Advanced realtime editing workflow
Matrox Axio LE supports the new tapeless workflows, traditional tape-based workflows, as well as a mix of both. There is no need to choose one or the other – you have complete flexibility to work with whatever formats your clients throw at you.
Matrox Axio LE provides realtime native editing of the complete range of SD formats as well as HDV, P2HD, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422, and XDCAM EX formats. You can also capture and mix uncompressed 8- or 10-bit video or use the highly optimized Matrox MPEG-2 4:2:2 I-frame codec which rivals uncompressed video in terms of visual quality yet provides tremendous savings in storage space and file transfer times.
All file formats and all codecs can be mixed on your timeline in real time. In many cases you can also mix resolutions in real time. This versatility simplifies integration with other broadcast equipment and eases file management, as there is no need to maintain multiple versions of your clips. You simply capture your footage using the appropriate codec for your source material andthen combine clips in their native formats as needed without time-consuming and quality-compromising transcoding.
Please click here for the full list of supported video resolutions, frame rates, and codecs.
Matrox Axio LE also completes a PC-based workflow for customers seeking end-to-end solutions using MXF file formats with Omneon MediaDeck and Spectrum media servers, and MediaGrid active storage systems.
Realtime HD editing workflows
Sony XDCAM EX support
Panasonic P2, P2HD, and VariCam support
Sony XDCAM, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM HD422 support
Efficient management of AVI and MXF files
Matrox EZ-MXF utility
Matrox EZ-HDV utility
Collaborative workflow using centralized storage
Support for Omneon media servers via native MXF file transfers
Realtime HD editing workflows
At every step in your HD post-production process – capture, editing , client review/approval, and delivery – Matrox Axio LE givesyou the tools you need to get the job done in record time.
Capture
Getting HD footage into your Axio system is simple and straight forward. You can capture from analog or SDI HD sources to uncompressed or MPEG-2 I-frame; transfer HDV or DVCPRO HD via 1394; or do a direct file copy from solid-state media for P2HD, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM EX.
Matrox Axio LE also supports the use of the popular Focus Enhancements FireStore drives allowing you to simply transfer video files to your Axio LE system and edit them in real time.
Monitoring is supported while capturing via analog, SDI or 1394.
Edit
Matrox Axio LE provides realtime native mixed-format HD editing. Your files do not need to be transcoded or rewrapped. The following combinations are supported:
NTSC timeline- XDCAM EX SP 1440x1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080i
- NTSC (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
PAL timeline
- XDCAM EX SP 1440x1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080i
- PAL (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
486p timeline
- XDCAM EX SP 1440x1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080p at 29.97 fps
- 486p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
576p timeline
- XDCAM EX SP 1440x1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080p
- 576p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
720p timeline
- Uncompressed 8- and 10-bit 720p
- P2 720p
- XDCAM EX HQ 720p
- HDV 720p
1440x1080p timeline
- XDCAM EX HQ 1920x1080p
- XDCAM EX SP 1440x1080p
- HDV 1440 x 1080p
- NTSC (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- PAL (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 486p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 576p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
1440 x 1080i timeline
- XDCAM EX HQ 1920x1080i
- XDCAM EX SP 1440 x 1080i
- HDV 1440 x 1080i
- NTSC (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- PAL (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 486p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 576p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
1920 x 1080p timeline
- 1080p formats (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422, XDCAM EX HQ, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 1440 x 1080i formats (XDCAM EX SP, HDV)
- PAL (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 486p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 576p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
1920 x 1080i timeline
- 1080i formats (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422, XDCAM EX HQ, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 1440 x 1080i formats (XDCAM EX SP, HDV)
- NTSC (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- PAL (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 486p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
- 576p (MPEG-2 I-Frame, P2 MXF, DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, uncompressed 8- and 10-bit)
For responsive low bit rate editing of proxy HD material on a laptop, from a DVD, or over a low-bandwidth network, Matrox Axio LE also features an offline HD codec.
Review/approve
Getting team and client feedback is essential to most video projects. Adobe Clip Notes makes edit reviews simple. You no longer have to export rough cuts to disc or tape, or try to match various comments to the shots. Your teammates and clients can mark your rough cuts directly by using free Adobe Reader software, then send comments to you via e-mail. You can import their comments directly into your project, where they appear as markers in the timeline for you to review.
Deliver
Once you’ve finished your edit, Matrox Axio LE lets you quickly and easily deliver to any format you desire.
- Export MXF files directly to your playout server, P2HD or XDCAM HD device
- Playout directly to your P2HD or XDCAM HD device for capture to MXF
- Record directly on D5 or HDCAM tape in real time if you want the highest quality for film printing
- Export to the full range of Adobe Premiere Pro export formats:
– Blu-ray
– DVD
– Windows Media
– QuickTime
– Real Media
– MPEG-1 for VCD and multimedia
– MPEG-2 for S-VCD, DVD, and HD DVD
– MPEG-4 for streaming
– Flash video (FLV)
– Adobe Clip Notes
Sony XDCAM EX support
Matrox Axio LE provides realtime native editing of the MP4 files that are written by the XDCAM camcorder in Adobe Premiere Pro.You can also use these files directly in Adobe After Effects. Over and under cranked files created by the XDCAM EX camcorder’s "Slow and Quick Motion Function" variable frame rate mode can be played back in real time without rendering.
Panasonic P2, P2HD, and VariCam support
Matrox Axio LE provides realtime native editing of Panasonic P2 and P2 HD MXF files in Adobe Premiere Pro. You can also use these files directly in Adobe After Effects.
Axio LE supports Panasonic VariCam 24p and 25p workflows with the Panasonic HVX200 camera via MXF file transfers. The camera actually saves 60 or 50 frames in the P2 MXF file and tags the ones that should be used to playback at 23.98 or 25 fps.Axio LE lets you play those MXF files in a 23.98 or 25 timeline without any additional processing. Axio LE will detect and remove the repeated frames on the fly. The camera also features a "pN" native mode in which it will only save the required 23.98 or 25frames on the P2 card. Axio also supports realtime playback of those "pN" files.
Note: When capturing from a VariCam source using Matrox Axio LE, only video can be captured. However, you can add a voiceover or separate audio clips to your VariCam clips on the timeline. Axio LE supports playback of both video and audio in MXF files that you’ve recorded on your Panasonic VariCam camera.
Sony XDCAM, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM HD422 support
Matrox Axio LE provides realtime native editing of XDCAM, XDCAM HD, and XDCAM HD422 MXF files in Adobe Premiere Pro. You can also use these files directly in Adobe After Effects. Over and under cranked files created by the XDCAM camcorder’s "Slow and Quick Motion Function" variable frame rate mode can be played back in real time without rendering.
Efficient management of AVI and MXF files
Matrox Axio LE extends Windows Explorer functionality to simplify AVI and MXF file management. Important details such as User Clip Name, Start Timecode, End Timecode, Duration, etc. are available in the Windows Explorer Details View. A clip icon can also be displayed in the Thumbnails View to let you more easily identify your clips.
Matrox EZ-MXF utility
Most animation, compositing, and motion graphics applications read Video for Windows (VFW) AVI files, but they are not designed to read MXF files. With Matrox EZ-MXF you can use the content of your native MXF files in all the applications that support Videofor Windows AVI files. Matrox EZ-MXF lets your application see MXF files as AVI files without transcoding or decompressing and recompressing the video. The Matrox EZ-MXF utility creates very small reference AVI files almost instantaneously. The new AVI filescan then be used in your favorite VFW application, making the MXF file format practical and efficient throughout your workflow.The Matrox EZ-MXF utility does not modify the contents of your original MXF file nor its metadata. Creating a Matrox EZ-MXF file could not be easier. You simply right-click on the selected MXF file and select "Create Matrox EZ-MXF" from the menu.
Matrox EZ-HDV utility
The Matrox EZ-HDV utility lets you playback HDV-AVI files of any length in Video for Windows applications, overcoming the usual 2 GB AVI file size limitation. It does this by creating a very small reference AVI file almost instantaneously without modifying the contents of your original HDV-AVI file.
Collaborative workflow using centralized storage
Realtime nonlinear editing gives you the creative freedom to experiment and make changes to your projects on the fly. In facilities where multiple artists collaborate on common projects, the next level of productivity gain comes from true file sharing using centralized storage. Where tasks are sub-divided, with everyone working from their own computer and storage; special effects scenes, graphics, sound tracks, and animations are transferred back and forth between editing stations and the other creation stations. All these file transfers cause delays, interfere with creativity, lead to versioning errors, and make back-ups more difficult.
Matrox Axio LE takes advantage of recent advances in compression, data storage, and high-speed networking technologies to enable realtime editing of HD projects across your entire facility. Media files reside on central storage and are accessed using a high-speed network so the most recent changes are immediately available to everyone working on a project. Access rights can be managed to prevent accidental or unauthorized modification or deletion of files.
The optional Matrox M.Key/100 USB device lets you implement this workflow even in compressed HD. It unlocks the Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame HD, DVCPROHD, HDV, and 32-bit VFW codecs on systems without Matrox editing cards, so any system can use these AVI files captured on Matrox Axio LE and create these AVI files for use on Matrox Axio LE. This flexibility lets you use any machine to do a rough cut, then copy the project and assets to an Axio LE system to finish the job. There is no need for time consuming recapturing. In addition, digital content creators can use VFW applications such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Combustion and 3ds Max, eyeon Fusion, and NewTek LightWave 3D to render finished elements that will playback in real time on an Axio system. By using compressed HD, bandwidth and space pressures on the storage system are minimized. Matrox M.Key/100 is supported in 32-bit operating systems only.
Support for Omneon media servers via native MXF file transfers
Matrox Axio LE completes a PC-based workflow for customers seeking end-to-end solutions using MXF file formats with Omneon MediaDeck and Spectrum media servers, and MediaGrid active storage systems. Using Matrox Axio LE and Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, you can edit files natively from Omneon Spectrum or MediaGrid servers. After editing, the resulting MXFOP1a (IBP and I-frame) and XDCAM HD/SD files can be sent back to the Omneon MediaDeck or Spectrum media servers for playout. This workflow provides a huge productivity advantage over other methods involving conversion or transcoding before and after editing.
Supported formats include:
- Generic OP1A using MPEG-2 I-frame or IBP compression
NTSC, PAL
720p at 50, 60 fps
1080i at 25, 29.97 fps - XDCAM using IMX or DV compression
NTSC, PAL - XDCAM HD using MPEG HD compression
1440 x 1080i at 25, 29.97 fps (Available only when in a 1440 x 1080i editing mode.)
