Planning EX1 purchase, considering if I need a Blackmagic/Aja HD card or not for monitoring: In FCP, if I edit XDCAM EX clips the SD route - import them to a DV PAL 48Khz Anamorphic sequence, (I know they'll need to render) will I be able to see the edit on my Sony SD CRT monitor as currently with DVCAM? : FCP > firewire > HDV deck > componenet > SD CRT monitor

Yes you will be able to monitor fine that way. Infact im sure that even if you edit on a native hd timeline you will still see a downconverted version on your sd monitor. Final cut feeds a signal through firewire into your hdv deck which will accept it and send it back out to the monitor in something that it is able to display.

HDV cannot be used for live monitoring, but DV can. So you would need a DV deck or camera or something like a canopus ADVC100. Like Daniel said, you edit a native hd timeline and FCP performs a live downconversion to DV, no render needed. Depending on your machine you will have to play with the RT settings to get the best quality/performance.
Cheers!
Atilio.

Cheers chaps - borrowed a 1080p25 clip from Phil and fyi it's playing fine via HVR-M25E HDV or DSR-1500 DVCAM deck to monitor, whether in a SD sequence (unlimited RT, will need render) or XDCAM sequence.

In FCP, if I edit XDCAM EX clips the SD route - import them to a DV PAL 48Khz Anamorphic sequence, (I know they'll need to render) will I be able to see the edit on my Sony SD CRT monitor as currently with DVCAM? : FCP > firewire > HDV deck > componenet > SD CRT monitor

You might want have a look at the Matrox MXO which is a solution for SD & HD frame and color accurate monitoring. There is a slightly dated review of it over at dvuser.co.uk which clearly explains how this device is capable of accurate high quality monitoring of many formats including XDCAM, HDV etc. without rendering/conforming. I am seriously considering this approach rather than investing big bucks for a native HD monitor. The latest software drivers now support MacPro laptops.

If you spend a little time in the support forums it seems that Matrox have significantly improved their response times to addressing customer concerns and issues. Rare to find ProVideo manufactures who actually provide timely replies to issues and meaningful support to correct problems. There are a few.

I just bought one of these and am waiting for delivery. I'll post when I check it out. Reviews are stellar. Best to buy it on ebay where you can usually get it for around $700+.

Seem to me like the solution for HD monitoring especially if you use a laptop like i do.

I just bought one of these and am waiting for delivery. I'll post when I check it out. Reviews are stellar. Best to buy it on ebay where you can usually get it for around $700+.

Seem to me like the solution for HD monitoring especially if you use a laptop like i do.

Wow.. thats what Ive being looking for, you can use your laptop screen for hi-quality monitoring? Will the newer MXO2 (release July08) be able to do this?

Damn, There's an MXO2 coming out? Just after I buy an MXO? What are they in league with Sony on the EX-1?

What's the MXO2 supposed to do?

It doesn't work on your laptop screen but on a secondary computer monitor run by the DVI out.

Basically the MXO is output, the MXO2 is in- and output. There are a lot of differences, look tha the Matrox MXO2 website (http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mxo2/). I like that it will be codec agnostic, can be battery powered and that you can attach an LCD via HDMI. It doesn't do DVI (like the MXO) though.

George/

I use a MXO as an output device on my macpro and it works fine with the EX1 (after a few painfull months until they updated their drivers). I have a Panasonic LH1700 HD SDI monitor and they are a great pair.

The fact that you can attach a regular LCD to it and have proper color adjustments is brilliant and at that price there really isn't any competition.

Most of the really serious problems has been fixed in the latest driver version, so it should be plug and play. Performance may vary from system to system, so a visit to the matrox forums is a good idea before you buy.

MXO2 looks like a great box but it doesn't seem to do what the MXO does in that it won't connect to a DVI monitor (HDMI instead) and it doesn't seem to have a DVI input.

Its too abd because it does alot of other stuff and it would be good to have both. It willo cost around $1500 or so.

My MXO is working like a champ. EX1 footage looks amazing on my Dell. Much more cost effective solution than purchasing a broadcast quality monitor. It is unfortunate that the MXO2 does not have DVI. That is the main reason I got this device.

The MXO is 'just' a monitor calibration device (with some extra outputs) for driving a second monitor (preferably a Cinema Display) on your Mac Pro.

The MXO2 will much more, specifically provide intputs, as well as being truely portable (external battery support). On top of that it will do calibration for HDMI displays.

Of late even computer monitors start having HDMI inputs, so it can drive a second/preview monitor that way.

George/