Finishing Up
Compiling and editing my project was a dream. I used video, titles, composited graphics and a huge array of the Matrox 2D and 3D DVEs. I could watch the transitions and titles appear in real time, and arrange and rearrange my clips without ever having to re-render the scene. Somebody pinch me!

Once you finish your project, there are various ways to get it out to tape. If you're going out analog, you can easily play back in real time directly from the Premiere Timeline. Simply connect your recording device to the composite or S-Video output of the breakout box, choose Project>Preview from the Premiere pull down menu, hit record and play directly to tape.

To output a DV project through the 1394 cable to your DV device is a tad slower. You first have to choose the File>Export>Export To Tape command within Premiere. The Matrox software then does an analysis of your project. An edit that’s cuts-only without effects will play out in real time, but if you do have effects and transitions, the software compiles just the effects sections. Once these are compiled, the hardware will play out the entire project in DV format. The overall time in printing to DV depends on the amount of effects and transitions. We can confirm Matrox's claim that a 10 minute timeline that consists of 8 minutes of cuts-only video plus 2 minutes of video with effects can be output in 15 minutes (1.5 times real time). However, it doesn't matter whether your timeline is MPEG-2 clips or DV clips, when you play back the timeline, analog output (using the S-Video or composite output) will always be real time.

There are also other presets, like MPEG-1, RealVideo, Windows Media (formerly-known as Netshow ASF) and QuickTime if you're going to output your project to something other than tape (multimedia, web pages, etc.)

Matrox also includes software to whet your creative appetite: Ulead Cool 3D for 3D titles and graphics, Sonic Foundry Acid for the creation of original music (satisfying the Fatboy Slim in all of us) and Sonic Solutions DVDit! LE, which lets you create simple, but effective DVD projects incorporating preset backgrounds, buttons and video you’ve captured and edited.

Overall the Matrox RT2000 is a desktop editor’s dream come true, giving you the ability to capture and edit full screen, broadcast quality video and audio without the burden of effects and transition rendering. So turn off the teapot and put down that feather duster, kids -- it’s time to get some "real time" work done!

Anthony Wood is an award winning producer, 3D graphic artist, screenwriter and actor. He's also one-half of the creative team behind Smoking Monkey Media; an upcoming website producing its own short films, animations and graphics. Contact him at smokemonk3d@hotmail.com.

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