I've been an Avid editor for over 15 years and thought the idea of home monitoring was GREAT... but this product is awful.HDMI/BLU-RAY CAPTURE
I know some of you want to use it to record off of Blu-Ray or PS3. They flat out say that you can record right from HDMI... they don't tell you that 95% of the time it doesn't work. Whether it's copy-protection or differing frame rates, it's almost impossible. I was working on a project where I need to use some Blu-Ray footage off of a disc that I owned, just some landscape stuff for a presentation... after FOUR DAYS of different configurations, there I was shooting it off of the friggin' screen. Unreal. So if you want it for the HDMI recording, forget it.
AVID MONITORING
This barely works and it's a pain in the you know what to set-up the first time, especially since there is zero info in the manuals and the customer service is non-existent. Once you get it rolling, guess what, it takes your video... which is great... but then your audio too. You CANNOT use your studio monitors while in Avid with this thing hooked up!!! Someone said you can use some line out to back in b.s. workout. Forget it. You should be able to override the audio and keep it 'home'. I don't know who thought this was a great idea.
SOFTWARE
I saw the Mac version and it looked a million times better but on PC it's cryptic and impossible to figure out what anything means. The basically is the "AV Tool" and the Control Panel, as well as monitor calibration. The monitor is self-explanatory. Control Panel? Yikes. It's an absolutely half-baked mess, super vague. It's flat-out awful.
CUSTOMER SERVICE?
(Crickets chirping) Absolutely abysmal. Since they don't explain ANYTHING in the manual, I went to YouTube and then the forums. I posted a question, updating it every couple of days, asking for help... pleading... nothing.
Honestly, I'm telling you guys... I was super excited to get this but in retrospect I wish I'd saved the money. It's TERRIBLE!!!! Save yourselves the hassle.
I purchased the Matrox MXO2 Mini because it promised to solve my dilemma and leave some money on the table. I installed it in my Mac Pro system to control a 37" Vizio LCD HDTV via HDMI and it works beautifully! The Vizio calibrated easily with the supplied software and I was "on the air" in less than an hour.My total investment in the project was just over $1000; that kind of money usually gets you something in the 17-19-inch range. The closest thing to a "disappointment" is that I need to I need to re-boot my system if the grading monitor isn't turned on at system start-up. A lot of guys in my line of work re-boot a couple of times a day just to keep their systems running strong so this is no biggie.
Words of caution:
1. Not all HDTVs work well in this application. In my experience the low frequency (60 Hz) sets work best if you are grading for "film" projects. The higher frequency (120-240Hz) sets tend to over-sharpen and brighten the image (great for watching the Super Bowl but looks like pooh for a theatrical feature.)
2. Most good color grading systems want a monitor that supports the native resolution of the project so you'll probably want a 1080p set.
3. I made my diagonal size decision based on the distance at which I view since I'm very interested in image detail. At 4-6 feet 32" to 42" sets were the most comfortable to view. I keep my 27" system monitors at 3 feet.
4.With due respect to all, this is product is not a toy. Neither is the resultant grading monitor. Both require knowledge that a professional or advanced amateur colorist should possess. Tutorials and other introductory materials are NOT included. Don't ruin the reputation of a good product by whining that it doesn't support your own knowledge shortfalls. It's only fair.
No comments:
Post a Comment