Interesting question about editing HD/previewing SD
 

Soon, I will be purchasing two of the new canon A1s, and the HV10 to use as a deck, and possible 3rd cam when needed.

I know its not possible to preview HD through firewire like we currently do with an SD camera. NOTE - I'm using FCP 5.1.2.

-- My question is, can I capture and edit my entire project in 24F HD using Final Cut Pro, and then preview my HD project using the firewire camera connected to an SD monitor (the HV10)?

I know its a long-shot, but I figured someone might have tried.

Thanks for the input.

No. And this is because of the format you are shooting, HDV. HDV does not allow previewing of ANY kind via firewire.

HOWEVER, if you get a Matrox MXO (www.matrox.com), you can. not only can you downconvert your HD footage to an SD monitor, you can turn your Apple 23" display into a fully functional HD COLOR CORRECTION monitor.

Sweet box for only $999.

I agree, the MXO looks like a really interesting product and a clever design (it uses the DVI port on your graphics card, and some special drivers to insure that you're getting a color accurate image).

Have you actually used one Shane? If so, does it live up to the promises? I read a very positive review in DV magazine last month.

We just got a demo of this box at this month's FCPUG meeting. And as Shane says, it converts RGB color space to YUV, allowing you to get a fairly good color corrected signal to your Apple display.

-gb-

It has another DVI port trick... embedded audio. Using the RCA jacks on the unit will allow you to feed monitors that will be in sync with the video. If you try to monitor directly out of the Mac, your audio would lead due to latency of processing video out of the MXO.

-gb-

I wsa skeptical. Just like you I thought there is NO WAY this box can turn a computer display into a color correction HD monitor. Nice claim, but Nuh uh.

Then I saw it. Now I'm a believer.

I worked in a booth at MacWorld for CalDigit, and Wayne Andrews (product manager) from Matrox was in the booth with me, demoing the unit. There, on display, was a $5000 LCD HD color correction from Panasonic, and an Apple 23" display...both being fed by the MXO. And the image on both was identical.

I am getting a unit to review and test on my own. To compare the Apple 23" display and my HD CRT monitor. But I can say that I am convinced that this is the perfect solution for inexpensive monitoring of HD footage.

After seeing the Matrox demo at Macworld and talking with Wayne (I guess you weren't there when I dropped by Shane) I placed my order and received it today.

Seeing an identical image on both a 20" ACD and a Panny 1700 sold me! That's not something you can fake.

Darn it Rich...probably one of my few excursions across the room, or a lunch break.

But yes, Wayne's demo sold me too. If I didn't already own a Kona LH, that is.

Matrox MXO
 

Hi, great news for economical color correction. Do you need a special monitor to make the color reproduction accurate or is there a special procedure to calibrate? Different LCD use to look very differently so how is this done?

I calibrate my ACD 23" with an Eye-one. Evidently the MXO will load the LUT from that calibration and use it during the process which leads to more accurate color. Even though hadware calibration isn't mandtory, according to Wayne it makes the MXO's color reproduction better.

Phew!
 

Thank goodness I found this thread! Sounds like the answer to all my budget problems! Thank you DVinfo!!

mxo and acd refresh rate
 

Besides the color accuracy, how about other factors like motion artifacts, etc. I don't yet own the ACD or MXO to test, but the refresh rate on the ACD is slow according to the specs and I "think" this causes softening or other distortions on camera moves, doesn't it? Does the MXO solve that problem?

When you evaluate the ACD 23" and MXO next to your HD CRT, could you give some feedback about that?

The MXO get's rid of the interlace artifacts when played back to an Apple 23". Motion artifacts, since they are inherent in the video itself are only minimized somewhat (again probably due to the frame blending the MXO does.)

The overall look of the video out of the MXO is still cleaner to me on my 17" video LCD then the ACD when I compare the 2 monitors but I believe that's due to the fact that the video LCD is lower resolution and benefits from the picture being scaled down.

It's noteworthy that the MXO demo at Macworld featured an Apple 20" next to a Panasonic LH1700W and given their similar size screens and fairly similar resolutions it was very hard to see any apparent differences in either color or overall video quality.

Short of a decklink or Kona there isn't really a better way to see your video in full quality / RT then the MXO IMHO.

[QUOTE=Rich Dykmans]The MXO get's rid of the interlace artifacts when played back to an Apple 23". Motion artifacts, since they are inherent in the video itself are only minimized somewhat (again probably due to the frame blending the MXO does.)

I wouldn't want any motion artifacts "inherent in the video" to be minimized. My purpose is the evaulate accurately the video quality so I don't want to disguise any defects. Importantly, I also don't want the monitor or configuration to "add" any artifacts or distortions which are not actually part of the video footage.

In the way that I can evaluate standard dv footage on my NTSC production monitor, I want to create the same "production monitoring" arrangement for hdv without spending enormous $ and an enormous size HD CRT production monitor. I probably have to compromise, but want to at least be aware of where the shortcomings are. Thanks for you input.

Chris, I beleive the point here is that the 23" ACD is not an interlaced monitor, yet one of the features of the MXO box is that it allows you to use your ACD to view your interlaced footage ... these interlacing artefacts that it is minimzing are inherent only when viewing interlaced footage on a non interlaced display. that means what you see on the ACD is a more accurate representation of the true video quality than you would otherwise be able to see, except by outputing to a true HD monitor. basically its a good thing, not a bad thing.
At this point in time, other than buying a true HD capable monitor and an HD I/O card, the MXO is probably your cheapest route to high quality monitoring of HD.