Advanced productivity features
Matrox Axio offers many productivity features that streamline your workflow.
Editing HD material on Matrox Axio SD
Downscaling HD projects for SD delivery
Panasonic VariCam support
WYSIWYG for compositing and graphics applications
WYSIWYG video output for Adobe Bridge and Windows Media Player
Efficient management of AVI and MXF files
Support for 32-bit AVI with alpha
Matrox EZ-MXF utility
Matrox M.Key/100
Voiceover recording in the timeline
Realtime mixed-format multi-cam
Closed captioning support in NTSC
Cross-platform compatibility
Editing HD material on Matrox Axio SD
The ability to edit HD material on an Axio SD system makes the collaborative workflow even more flexible and affordable. Projects can be shared seamlessly between systems – projects created on Axio HD can be opened on Axio SD and vice versa. The high quality downscaling also lets you save on the cost of HD monitors. Your SD broadcast monitors can be used to monitor your HD edits.
Downscaling HD projects for SD delivery
Matrox Axio features broadcast-quality NTSC and PAL output of downscaled HD projects with proper conversion of the HD color space to the SD color space. You can print your HD edit to SD tape in real time. On Axio LE, HD and SD outputs are simultaneous.
Panasonic VariCam support
Axio supports Panasonic VariCam 24p and 25p workflows. When capturing a VariCam tape, Axio will detect the real 24 or 25 frames (from the transmitted 60) and create a 23.98 or 25 fps file for editing. Axio supports detection over 1394 in a 720p at 23.98 or 25 fps project. The VariCam feature on a P2 camera works similarly to the VariCam feature on tape. 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 lets you play those MXF files in a 23.98 or 25 timeline without any additional processing. Axio 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 25 frames on the P2 card. Axio also supports realtime playback of those "pN" files.
Note: When capturing from a VariCam source using Matrox Axio, only video can be captured. However, you can add a voiceover or separate audio clips to your VariCam clips on the timeline. Axio supports playback of both video and audio in MXF files that you’ve recorded on your Panasonic VariCam camera.
WYSIWYG for compositing and graphics applications
Matrox Axio includes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) video output plug-in for Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop that lets you see your work directly on a broadcast video monitor. The Adobe Dynamic Link feature is supported so you can work in After Effects, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro simultaneously and Alt-Tab between the applications. The video output will change to show the output of the active application.
The WYSIWYG plug-in also supports Autodesk Combustion and 3ds Max, eyeon Fusion, and NewTek LightWave 3D. This feature lets you ensure proper 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio in NTSC or PAL, and check for exact color temperature, safe-title area, and any interlace artifacts that may be present in your images. You can also view the alpha channel of your output on the video monitor to check for defects.
WYSIWYG video output for Adobe Bridge and Windows Media Player
You get instant output of video files such as MPEG, DivX, and AVI on your broadcast monitor using Adobe Bridge, Windows Media Player or other DirectShow-based applications. You can use this feature to show different versions of your work to clients on a broadcast monitor without having to open Adobe Premiere Pro. You simply double click on the file in Windows Explorer.
Efficient management of AVI and MXF files
Matrox Axio 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 be 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.
Support for 32-bit AVI with alpha
Axio includes 32-bit uncompressed and MPEG-2 I-frame VFW codecs that you can use to render your animations or other compositions containing alpha. The 32-bit AVI files will playback in real time on an Axio system. This support enables many workflow possibilities. For example, an editor creating broadcast graphics in After Effects or using a stock animation package such as Digital Juice or Artbeats can export one 32-bit file instead of rendering out two separate AVI + MATTE files. Having only one file simplifies management and makes it easy to include the composition in the final edit.
The optional Matrox M.Key/100 USB device unlocks the 32-bit Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame VFW codecs on systems without Matrox editing cards.
Matrox EZ-MXF utility
Matrox Axio includes the unique Matrox EZ-MXF utility to let you use native MXF files in animation, compositing, and motion graphics applications that support Video for Windows (AVI) files.
For more information about Matrox EZ-MXF click here.
Matrox M.Key/100
The optional Matrox M.Key/100 USB device unlocks the Matrox MPEG-2 I-frame HD, DVCPRO HD, HDV, and 32-bit VFW codecs on systems without Matrox editing cards.
With Matrox M.Key/100 attached, any system can use these AVI files captured on Matrox Axio and create these AVI files for use on Matrox Axio. This flexibility lets you use any machine to do a rough cut, then copy the project and assets to an Axio system to finish the job. There is no need for time consuming recapturing. In addition, Matrox M.Key/100 lets dedicated compositing or animation workstations render finished elements that will playback in real time on an Axio system. Popular VFW digital content creation applications include Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Combustion and 3ds Max, eyeon Fusion, and NewTek LightWave 3D.
Voiceover recording in the timeline
The voiceover feature of Premiere Pro is supported to let you record audio directly in the timeline. It is based on ASIO driver technology, which provides low latency. ASIO is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
Realtime mixed-format multi-cam
Matrox Axio supports the multi-cam feature of Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and goes further to let you view four cameras simultaneously in real time, even in HD, even if the formats are mixed, provided your Axio system has the proper storage and system speed. For example, in a multi-cam sequence you could use one DV stream, one HDV stream, one DVCPRO HD stream, and one uncompressed stream and switch among them in real time.
Closed captioning support in NTSC
Your Axio system can be used to edit NTSC video clips that contain closed captioning information on line 21 of active video. You save time, because there is no need to re-create closed captioning information when you deliver your project.
Captioning information is maintained when capturing uncompressed video. It is also maintained when acquiring DV, DVCPRO, and DV50 material over 1394. When capturing to DV using Axio’s analog and SDI inputs, it is encoded in the DV stream according to the blue book specification. When capturing to Axio’s MPEG-2 I-frame codec, the captioning information is encoded into the MPEG stream according to the ATSC standard.
You can see the closed captioning on your broadcast monitor as you play and scrub the timeline to accurately make your edit decisions. You can even apply some effects such as color correction and fades while maintaining the closed captioning information. Other effects such as cross dissolves and 3D DVEs, however, do affect the closed captioning information so care must be taken when applying effects.
Because Axio maintains the captioning information according to the blue book and ATSC specifications, playout servers that support these specifications, such as the Grass Valley iVDR, can be used to playout Axio files.
Cross-platform compatibility
If your post-production process involves the use of different offline and/or online suites, you can depend on Adobe Premiere Pro for industry-standard EDL input and output, as well as more advanced exchange formats such as AAF.
All files and projects created on Axio HD, Axio SD, and Axio LE are compatible with all Matrox Axio platforms.
Matrox RT.X2 files and projects are compatible with Matrox Axio.
