Versions of MC in mid-project. I have 100 hours of footage digitized for a three part series we are making. Would I be jeopardizing this work if I changed versions of MC in midstream?
Thanks very much!
Never Give Up
-
I would not necessarily recommend it, but it should work just fine. That media is 100% compatible. The bins will travel forward as well. Some functions would not travel backwards, but you would not expect to go backwards.
-
So, you are saying that this would be a risky thing to do — maybe even a bit foolish? — to upgrade from 4.0.5 to 7.0 MC in the middle of a long project with so much invested? You are suggesting that, yes, something might go terribly wrong? Did I get that right?
Thanks very much for your help!!
Ross
Never Give Up
-
I mean that it is generally considered best practice to start and finish within the same version. Having said that, I’ve taken the plunge a few times, and never got hurt. YMMV.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up