Matrox MXO2 Mini Now Shipping

Affordable High Definition HDMI and Analog I/O Device for Mac and PC Available Worldwide

(Montréal, Canada--May 21, 2009) Matrox® Video Products Group today announced that Matrox MXO2™ Mini, a new version of the award-winning Matrox MXO2 I/O device is now shipping. Matrox MXO2 Mini can be used with Mac and PC laptop and desktop systems and popular applications including Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and many more.

It provides capture via HDMI, analog component, S-Video, and composite. Users can convert standard definition videos to high definition, or vice versa, while capturing or playing out, using Matrox MXO2 Mini’s high-quality dedicated hardware scaler. Simultaneous playback of high definition and standard definition video is supported. In addition, Matrox MXO2 Mini turns an inexpensive HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor thanks to Matrox’s unique color calibration tool. This product also makes it easy to edit AVCHD footage by capturing into an edit-friendly compressed or uncompressed format.

“Users won’t settle for HDMI and analog I/O cards with messy cables once they see this sleek little device for Mac and PC,” said Alberto Cieri, Matrox senior sales and marketing director. “It provides all the same features in a professional breakout box, with the added advantage of portability. It can be used in studio or on the road, with laptops and desktops.”

Key features of Matrox MXO2 Mini

* Works with Mac and PC, laptops and desktops
* Small, lightweight, external box that’s easily connected to cameras and monitors
* Capture high definition video via HDMI or analog component; NTSC and PAL via analog component, S-Video, or composite
* Playback high definition video via HDMI and analog component; NTSC and PAL via HDMI and analog component or HDMI and S-Video and composite
* Output HD and SD video simultaneously
* Turns an HDMI screen into a professional-grade video monitor with color calibration tools including blue-only
* High-quality 10-bit hardware scaling engine for realtime upscaling, downscaling, and cross conversion on capture and playback
* Stereo RCA and up to 8 channels of HDMI audio input and output
* 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound monitoring on the HDMI output
* Easily edit AVCHD footage by capturing into an edit-friendly compressed or uncompressed format
* Works with leading applications including Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, and many more
* Also available with Matrox MAX™ technology for faster than realtime H.264 encoding
* Three-year hardware warranty and complimentary telephone support


Price and availability
Matrox MXO2 Mini, priced at $449 US (₤338, €382) not including local taxes, is available through a worldwide network of authorized dealers. Each MXO2 Mini comes with the customer’s choice of either an ExpressCard /34 laptop adapter or a PCIe desktop adapter. Additional adapters may be purchased separately at $99 US (₤69, €83) each.

A version of Matrox MXO2 Mini with Matrox MAX technology for faster than realtime high definition H.264 file creation will be available in June for the Mac and July for the PC. Matrox MXO2 Mini with the MAX option will be priced at $849 US (₤644, €758).

About Matrox MAX
Matrox MAX is a unique technology that implements faster than realtime H.264 encoding for resolutions ranging from iPod to HD. It uses a dedicated hardware processor to accelerate the creation of H.264 files for Blu-ray, the web, and mobile devices. By using specialized hardware acceleration, jobs are finished with amazing speed and system resources are liberated for other tasks. Quality and flexibility are ensured through direct integration with professional applications such as Apple Compressor on the Mac and Adobe Media Encoder on the PC. As an added benefit, the Matrox MAX technology allows direct export to higher-quality H.264 Blu-ray compliant files from Compressor.

About Matrox
Matrox Video Products Group is a technology and market leader in the field of HD and SD digital video hardware and software for realtime editing, audio/video input/output, DVD/Blu-ray authoring, capture/playout servers, clip/still stores, and CGs. Matrox's Emmy award-winning technology powers a full range of content creation and delivery platforms used by broadcasters, post-production facilities, project studios, corporate communicators, and videographers worldwide. Founded in 1976, Matrox is a privately held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada. For more information visit Matrox Video - Home (http://www.matrox.com/video).

no realtime acceleration?

blah

MXO 2 Mini is for I/O only. It will allow you to preview your timeline in fiul HD via HDMI or component video output. You can get theMAX version with massively accelerated H.264 encoding.

For ral-time HDV editing, RT.X2 is still the way to go.

Gary

Gary, when do you think the mini will work with sony Vegas? Thanks

I've got Matrox & Sony working on that one as well. No feedback yet on it. But I think both companies see the huge potential here.

Vegas with mini finally gives you reliable, affordable HD output for desktop & laptops. New feature in Vegas lets you capture to XD Cam on the fly - sweet. I see a perfect match here.

Just have to hope it's driver tweaking, not major effort to get them together.

Guys, at $449 the MXO2 Mini is a revolutionary product. HD I/O for under $500. Laptop or desktop, PC or Mac! For $400 more you can add the MAX accelerator for H.264 encoding.

Go Matrox!

Gary

Gary, thanks

Same question: can I use the H264 encoder part of the box with Vegas or DVD Architect, or is that Premiere only for PC?

Sherif

the MXO2 Mini MAX works with Premeire only for now. Cineform and Sony support are in the works.

The CompressHD card can be used with any quicktime based encoder. I'll check and see if the PC version will support Vegas & DVD Architect

Gary

Do you stock CompressHD also?

we will.
Compress HD shipping next week $495

Gary,

Could the MXO2 Mini be used to capture video and audio out the camera's HDMI port to a laptop?

Thanks much.

Yes, you can capture via HDMI with MXO2 Mini. Of course the speed of your laptop is a factor.

On the PC side Mini ships with a Matrox capture program which will allow you to capture into Matrox MPEG2 files. This is the same format used witht eh RTX2 series of cards.

Hopefully when Cineform support is official you'll bew able to capture directly into Cineform via HDMI. Similarly when Vegas 9 support is official, hopefully you'll be able to cature straight into XDCAM XE.

Gary

Gary, how is the unit powered? I am interested in portable unit with some sort of battery power. Thanks

Will the Matrox Mini allow me to monitor a 24p timeline on an HD monitor in CS3 and using Cineform as the editing codec?

If not, what product do I need to get to monitor a 24p timeline?

From what I've read the Intensity Pro will monitor said timeline over 1080i. Is that the card I should look at instead of the Matrox?

Or to monitor 24p is my only option the much more expensive AJA cards? (I don't need SDI.)

Thanks!

Are Vegas and Cineform now supported?

Are Vegas and Cineform now supported?

And what are the system requirements for the mini, does your computer need an hdmi OUT?

It's an adorable litter critter, have to admit.

Cineform is supported. you an preview your timeline via the Mini HDMI or analog outputd.

MXO 2 Mini attached tot eh computer via the included PCIe card (or latpop card). The Mini then gives you HDMI and anlog SD & HD I/O

Gary

Gary -

So the Mini's MAX H.264 encoding benefits only...

- FCP
- Premiere

...correct?

Is the Premiere support for both Mac and Windows versions?

It also states on Matrox's website that it ...."works with your favorite applications"... does that include (some of my favorites!!):

- iMovie '09
- Vegas Pro 9

Matrox MXO2 Mini with the MAX option will be priced at $849 US (₤644, €758).

Pricing in euro for Belgian customers is much higher then mentioned above, instead of €758 we pay €1625 at a big known videodealer in Antwerp.

How does this device work with the newer Mac Pros that only have a Mini Displayport and no Express slot?

Any word yet on whether the Mini will eventually be able to capture to Cineform codec?

How does this device work with the newer Mac Pros that only have a Mini Displayport and no Express slot?

The unit comes with either a PCIe card (for Tower based computers) or an ExpressCard 34 (for laptops). In fact, I think The VideoGuys, has an option bundle that contains both cards.

If you do get this, you may want to strongly consider purchasing it with the MAX option.

The Macbook Pro no longer has the ExpressCard34 slot unless you get the 17".

New Macs w/o express slot can not use MXO2 or MXO2 mini

Gary

Okay, just to make sure, to use the MINI with any flavor laptop you need an express card slot. That's it?

Will it be able to play back the Canon 5D M2 30p* raw files through HDMI from a FCS2 timeline without having to render?
I know the Blackmagic Intensity card doesn't.

* from what I read, the Matrox MXO2 Mini supports 25 and 29,94P.
Easy for me to conform 30p to 29,97P with Cinema tools

Does anyone know if the MXO2 Mini will work with Edius 5 /Neo2 ?

Cheers

Hans

Ok, let me knock out the last 3 Questions:

1) Yes you MUST have an Express slot to use MXO2 Mini with your laptop

2) MXO2 Mini isn't an accelerator. If your laptop can;t play HD without rendering, then the MXO2 mini won't either. Youc an use Neoscene to convert your footage to Cineform CODEC. MOXO2 Mini will play back cineform from the timeline.

3) Edius is not supported at this time. For HDMI output with Edius check out the HD Spark or HD Storm PCIe cards.

Gary

OK.

Thank you.

I was thinking about a laptop via Express slot

Cheers

Hans

Youc an use Neoscene to convert your footage to Cineform CODEC. MOXO2 Mini will play back cineform from the timeline.

Thanks for all the info, Gary. Forgive me for being dense... for a Windows workflow, would I capture to Matrox MPEG2 I-frame or Uncompressed before conversion with NeoScene? And if capturing Uncompressed, how many hours of video would fit on a laptop with 400GB of free space?

Glad I found this tread. Has anyone set up a HDMI portable PC laptop capture device using this hardware? I am thinking about using it to upgrade the quality of my Sony V1U. My other option is the Nano Flash but it is much more expensive.