Kona 2 vs Axio

[Bob Zelin]

you did not receive a response, becuase most professionals never took the Matrox line seriously. Even when Matrox had a deal with Discreet for the Digisuite card set, their support was non existant (and Discreet refused to discuss the Matrox hardware if you had a problem). Bottom line is that with excellent products on the market from AJA, Blackmagic, Aurora, etc., and with professional solutions from companies like AVID and Sony, Matrox is the cockaroach in the mix. You wander around these trade shows, and see companies like Matrox, and have some prior experience with dealing with companies like Matrox, and you say “who buys this crap anyway”.

Another excellent example of this is Bluefish, which is really Digital Voodoo. Everyone who has been dealing with FCP for a long time has dealt with Digital Voodoo – long before the original AJA Kona card. Digital Voodoo was SUCH a nightmare to deal with, that the company had to “hide” behind the Bluefish name, and even with amazing specifications in the Bluefish cards, NO ONE CARES, becuase no one needs that kind of abuse. Without knowing anything about Matrox Axio, I do know one thing – AJA support for their products is AMAZING, and Matrox support for their products is TERRIBLE. Will support for the Axio be different – will Matrox be more responsive, and respond to bugs, and changes from Apple – I don’t know, but I would not want to be the one to find out.

This is a pro AJA forum, but with all the grunting, there is nothing wrong with products from Blackmagic and Aurora. And there was nothing wrong with the Pinnacle Cinewave line either, until Pinnacle pulled the plug. But Matrox – “forgetaboutit”.
One thing is for sure, Apple screws with FCP and the OS, and if the hardware company isn’t willing to respond almost instantly, you can take your wonderful hardware and shove it up where the sun don’t shine.

Bob Zelin

[Les Kaye]

Wow Bob, you’re even more down on Matrox then me… And yes I’m very well aware of Matrox’s history with discreet edit. So no, I’m not interested in Axio for my own (or anyone else’s) use – just simply want to educate myself since it’s always good to know what’s going on.

I personally don’t see Axio as being all that viable since it only works with a rather feeble application. PPro users seem to think that if they put a V8 into a Ford Escort they’ll end up with a Porsche…Nonetheless, I really am curious (Matrox hyperbole aside) if the Axio card is more powerful/versatile than the Kona2, as well as its limitations.

Thanks,
-Les

[Mody]

I was hoping if Matrox would develope the Axio for The the New G5’s and we get some awesome RT performance in SD and in HD

RT chroma, Titles, Slomo etc etc 2 graphic layers etc tc

I dont understand why are they only sticking to PPro even Incite is shut down now

They will sell more cards for the OSX than the PC. Axio is expnsive and comes with 1 year warranty repairs for them will be expensive like digisuite

Mody

[Walter Biscardi]

[mody] “I was hoping if Matrox would develope the Axio for The the New G5’s and we get some awesome RT performance in SD and in HD
RT chroma, Titles, Slomo etc etc 2 graphic layers etc tc”

To date, the Pinnacle CineWave is the only card that’s ever accelerated RT performance on Final Cut Pro and I’m honestly not sure why no one else came out with some of their features. Particularly RT Chroma Key and Mixed Formats in a single timeline.

As for what you’re looking for, we get RT CC, Slo Mo, multiple graphics layers, plus a lot more here no problem running a Dual 2.0 with a Fibre Channel Array.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Gary Adcock]

[Les Kaye] “Nonetheless, I really am curious (Matrox hyperbole aside) if the Axio card is more powerful/versatile than the Kona2, as well as its limitations.”

Sorry , but this is an apples and oranges, PC’s can offer hardware acceleration that cannot be had on a mac due to apple’s limitations for hardware boosts with FCP. Same with Avid.
Apple is a hardware company that wants to sell more machines, faster, newer machines, that is the driving reason not to allow for hardware acceleration.

on the AJA vs Axio – how many broadcast pro’s are running matrox hardware? really?

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Les Kaye]

[Walter Biscardi] “As for what you’re looking for, we get RT CC, Slo Mo, multiple graphics layers, plus a lot more here no problem running a Dual 2.0 with a Fibre Channel Array.”

We’re in HD – so this doesn’t work for us. Again, I’m not writing from frustration with Kona2, just curious about what Axio really does.

[Les Kaye]

[gary adcock] “Apple is a hardware company that wants to sell more machines, faster, newer machines, that is the driving reason not to allow for hardware acceleration.”

The first sentence is correct, the second not so. While the initial success of FCP (3.0 and before) was mainly due (IMHO) to the many Mac faithful having another viable and reasonably priced NLE option, FCP’s recent juggernaut (4.0 and current) IS due to it’s superior performance in many (not all) ways. If Apple is to remain competitive
it MUST continue to offer hardware performance in whatever way they can.

[gary adcock] “on the AJA vs Axio – how many broadcast pro’s are running matrox hardware? really?”

Agreed. As I pointed out somewhere here, I’m in no way interested in the Axio since it relies on PPro.

Finally it’s not really Apples & Oranges – performance is performance.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Les Kaye] “Finally it’s not really Apples & Oranges – performance is performance.”

Of course it’s Apples and Oranges. Mac’s are not PC’s and PC’s are not Mac’s. there are things in hardware that can be done on a PC that cannot be done on a Mac. So it’s an Apples and Oranges thing.

And if you don’t care about PPro, why the heck are we even having this discussion? Without PPro you can’t use Axio.

Usually when a person starts a thread like this it’s because they are considering purchasing one or the other. You don’t care to use PPro and I really don’t know a single person who is using PPro / Axio in production so honestly, who cares about a comparison?

This is really a better question for the folks over in the PPro forum. “Is anyone using Axio and what realtime are you gettting?”

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Gary Adcock]

[Les Kaye] “If Apple is to remain competitive it MUST continue to offer hardware performance in whatever way they can.”

I do not disagree with you Les, but it is the reality of working in FCP. Apple shuns all 3rd party vendors and/ or developers that try to offer hardware acceleration for FCP.

I cannot think of a single vendor within the apple sphere of influence that has a currently shipping product that offers hardware acceleration that is “Certified” or “Qualified” for use with FCP 5.

Welcome to life on the mac.

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Les Kaye]

[Walter Biscardi] “And if you don’t care about PPro, why the heck are we even having this discussion? Without PPro you can’t use Axio.
Usually when a person starts a thread like this it’s because they are considering purchasing one or the other. You don’t care to use PPro and I really don’t know a single person who is using PPro / Axio in production so honestly, who cares about a comparison?”

Hi Walter,
First, the reason we’re having this discussion is because I simply wanted to know how the cards compared. THAT’S ALL – HONEST. I thought that perhaps, just maybe, there was someone here familiar with both cards and who could answer my question without getting their hair mussed. So perhaps the question for you is… Can’t someone be interested in KNOWING about the Axio without being interested in PPro? I’m in a purely HD environemnt, and while some of the features in Axio would be helpful if they ACTUALLY WORKED in a real world scenario, I’m not prepared, nor is the company I work at, to compromise with PPro. I doubt that will change with the releases of PPro 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever.

As for my original motive in asking, could it be that perhaps I’m interested in the Axio simply because there’s been a bit of activity about the Axio over at the discrete edit COW forum and I wanted to be better informed?

[Walter Biscardi] “This is really a better question for the folks over in the PPro forum. “Is anyone using Axio and what realtime are you gettting?””

No. I asked here because I wanted professional responses, and I doubt there’s anyone over at the PPro forum working in a similar situation to mine that could give me a valuable comparison with the Kona2 card (which btw we’ve all been very happy with). Besides, if the responses here are any indication, there’d be someone over there getting their nose out of whack because I asked about the Aja cards…

Regards,
-Les Kaye