Matrox cards for nonlinear editing

By Vladimir Shatin

Review contents:
Nonlinear editing today Avid DNA: a new step to evolutions of the NLE systems Cards by Canopus Corporation for nonlinear editing dpsVelocityQ Matrox cards for nonlinear editing Pinnacle CineWave Pinnacle Liquid Edition V5.5 K2 is the second life of Targa 3000

Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO

Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO is a representative of the new generation popular at present the card Matrox RT.X100 intended for nonlinear editing.

As RT.X100, the RT.X100 Xtreme PRO is based on The Power of X architecture, which completely uses both the possibilities of the Matrox card, and power of the central processor of the computer, giving extensive set of the possibilities of the editing, subtitling and creation of visual effects in real time.

Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO suits for creation of corporative video, Internet-broadcasting, small studios for TV production, as well as for educational institutions and home use.

The main difference of new RT.X100 Xtreme PRO from predecessor is the support of the work with new generation of software from Adobe named as Premiere Pro.

Effects examples realized using Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO

Aside from this, RT.X100 Xtreme PRO has some new functions, possibilities and particularities:

• New generation of Matrox X. Tools drivers;
• New software package Adobe Video Collection;
• Hardware support and acceleration of new software functioning;
• Extended possibilities for editing and processing of audio in real time;
• Professional tools for DVD creation;
• Built-in vectoroscope and oscilloscope;
• Improved algorithm of realization of effects of playback acceleration/deceleration (fast and slow motion) in real time;
• Function XtremePreview, allowing to see the result when working with more then two layers of video and graphics, as well as availability wide range of effects without any calculation.

The main possibilities of the card Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO are the following:

• Support of the work with two video layers and two graphics layers in real time;
• Full set of the facilities of the digitization and output;
• Accelerated input and calculation of video for DVD creation;
• Scanning and digitization of video from DV-cassettes by one pass;
• Accelerated coding of video for output on VCD, SVCD, as well as to multitude multimedia- and Internet-formats;
• Output of video to composite and Y/C outputs;
• Color correction with control of 18 parameters;
• Effects and transitions Matrox Flex 3D (three-dimensional effects, blur, waves, video on cube faces, and many others);
• Combination up to 16 effects in real time simultaneously, with full key frames control;
• Chroma key on color and brightness keys with fine adjustment for suppression of noise, storing of the shades, etc.

Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO is delivered in two different complete sets.

RT.X100 Xtreme PRO Suite:

• Matrox RT.X100 card with kit of necessary switching cables;
• Matrox X. Tools drivers;
• Adobe Premiere Pro;
• Adobe Encore DVD (for DVD creation);
• Adobe Audition (for professional processing and audio editing).

RT.X100 Xtreme PRO Collection consists of RT.X100 Xtreme PRO Suite and software Adobe After Effects.

The system recommendations for Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO card are as follows:

• Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 1 or latest version);
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2,2 GGC or AMD Athlon XP 1500+;
• RAM: 512 Mbytes;
• Free PCI slot;
• Video adapter: Matrox G550, P650, P750 or Parhelia (are recommended);
• 16-bit audio card (compatible with DirectSound);
• Drive: CD-ROM (DVD-ROM for work with Adobe Encore DVD);
• Not less 2.5 Gbytes free space on disk for software installing;
• Separate disk or RAID for work with video.

The card has composite and S-Video inputs/outputs for video plus IEEE 1394 interface. The supported formats: ITU-R601, NTSC (720×480, 29.97 frame/sec), PAL/SECAM (720×576 (25 frame/sec), with aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9.

It is possible to ingest to the card input the signals by DV, DVCAM, MPEG-2 MP@ML IBP formats with stream from 2 to 10 Mbit/sec. On card output is possible to get the signal of the DV and DVCAM format. Besides, possible export the files a format DV, DVCAM, MPEG-2 MP@ML IBP, stream 2 10 Mbit/sec.

The digitization of the audio is 16-bit, with sampling rate 48 kHz.

Matrox RT.X10 Xtra Suite

As Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO, which is now delivered with new software from Adobe and is provided to functioning with Windows XP, Matrox Company has issued RT.X10 Xtra Suite.

Either as its predecessor RT.X10 Xtra, the RT.X10 Xtra Suite is intended for exploitation in small television and video studios, as well for home video amateurs.

Due to the fact that RT.X10 Xtra Suite is designed with use of The Power of X architecture (as all products Matrox family RT. X), the users will be able to use the computer power at editing and creation of visual effects with high effectiveness. In common, the more PC capacity the wider range of RT.X10 Xtra Suite features.

Effects examples realized using Matrox RT.X10 Xtra

The main features RT.X10 Xtra Suite are as follows:

• Work with two layers of video and two layers of graphics in real time;
• Scanning and capture of the video of DV format in real time for one passage;
• Color correction on 7 parameters in real time;
• Change of video playback speed (deceleration, acceleration) in real time;
• 3D-effects by Matrox Flex 3D technology (turning over the pages, shutters, “picture in picture”) in real time;
• Simultaneous combining up to 11 effects adjusted by key frames in real time;
• Input and output by DV, composite and Y/C interfaces in real time.

The particularities of RT.X10 xtra Suite are the following: the new generation of Matrox X. Tools drivers for work with Adobe Premiere Pro, the new software package Adobe Video Collection, the hardware support and acceleration of the new software functioning, transfer of to computer by OHCI-compatible unit and Video-for-Windows applications. Also were added some earlier inaccessible effects in real time (video on surface of sphere, cube, particles, etc.), was improved the algorithm of realization of effects of playback acceleration/deceleration, the export of materials for compatible with direct show applications is provided.

The minimum system requirements for RT.X10 Xtra are the same, as for Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme PRO, but there are some nuances. Working with some effects in real time is possible only in presence of the base computer with Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or Athlon XP 2100+ or more powerful.

The supply kit of the Matrox RT.X10 Xtra Suite is as following:

• Matrox RT.X10 card with necessary cables;
• Matrox X. Tools drivers;
• Adobe Premiere Pro;
• Adobe Encore DVD (for DVD creation);
• Adobe Audition (for professional processing and editing of audio).

The card is provided by video composite and S-Video input/output plus IEEE 1394 interface and is capable to work with DV and DVCAM video formats, as well as with 16-bit audio (the sampling rate is 48 kHz).

DigiSuite LE/LX/DTV MAX

Matrox DigiSuite is the platform, which have a well-reputed acknowledgement amongst nonlinear editing professionals. Besides, DigiSuite is a good base for realization of fail safe professional video servers, of systems for appearance of the TV-airwaves and etc.

DigiSuite DTV MAX in operation

The main possibilities of the card (in real time) are the following:

• Two video streams plus one layer of graphics;
• Subtitles with 32-bit quality and transitions;
• Two channels of two-dimensional effects;
• Two channels of colour correction YUV;
• Broad possibilities of playback speed control;
• Independent control of transparency for each layer;
• Two powerful colour/brightness/mask channels of chroma key with suppression of colourness, conservation of the shades and suppression of the sampling noise along the edges;
• Some hundreds of adjusted transitions with suppression of the sampling noise along the edges and with soft edging;
• Editing in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios.

Besides, DigiSuite provides accelerated recording on disk (feature Print-to-Disk), accelerated transmission of video from one computer to another, professional processing of audio, simple integration with different software (due to support of the standard Microsoft AVI format), compatibility with DirectShow and Video for Windows (VFW). Also it is important that value of the file AVI available for “understanding” of DigiSuite, is more than 12 Tbytes, that is more than 200 hours of video in D1 format. In card the technology WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) is used.

The additional options are the following:

• IEEE 1394 interface (is included into DS DTV/LX kits);
• SDI module;
• Switching boards;
• max option. Compatible with Matrox DigiSuite LE, LX and DTV. Provides the extended possibilities of the visual effects compositing, allows to create digital 3D visual effects by Matrox Flex 3D. It is provided by built-in IEEE 1394 port. Enables the capture of the material and its tape recording in real time. Availability of the compression in format MPEG-2 in real time for DVD creation. The accelerated MPEG-1 compression for multimedia and Video CD creation. Its provided by hardware accelerating video coding for Internet-broadcasting: RealVideo, Windows Media.

The DigiSuite cards are delivered in set with Adobe Premiere, Inscriber CG and Boris FX. The DigiSuite LX and DTV cards also include Sonic Solutions DVDit! SE. Besides, these cards can work in real time with software Adobe Premiere, Incite, edit, Speed Razor, On-Line Express, and supports the connected modules for Discreet 3ds MAX and Newtek Lightwave.

Material is provided by System Video Graphics Alliance