-
Matrox MXO vs Aja IO HD
-
[Lee Berger] “AJA’s Io HD FAQ says that you can use FireWire drives if you install a FW PCIe card but it says nothing about using tape FW tape machines or camcorders. This is the problem with Io where you can’t capture via FireWIre while the Io is connected,”
You cannot have 2 FW decks connected to a computer and active (powered up) at the same time can you? The IoHD is a serial control device- and your computer can only connect to one serial device over firewire at a time.
This is a control limitation of Firewire not any fault of the IoHD. It is NOT possible to have to intelligent devices attached to your mac at the same time- even leopard is not that smart.
FYI- someone has already tried this and it fried both the Deck (1200a), the IoHD.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflowshttps://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
-
Are you cutting on a notebook? If not, just get a Decklink.
-
[gary adcock] “You cannot have 2 FW decks connected to a computer and active (powered up) at the same time can you? The IoHD is a serial control device- and your computer can only connect to one serial device over firewire at a time.”
My original post was not about having two FW decks attached or about capturing to FireWire drives. It was about having a single FW deck or camcorder connected and the AJA Io Hd connected at the same time. Why? So you can alternately choose to capture (by changing Easy Setups) either via the Io for analog sources or via FireWire for DV/DVCam. This is something you can easily do with AJA Kona because it’s a PCI card and not a FireWire device. You simply change Easy Setups and go.
AJA has documented that having Io (the orignal) and a FireWire VCR connected simultaneously results in a device conflict. They suggest a FireWire A/B switch work around. The switch is a cumbersome work around because you cannot switch with FCP running. Doing so causes FCP to crash. This is important to me because I sometimes have projects with DV and Betacam sources. I bring the DV in via FireWire and Betacam via the Io. Also I use the Io as my analog monitor output (to NTSC picture and waveform) so it’s a pain to keep exiting FCP and switching after every DV capture.
The issue is also not about multiple serial devices as only the Io uses serial control. Once switched to the FireWire deck I simply load the Easy Setup for DV/DVCPro and control switches to FireWire.
It all comes back to my original question about the necessity of an A/B FW switch with the Io HD. I’ll pose this question directly to AJA and report back.
Lee Berger
http://www.leebergermedia.com -
They are working on it, but really this is in NVidia’s court…NVidia is working on the solution for it. Just like Apple is working on getting COLOR to work with the MXO.
Shane
Littlefrog PostGETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD now for sale!
http://www.lfhd.net -
[GARY ADCOCK] “The IoHD is a serial control device- and your computer can only connect to one serial device over firewire at a time.” “
Sorry lee
what part this statement is not clear?this is the reason that you cannot have 2 FW based control devices{ decks and or IoHDs) active at the same time – I used decks as an example- because the IoHD is the same sort of serial device.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflowshttps://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
-
I really doubt that Color comes in as the “color corrector of choice” for most FCP users. Most use the simple 3-way CC that has always shipped with FCP. Maybe the next iteration of Color will be more GUI friendly and support more formats. Maybe after viewing Walter’s Color tome, more people will adopt it ;>)
As far as Matrox and the Nvidia, it takes two to tango, and apps such as Boris Blue STILL only support a very few video cards. I think you need to cut Matrox a break, as Adobe also advertises full compatibilty on the Mac, until Leopard came along! As has already been mentioned, if the Matrox solution doesn’t work for you, buy something else. -
That’s the problem. The MXO is the only product that meets all my requirements, assuming it did what it advertises that is. 🙂 Any other product out there that will output and monitor HD and SD, and is the size and weight of the MXO? I thought of the IOHD, but it’s bigger, heavier, and much costlier.
I do a lot of overseas travel, and often have the opportunity to stay longer in really nice areas, so I use the time to do rough edits of what I shoot. The size and outputs of the MXO are ideal. So, I’ll continue to complain that it doesn’t work as advertised, and it hasn’t for over 3 months.
Ed[Christopher Wright] “As has already been mentioned, if the Matrox solution doesn’t work for you, buy something else. “
-
[gary adcock] “his is the reason that you cannot have 2 FW based control devices{ decks and or IoHDs) active at the same time – I used decks as an example- because the IoHD is the same sort of serial device.”
Actually Gary you gave me a good idea. If it’s device control that’s the culprit then why not use RS422 to control my DSR1500 and DV NTSC 48khz as the input. It seems to work. I can capture to native DV and after exiting log and capture, my NTSC analog output is there without any switching. Thanks.
Lee Berger
http://www.leebergermedia.com -
These are times when I’m very glad not to have the most recent equipment
-
Well thanks for a healthy and compendious array of responses !
I luckily have a boring old MBP with an ATI card running Tiger so I don’t think I’ll have any problem. I think the MXO is the product for me. No doubt there will be times when I need the odd bit of digitizing from tape (from archive footage, esp), but I can always get that stuff into the system somehow, even via firewire or by using a camera as a deck or whatever. A hassle but for the amount of times I think it will affect me, not 2500 bucks worth of hassle.
What a pity I don’t have 2 x DVI ports…
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up