Re: Matrox MXO2 LE MAX or Mini (Thunderbolt)

Hey Terry

No, you won't get better video by sending it through the MXO2 after the fact. You could potentially capture uncompressed (or to an alternate compressed codec) directly from the camera to your NLE through the MXO2, true ... but for what it's worth, I work every day putting together HD shows for broadcast and I've never yet needed to do that. Still, if I passed an HD-SDI signal from a camera to an MXO2 Mini via one of those HD-SDI to HDMI mini-convertors then I could do that just as well as if I took the SDI output direct.

Are the boxes the same then? No. The MXO2 LE and it's bigger brothers will provide you with additional audio I/O connections too, they handle a slightly wider range of input and output signals that the Mini won't support, like 1080PsF at 23.98 fps input, they have support for Reference input, and frame accurate RS422 deck control, the MXO2 and MXO2 LE can be powered from a standard field battery

Different boxes for different needs. If you're on a budget and the deals available on the Mini are tempting you then go for it, in your line of work, with a relatively inexpensive mini-convertor you'll likely not notice the difference ... but if you can envisage needing one of the functions only available on the LE or better, then you'd best go for that higher end box.

Hope it helps
Andy