Matrox RT.X10

Does Matrox's latest package mean that video editing is going mainstream?

Price: £469

Manufacturer: Matrox

Ratings

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Verdict

Good points:

Loads of effects without waiting for renders
Adobe Premiere included
Capture from digital or analogue camcorders

Bad points:
Expensive
Complex
Very steep learning curve

Overall:
A great package for wealthy video enthusiasts

Jonathan Parkyn, Computeract!ve 01 Nov 2002

While it might initially seem like an exciting prospect, editing home movies can actually be quite a test of computing skills, not to mention patience. The hardware and software you need is often fiddly to install and difficult to get to grips with.

Even when you've mastered your virtual cutting room, you'll find that any trims, splices, effects and transitions that you apply to your footage will require 'rendering' before you're able to watch them.

Rendering is the process that video-editing packages use to build the final video file from all the changes you've made. Essentially it is very complex mathematics and the PC processor takes on the number crunching duties. However, render times can be lengthy and about as fun as watching paint dry.

With the RT.X10, Matrox has attempted to tackle the issue of rendering times by letting you do the majority of your editing in real time. The aim is that you shouldn't have to re-render your project every time a change is made, cutting out much of video editing's traditional thumb twiddling.

The package is a combination of hardware and software, and aims to give you everything you need to create professional, TV-quality video from your Desktop. The hardware comes with enough ports and sockets to cope with older analogue camcorders as well as newer, digital models.

The FireWire port allows for direct digital transfers from tape to disk, while composite A/V and S-video sockets are also included on a handy breakout cable. The PCI card that comes with the package shares the burden of processing all the real-time edits with your PC's processor.

Traditional fades and wipes can be applied between clips and even more exotic 3D effects, such as ripples and page curls, can also be added in real-time. Additionally, you can tweak the soundtrack, add titles, graphics, still photos, slow motion and colour correction - all without having to wait for your PC to build a preview.

All real-time editing is performed directly within the package's main application, Adobe Premiere. The full version of Premiere is included in the package - a bargain when you consider the program usually sells for more than £500 on its own.

Adobe's editing application has long been the favourite of professionals so it makes sense that Matrox has included it here, along with a handful of other helpful video tools, such as Sonic's DVDit DVD and CD authoring program, and Matrox's own very good XTools capture application.

However, Premiere isn't the easiest of programs to get your head around, which will inevitably mean quite a steep learning curve. Additionally, the PCI card and drivers are complicated to set up and you'll need an extremely powerful PC with bags of disk space if you want to make the most of the RT.X10's features.

Keen videographers will no doubt be tempted by the RT.X10's price tag. Real-time editing has never been this cheap, but £469 is still a lot of cash. Although it's aimed at home users and comes positively bulging with fantastic features, the RT.X10 is definitely an investment for the more dedicated enthusiast.

DETAILS
Price: £469

Contact: Matrox 01753 665577
www.matrox.com

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