Choosing the storage
If using Matrox MXO2 with a MacBook Pro, we recommend that you choose a FireWire 800 RAID storage unit. The transfer bandwidth available with FireWire 800 is more than adequate for editing multiple layers of SD or compressed HD video.
If using Matrox MXO2 with a MacPro, you can use any connection method available on your MacPro and storage unit, including PCIe, which provides sufficient transfer rates for editing 10-bit Uncompressed HD video as well as other compression formats.
When deciding on storage, there are two main factors to consider - the throughput (data rate) the storage subsystem can sustain and the overall storage capacity.
To evaluate your needs, you must first take into account the data rate for the format that you'll be editing. The table below provides approximate data rates for a variety of formats and resolutions. Once you've chosen a storage subsystem that meets your throughput needs, you must determine how much storage your workflow requires. The more storage you have, the more hours of footage you can maintain online for instant access.
| Data rate per stream | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mbits/sec | Mbytes/sec | |
| 10-bit Uncompressed HD - 1080i at 59.94 fps | 1240 | 155 |
| 10-bit Uncompressed HD - 1080p at 23.98 fps | 1000 | 125 |
| 10-bit Uncompressed HD - 720p at 59.94 fps | 1120 | 140 |
| 10-bit Uncompressed HD - 720p at 23.98 fps | 440 | 55 |
| 8-bit Uncompressed HD - 1080i at 59.94 fps | 920 | 115 |
| 8-bit Uncompressed HD - 1080p at 23.98 fps | 760 | 95 |
| 8-bit Uncompressed HD - 720p at 59.94 fps | 845 | 105 |
| 8-bit Uncompressed HD - 720p at 23.98 fps | 320 | 40 |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 1080i at 59.94 fps | 220 | 25 |
| Apple ProRes 422 HQ - 720p at 23.98 fps | 88 | 11 |
| 10-bit Uncompressed SD - NTSC | 200 | 25 |
| 8-bit Uncompressed SD - NTSC | 160 | 20 |
| Apple ProRes 422 - 1080i at 59.94 fps | 147 | 18 |
| Apple ProRes 422 - 720p at 23.98 fps | 59 | 7 |
| DVCPRO HD - 1080i at 59.94 fps | 120 | 15 |
| DVCPRO HD - 720p at 23.98 fps | 40 | 5 |
| DVCPRO50 - NTSC | 50 | 6 |
| DV/DVCAM - NTSC | 25 | 3 |
| HDV - 1080i (1440x1080) | 25 | 3 |
