How the IO does what it does...

I'm thinking of moving my suites away from Media 100 and am considering an IO and FCP on G5 solution but I'm finding little explanation of IO's basic technology. I don't want to jump in until I know how it actually functions.

Here's what I think I know (I'm hoping for corrections where I err):

GOING IN
- The IO takes in composite, S, component, or SDI video converts it to 10 Bit uncompressed SDI and sends that down the firewire to the MAC.
- FCP can either keep it at 10 Bit uncompressed SDI or it can compress it to your choice of codec.
What's the native Audio format?

Then you edit.

GOING OUT
- FCP sends 10 bit uncompressed SDI down the firewire to the IO which makes it available as composite, S, component, or SDI at its outputs. How does it handle Audio?

So - if you're going out to something other than 10 Bit Uncompressed SDI there's a digital to analog conversion -- in the IO -- on the way out. (And, I assume, if you're going out to DV you'd bypass the IO and go via firewire to the DV deck.)

So, the quality of the result is determined by the quality of the A/D conversions in the IO.

Dan Kinoy
kinomedia