Canadian Matrox announced that release 1.5 software for the Matrox Axio family for professional HD and SD editing platforms. This new release provides realtime native HDV and DVCPRO HD editing support with the ability to mix HD codecs or SD codecs on the timeline in real time. Other release 1.5 features include realtime quality downscaling from HD to SD, the ability to edit HD formats on Axio SD systems, and additional realtime effects such as mask blur, mask mosaic, four corner pin, and track matte.

Matrox Axio makes Adobe Premiere Pro the foremost realtime HD and SD editor for demanding broadcast and post-production environments. It features no-render HD and SD finishing in compressed and uncompressed formats, color correction tools, realtime effects, and a full range of analog and digital audio and video inputs and outputs. It incorporates Matrox Flex 3D and Power of X technologies to leverage scalable CPU power with the performance of dedicated 3D graphics hardware to provide the ultimate SD and HD editing experience.

There are two Matrox Axio platforms to choose from. Both offer high performance editing in all HD and SD formats. They differ only in the audio and video inputs and outputs provided on the interchangeable breakout boxes. Both Matrox Axio platforms offer:

- Guaranteed full quality, full frame rate, full resolution playback at up to 1080i at 29.97 fps
- At least 2 layers of uncompressed 10-bit HD video plus 2 layers of graphics in real time, with effects
- At least 4 layers of uncompressed 10-bit SD video plus 6 layers of graphics in real time, with effects
- Realtime primary and secondary color correction with shot-to-shot color matching
- Realtime 3D DVEs, chroma/luma keying, speed changes, blur/glow/soft focus, and much more
- Uncompressed 8- or 10-bit HD and SD editing
- Native HDV and DVCPRO HD editing
- Compressed HD editing (offline and online finishing-quality MPEG-2 I-frame)
- DV, DVCPRO, DV50, and MPEG-2 I-frame SD editing
- Realtime mixing of HD codecs or SD codecs on the timeline
- 24 fps editing in HD and SD with pull down and reverse pull down
- Realtime high quality downscaling from HD to SD

Matrox Axio HD I/O
- DV-1394, SD SDI, and HD SDI input and output
- RGB and YPbPr analog component output
- 4-in/8-out AES/EBU balanced audio, 8-in/8-out SDI embedded audio

Matrox Axio SD I/O
- DV-1394, composite, Y/C, analog component, and SDI video input and output
- 2-in/2-out RCA and XLR audio, 8-in/8-out SDI embedded audio
- Upgradeable to Matrox Axio HD by simply adding the HD breakout box

Matrox Axio is available worldwide through a network of authorized dealers. The software and hardware components are integrated by the dealer into an approved workstation-class PCI-X computer, coupled with a storage subsystem, and delivered as a turnkey system. Dealers also provide on-site installation and training services.

Matrox Axio HD systems start at $17,000 US in North America. Matrox Axio SD systems start at $13,000 US in North America. Prices include Axio hardware and software, the complete Adobe Video Collection Standard, and the workstation. Storage is extra. For more information visit http://www.matrox.com.