dual 6-core or Matrox Mxo 2?

[Jeremy Garchow]

The mxo2 is not a “video accelerator”.

You can EDIT video without a capture device, you just wont be able to monitor it.

[Michael Gissing]

The Matrox I/Os can accelerate the creation of H264 files from the final timeline.

https://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mac/mxo2_family/mxo2/

It says hardware acceleration of HDV and DVCPro codecs in FCP plus MAX software to acclerate H264 encoding.

I always prefer to buy as much grunt as I can. It is a balancing act between length of investment versus the pain of changing systems more often by buying cheaper but becoming obsolete faster. RAM at this stage only helps with Motion and Compressor. FCP is still limited to 4 gigs but this will hopefully change withing a year.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Michael Gissing] “The Matrox I/Os can accelerate the creation of H264 files from the final timeline. “

That has to do with output, not editing.

[Michael Gissing] “It says hardware acceleration of HDV and DVCPro codecs in FCP”

RT acceleration, not editing accelration. you can absolutely edit wihtout this feature.

[Michael Gissing] “plus MAX software to acclerate H264 encoding.”

Again, output.

OP said you can’t edit video wihtout an accelerator, it’s not true.

I’d buy the computer if you don’t have one.

Jeremy

[Michael Sacci]

[George Seven] “I’m editing canon 5d or 7d projects.”
As stated in a ton of post, footage from Conan DSLR cameras is H.264 and MUST be converted before editing in FCP. Then you will have real time playback and editing.

[Andy Mees]

[George Seven] “I’m about to buy a Mac Pro.
The new dual 6-core is really expensive and you can’t edit real time without a video accelerator so I was thinking to buy a Matrox Mxo 2 instead of the new 6-core.
I’m editing canon 5d or 7d projects.
Do you thing it’s the right choice?”

I’m a happy MXO2 user George, but as has been noted, the MXO2 has nothing to do with accelerating your editing … it’s an I/O device, not a “video accelerator” and it’ll offer you no special advantage as such. Yes, the MAX version is super useful for lightning fast H264 encoding, but that is an output/export task, not an edit task. You need the computer AND the I/O device, not either or.

[George Seven] “Also, they say the new Premiere CS5 is better than Final Cut 7 for editing Canon 7d or 5d footage. What do you think?”

If you’re not a Mac Only kind of guy then I think you should maybe be having a look at a possible PC and EDIUS 6 solution.

Hope it helps
Andy

[Dennis Radeke]

[George Seven] “Also, they say the new Premiere CS5 is better than Final Cut 7 for editing Canon 7d or 5d footage. What do you think?”

If by better, you mean able to edit it natively without having to convert it to another codec, then absolutely yes. It will also probably work just fine on your existing Intel based Mac, so you won’t have to switch to a PC as others suggest (unless you want to – Adobe is cross platform). If you choose a new dual hex core, Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 will address ALL of your CPU cores and ALL of your available memory so it adds up to a significant performance increase over FCP as it stands today.

However, if you’re willing to convert your footage to ProRes, the editors (from a editing functionality standpoint) are more alike than they are different.

I hope this helps you.

Dennis

[George Seven]

So what do you suggest for real time editing? Aja Kona?
I’m used to Avid Media Composer Adrenaline, which is a real time editing system.
FCP+Map Pro isn’t real time. I was wondering if it’s a better configuration for real time a 6-core Mac Pro or a 4-core Mac Pro + Aja Kona (or Matrox Mxo2).

[George Seven]

So do you think Premiere CS5 is good enough for editing a film?
In the past Premiere was terrible. I’m used to Avid, which in my opinion is by far the best editing software.
I used Premiere CS5 and I had problems syncing the clapboard video and the audio. I’m trying to sync video+audio on camera with the audio recorded with the boom and an external recorder.

[Jeremy Garchow]

[George Bucci] “FCP+Map Pro isn’t real time. “

It is if you set it up properly. You will eventually need to render, but if you’re media is ProRes and your timeline is ProRes, you can then change the rt quality from full to none and have more rt. You can’t just take an h264 file in FCP and expect to edit. FCP doesn’t work that way.

Jeremy

[Dennis Radeke]

[George Seven] “So do you think Premiere CS5 is good enough for editing a film?
In the past Premiere was terrible. I’m used to Avid, which in my opinion is by far the best editing software.”

Monsters which is a film in release right now was cut on Premiere Pro so it is being done. Salt also used Premiere Pro (though not for online) which is currently on the nvidia site as a customer story.

If however you are comfortable Avid, then you should stick with it. In my opinion there are advantages to every NLE… Premiere Pro’s probable advantages would be integration within the Adobe suite, native file handling, open timeline/native formats, 64-bit native application, performance from said 64-bit and GPU hardware acceleration.

Cheers,
Dennis

For you, I’ll also mention that Premiere Pro imports and exports AAF.