Hi all out there

 

i´m just wondering we have 4 chrome xe versions with hp xw 8400 pc´s and some version of avid liquid!

I´m happy so far but now i got emails from avid which tells me there will be only one update any more for xe will be liquid 7.5 version

and then its the end of line!

So they offer to upgrade to Media Composer which is not really what i want!

What is my advantage if i go to media composer i think i need then the highest version symphony or so because the normal media composer is not better then chrome xe isn´t it!

The workflow especially more computer in one projekt needs by media composer a lot of specials compare to avid liquid! 

And what is with the support for chrome hd xe in the future!

 I´m looking forward to any answer whats your way to go

 

thanks in advance manu 

Media Composer 3 is actually pretty cool compared to 2.8 but it isn't going to be cheap for us.  I have been nagging about a special upgrade price for us but no luck yet.  the product we need is MC3 Mojo DX or MC3 Nitris DX.

Mojo DX with MC software is $10,000.00

Nitris DX with MC software is $15,000.00

Mojo DX is like the Xena board in the fact that it pretty much is just a I/O device.  It is a box and not a card but it pretty much just pumps I/O the video that MC can do on your system in RT.  You can capture to DnxHD files which are much smaller then uncompressed HD but you need at least an 8 core to do so.

Nitris DX has acceleration sort of like the Matrox Axio boards for Premiere.  It has DnxHd built into the box so you get better performance from MC.  This is one step above what we have with Chrome Xe.

If you can afford it and money is no object then MC3/Mojo DX is a great way to go.  Sadly not all of us have that kind of cash sitting around.  Depending on the work stations you have right now you may have to upgrade the video card when you move to MC.  MC seems to like to work best with Nvidia Qudro cards.  Other cards work but they are not supported and they may or may not cause issues.  Like with Liquid the video card makes a huge deal in MC3 and if the video card is not a good fit it can really cause a lot of problems.  You gotta love gpu enhanced software.  It is really awesome at what it does but if the gpu gets even slightly off it causes so many problems.

You really have to ask yourself however is Chrome Xe does everything you need it to do right now.  If it does then I see no reason to upgrade right now unless we Xe users get a better deal.  For the huge cost investment you will gain a lot in terms of RT performance and rendering but in terms of raw editing features you will not gain a whole lot.  Liquid Chrome Xe is already a very capable system and I see it working well for at least 3 or 4 years yet and maybe even longer.  I tend to do most of my graphics in After Effects or 3D Studio Max so to me a NLE is just mostly to cut my video and Xe does this very well.  The only down side to Xe is the render time for final exporting but for us uncompressed goes pretty fast anyway so it isn't as much of an issue as it is for HDV users.

So it seems to be really a pain in the a...

 The mojo version is only sdi in isn´t it? and i f i want to have all the colourcorrection options+ hdsdi etc. i need nITRIS TO FINALIS an HD projekt isn´t it?
Then  all the new hardware is really expensive this is not really an offer from avid it would be cheaper then to go FCP even if i do not like that!

So for me it seems to be not good to go to media composer if they don´t offer it really cheap for us! And I love the Chrome XE it works great with more users in network and one projekt so no need know! A different codec for digitizing HD footage would be the only one YUV uncompressed needs a lot of space any possibilities there?

 

Last question then what is with the support do the stop it after  version 7.5

 

cheers thanks manu
 

The Mojo DX box is I/O as far as I know.  You can still color correct with Mojo DX.  The Mojo DX is like the Xena LHE board in the fact that it pumps out everything MC can do.  The software is the same no matter what hardware option you get.  Sort of like how Liquid, Liquid Pro and Liquid Chrome Xe all share the exact same software.

Yes there are cheaper systems out there.  Although FCP isn't exactly going to be cheap either.  If you switch to FCP you have to buy new systems.  Although even with all of that FCP is still cheaper then MC/ Mojo DX.  This is true.  You just have to ask yourself can you edit with FCP.  A lot of do but it may not be a great fit for you.  Premiere Pro is another cheap option and you can use your current systems and the Aja Xena LHE board.  Then again Premiere isn't perfect either and it may not be a great fit for you.

Since the current MC discount isn't going to save you a whole lot of money in comparison to how much you will have to overall spend I highly suggest sticking with Xe for now.  If you enjoy using Xe now you will still enjoy it a few years from now.  In the mean time you can save up some money from producing work with your Xe systems and when and if they no longer function for you then you can decide to move to something else.  You could convert one system to a Premiere Pro system to try it out and see if it works for you.  At least that way you will still be able to use the Xena board.  If you do go the Premiere way you can look ino Cineform Prospect which allows you to capture 10 bit Cineform files through Premiere to save drive space.  This format is very nice and it only works with Aja boards for I/O in Premiere.  You can try a trial of both Premiere and Cineform Prospect and see how they work for you.  I feel your pain about the MC upgrade.  I really wished they were going to make MC work with 3d party boards so we could use our Xena boards.

So i got one MC 3 now and i can still say it´s a pain in the A?? because the function which they proudly prestens there dragand drop and formats in timline etc.

 has always been ther in my chrome also playback hd of more then two layers an different formats come one whats that the sound tool is still sh???t!

So all in all i´m not very happy about that!

We also got an fcp now which has the  mobile aja BOB nice little toy! Still final cuts audio mixdown is semi professional  you cant route one track to more then two channels!

which is definetly good to have you must double that track here !

 
So the codecs on the machines are great but why we can´t get that all for our chrome xe!

i´ve heared there is coming an version 8.0 of chrome xe what will be the benefitt on that we need that info´s urgent we have to work here hard and there are a lot of jobs in the end which can be killed here!

So Avid tell us the true where are we in your eyes with chrome xe  consumer or professionells?

 

cheer manu
 

I checked with engineering. There are currentley no plans to EOL Chrome XE. Nor to develop a Liquid 7.5 patch.

You can upgrade to Media Composer (software) and get a used Mojo.  Don't let those prices quoted scare you off.  Check eBay or any other place where used equipment is sold for used Mojos and you'll see what it will really cost.  I have just bought a used analog Mojo for less than the Liquid Pro BOB costs.  Check the Avid Media Composer forum for answers to specfic software and hardware questions.