Most, if not all, of the 3rd party boards are just I/O.  Avid's DX products add RT playback, and several streams at that.  Less rendering = more time to work = more profitability.  The higher cost should, essentially, pay for itself.

I don't think the Mojo DX does any rendering or CPU lifting.  I think you have to go up one more - that is why the specs are different for systems using a mojo dx  - if you have the next level up in Avid hardware you can actually have less power on the workstation side...according to the hardware requirements.

Randall L Rike:

Less rendering = more time to work = more profitability.

I like to have an efficient work-flow. But your statement assumes that:

1. You can charge significantly more per hour for using the MojoDX

2. You can get more work to make up the lower amount of time you are spending on projects

In my case I don't think the MojoDX would actually improve my bottom-line. The only reason I would buy it would be for my own personal gratification.

If you've ever sat in a suite with a client beside you having to wait for renders every time you want to preview an effect or change that the client wants you'd definitely be able to see a benefit. Sure, you might be able to charge for that rendering time, but it doesn't look good to the client. They may accept your explanation, but they still want it to happen now.

Sycophant:

If you've ever sat in a suite with a client beside you having to wait for renders every time you want to preview an effect or change that the client wants you'd definitely be able to see a benefit. Sure, you might be able to charge for that rendering time, but it doesn't look good to the client. They may accept your explanation, but they still want it to happen now.

Amen.

Count me in with that sentiment too. I type this in every one of these threads but it bears repeating.

Over the last 5-6 years of using both applications in the same physical plant, we've found that, in a very general sense, we generate close to 1/3 more non-billable time in the FCP bays than we do in the Avid. The numbers at our place have really made me a believer in avid efficiency.

ok, how about a travling news guys look on this.  We are forced to dumb down our imx-50 to dv to edit cause a Suit said it looked good.  We are file based but we have to take tape from all over , beta, dv and dvcpro.  No mojo offfered because we dont need it....(2 years ago)  Now with DX life is good... but the size.(too big).. and we are file based.  WE need a HD Mojo (size-wise) i/o.  No bell and whistles, just HD monitoring with analog inputs for old tape.  We make the switch in 3 months to HD.. we are doing it now but you would never notice..This is network news (a rather big accout with you guys,,, dont give me up to them!)  Do you have to have a mid level viewing with analog inputs coming... right.... just for the News Guys?  Nevermind ... I just got fired

 in my profile i state mojo, disregard.......I guess for a while  ;-))

.

 The Mojo DX is also just an I/O box, as confirmed by the Avid personnel demo'ing at the launch in LA pre-NAB, which I was present at and asked exactly that question. Only the Nitris DX box has any acceleration with a chip for DNxHD.

Perhaps someone from Avid will once and for all confirm this, or (even better at the high price of $7500) confirm that this information was wrong and the Mojo DX does indeed have acceleration.

It's pretty "old thinking" that 3 months after the launch of the boxes we are still having these discussions without a definitive statement from Avid

Derek Goodall

Goodwood Productions, Los Angeles

Hi Dirk, I am only speaking of price vs want. I want to view HD but not needed in file based to NY.... I know,,,,,,,, i really do need it for quality, but it really doesnt matter to me.  But should matter to them? Avid can but their name on a 300.00 card and charges 500. and the co. will buy it. I just need help on the lower end of the beatiing stick.

As I understand it the Mojo DX doesn't offer any hardware accelleration. However by limiting the hardware options and designing that hardware themselves in a very specific way means the applications can be optimised perfectly to that hardware.

Look at the original Mojo for example, working with Firewire output the Mojo can keep all monitors and devices in sync, so the DV deck is in sync with the desktop monitor as well as the component monitor. This is functionality I have never seen in another NLE with any other hardware option.

Avid's I/O code is written very specifically with the capabilities of their hardware in mind.

I've always tended to believe that the integration between software and hardware in systems with a more open hardware approach is no where near as tightly integrated as those systems where hardware and software is from a single supplier.

(I have no special insight into Avid's code, these are my personal assumptions and observations)

I'm sure it works great,

but what about a simple output only solution, cheaper and lighter, kind of an mxo dx ; 

Some solution for file based hd work is needed...

I can see a need for something like that too. So yeah, I agree... A DVI-out DX box or something (like the MXO) would be great.

Maybe a bit more like the Blackmagic HDLink with good colour controls and stuff.

.- I absolutely second that,

Something like the MXO would be wonderful.

derekg:

 The Mojo DX is also just an I/O box, as confirmed by the Avid personnel demo'ing at the launch in LA pre-NAB, which I was present at and asked exactly that question. Only the Nitris DX box has any acceleration with a chip for DNxHD.

Perhaps someone from Avid will once and for all confirm this, or (even better at the high price of $7500) confirm that this information was wrong and the Mojo DX does indeed have acceleration.

It's pretty "old thinking" that 3 months after the launch of the boxes we are still having these discussions without a definitive statement from Avid

 

Derek Goodall

Goodwood Productions, Los Angeles

I thought this was confirm then the DX-line was introduced. Both Mojo-Dx and Nitris-DX does realtime format conversions/scaling between HD and SD and different HD matrix. This is one reason for increased performance in HD productions. (I hope the construction of the DX is flexibly to make it possibly in the future to include frame rate conversion).

Nitris-DX does include more i/o and a DNxHD codec which can convert HD input to DNxHD and vice versa. I think this is only important if You use HDCAM.

There is no need for effect accelerations because this is done most efficiency in CPU/GPU (which is one reason for MC3 is faster than competitive products, it use the GPU very efficiency). Only video centric things like scaling is best done in hardware.

" ... the DV deck is in sync with the desktop monitor as well as the component monitor. This is functionality I have never seen in another NLE with any other hardware option."

It's also functionality that is somewhat useful. In our FCP suites all AV monitoring happens via the decoding device. We have an audio switch for monitoring the macs audio if needed.

This isn't an either or proposition. There is no reason Avid can't write quicktime video out component drivers to allow other apps access to Avid hardware. That would be ENORMOUSLY useful. Even if it would require a reboot on a separate partition. It wouldn't hurt the functionality of the Avid software, which could continue to talk directly to it's hardware.

A company that decides it knows what's best for it's would be customers, doesn't get many new ones. The problem is that Avid is listening too much to it's existing customers, not enough to it's potential customers...