Favorite video I/O device?

[Arnie Schlissel]

Kona 3.

Arnie
Post production is not an afterthought!
https://www.arniepix.com/

[Shane Ross]

AJA Kone 3. Does it all and does most of it via hardware.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Sean Oneil]

If you need upconversion and downconversion, the Kona 3 is the best.

If you don’t need these those things or you have another device that does it (Teranex Mini) then the Kona 3 is a waste of money IMO. Get a Decklink HD Pro.

Sean

[Dan Atkinson]

Anyone using MXO2? It promises a lot but don’t know anyone using it professionally. Well priced, portable (at a cost admittedly).

Dan Atkinson

Creative Director

MediaBaby

Manchester, UK

http://www.mediababy.co.uk

[Shane Ross]

I have the MXO2 but hAven’t put it to serious use yet. Stuck on Avid for another month or two.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Bob Zelin]

If you use Beta SP, then the AJA Kona 3 will not make you happy. The AJA Kona 3 (which is my favorite product as well) does not have analog component inputs. If you buy the AJA Kona 3, you will need a CAV to SDI converter, like the AJA HD10AVA or the Blackmagic analog to Digital converter (which costs less). If you buy a cheaper product like the AJA Kona LHe that has analog inputs, it will not upconvert to HD. The Maxtrox MXO2 supposedly does upconversion, but I have not used it. The AJA I/O HD “does it all” but it only “does it all well” at ProRes422 and ProRes422HQ. If you need other compression ratios, you will not be happy. This is why I like the AJA Kona 3.

I don’t know if the MOTU V4HD does upconversion.

Bob zelin

[Dave Klee]

Hey Bob, thanks much! That’s a really good summary, and the analog in is something I would like to have the option for without a converter (if possible). And, we’re currently a DVCPROHD house, so I appreciate your feedback on the Io HD.

I’m using a MOTU V4HD right now in one suite, and it does do up/down/cross conversion really well — I think that’s one of its strong points. However, it is a somewhat complicated interface, and instead of using Final Cut Pro to make all your video settings for input and output, you pretty much have to set everything twice — once with Final Cut Pro settings, then go to the MOTU software utility to tell it exactly what you want to do.

Also, the way the MOTU handles audio annoys me. It really only works well with all analog or all digital audio. In fact, it can only output one of those at a time — not both. For input, both can be active, but channel assignments are very strange.

I thought the MOTU V4HD would be the perfect box, but these quirks have me a little weary. I guess it’s too much to ask something to be powerful and easy at the same time.

[Baz Leffler]

Hey Dave – I have multiple FCP’s all running ‘Blackmagic Multibridges’ and they really do kick ass as I suppose the Kona do.

I have a MXO2 coming as a christmas pressy for my Macbookpro and having played with one at length I can say that it is an asskicker as well although a little limited when it comes to full uncompressed HD as the only fast drives that you can connect to the MBP need the Express card slot(2 x esata in raid) and that slot already taken up by the MXO2 – so FW800 is the fastest you can use. Most work I need to do on the MBP is Xdcam EX and HDV stuff which is more than adequate. Of course connecting the MXO2 to a Mac Pro via the PCIe card you can get the full uncompressed thing happening.

Baz

What would I do without the ‘UNDO’ button!!!!

[Dave Klee]

Hey Baz, I was hoping someone would respond using one of the new Blackmagic boxes!

I have a couple older cards (Decklink HD Pro), and when using Final Cut Pro, they give me a spinning color wheel (of death) on a fairly regular basis: before capturing a clip, after capturing a clip, when changing clip capturing settings, when opening log and capture, when closing log and capture, when changing open sequences — and sometimes for no reason I can tell at all. The spinning wheel lasts from 1-10 seconds, and it almost never causes the computer to crash. It just spins and makes you wait. Then it’s done and works fine until the next time.

Does this happen when using your newer Multibridge? Do you ever see the spinning color wheel? I’ve been hesitant to go back to Blackmagic after these initial experiences.

Thanks for the help!

[Baz Leffler]

Hey Dave – for a time I was using a Decklink HD pro (Pcie) on a Mac Pro octocore and on a later model G5 quad core and never had the problem you are describing.
I am now running 2 G5’s and Multibridge Extreme’s and a Mac Pro with a Multibridge Eclipse and I have never had it so easy! Everything works a dream, well almost everything – the lastest FCP seems to do an aweful lot of beachballing requiring a force quit. But the same setup never had the problem with 6.0.4 so I think it is something funky with 6.0.5.
Incidently the Decklink HD pro’s have been relegated to Adobe Premiere on PC’s and its a pity the Blackmagic hardware outperforms the platform.

Baz

What would I do without the ‘UNDO’ button!!!!