OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD?
by jimmybee500
on
Jan 3, 2007 at 11:44:13 am
Hi all,
I'm sure the PPro2 vs FCP debate has raged many times, but I've just been looking at the Matrox Axio HD system and wondered...
It boasts realtime uncompressed HD and realtime fx, etc. using combination of the PC's cpu & the Axio h/ware. Now, I've read the pros/cons of FCP & PPro2, but I'm intrigued as to whether a top-end mac running FCP could keep up and perform as well?
I ask because we were looking at changing our secondary edit suite from an old avid to a spanking new FCP, but then I saw the Axio...
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by jimmybee500 on Jan 3, 2007 at 12:52:03 pm
Hi Walter,
I just did! Just thought I'd post on here aswell to get a balanced view. I wondered if by looking at the Axio specs anyone on here could compare with their FCP system, or of course if they've used both..
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by walter biscardi on Jan 3, 2007 at 1:22:19 pm
[jimmybee500]"I just did! Just thought I'd post on here aswell to get a balanced view. I wondered if by looking at the Axio specs anyone on here could compare with their FCP system, or of course if they've used both.."
I honestly don't know a single person using that platform. If you're looking for compatibility with a lot of other shops and editors, then FCP or Avid is the way to go. If you're a one-shop deal and don't interface at all with other editors or post houses, then you're free to look at many more options.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
http://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network's "Good Eats"
HD Editorial for "Assignment Earth"
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage, Mythbusters
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by TonyManolikakis on Jan 3, 2007 at 2:52:13 pm
Guys
I will preface this by saying that I was the product manager for Axio. I wrote the specification for it and helped develop it. I left Matrox 2 years ago to devote myself full time to running my own post facility for TV and film and to make my films as a director producer.
I have two main editing stations, one based on Axio and the other on FCP-Kona. If you ignore the FCP suite vs the PPro Production bundle comparison, you will find Axio to be incredibly powerful. The Axio is superior in terms of realtime capabilities. You can have multiple streams of HD material with effects in realtime and I do not mean preview or proxy. Full resolution ready to print to tape, and you can mix any HD format on the same timeline. Now I do not have the latest Mac Pro but the FCP architecture at the moment is just not able to support the same level of realtime as Axio. Mixed formats, drop shadow, glows etc are all not full quality realtime on FCP. Realtime capability is not always directly related to productivity of course. I personally prefer editing in FCP over PPro and I find the entire FCP suite very powerful. But I try to take advantage of the strength of each system. Also, in my market ( Montreal, Canada ) editing is Avid or Final Cut so having an Axio system, regardless of performance, does not buy you much. Feel free to post any questions you may have, but maybe this discussion is best kept on the Matrox forum from here on.
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by jimmybee500 on Jan 3, 2007 at 3:14:20 pm
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the input. If you have time, could you please read/reply to my similar post on the Matrox forum then?
I am particularly interested in getting a suite downstairs that will integrate well/talk to a Smoke or DS Nitris. I think FCP is poss our best route - mainly because our secondary suite is mostly used by freelancers and it is a well known fact that PPro2 doesn't have anywhere near as many users. On the other hand, the integration between PPro2 and AE/PS, etc is very useful. I also have PPro2 on my gfx PC aswell which could be useful for spill over work...Hmm..
OR could an FCP HD/Axio HD be used as our main editor ASWELL? The only main problem with that is the lack of compositing/FX capability within PPro2 & FCP...also the UI is not a patch on something like a Smoke for speed of use.
But there is an awfully big price difference!...Thoughts?
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by Wes Plate on Jan 3, 2007 at 9:39:26 pm
You should get yourself some time in front of Premiere Pro. Aside from Axio's performance, the editing interface is Premiere Pro, so you need to be sure it meets your needs.
Re: OK, I know you've heard this before..but what about Axio HD? by jimmybee500 on Jan 4, 2007 at 9:38:02 am
Hi Wes,
Thanks but I've already got Premiere Pro2, bundled with my Production Studio. I only really use it for capture/playout, as I'm not an editor myself, but will try to use it more in my downtime - could be useful as a spill over suite when I get my PC spec'd up to the max for when we go HD.
The issue is more that our editor is used to a very elegant Quantel UI w/pen & tablet environment and after that PPro2, or even FCP are a just mass of windows and billions of buttons. Also PP2/FCP lack alot of the vfx/compositing tools we will need for our main suite, hence the thought to go Smoke.
For our second suite FCP is looking like the main route to go, as hardly any of the freelancers round here can use PP2, which is a shame as Axio looks like some red-hot fire breathing sheete!
