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Matrox
RT2000 MEGA Pack Preview by
A.Gerulaitis ...aka Version 2 of Matrox Video
Tools, is available for download to registered Matrox RT2000
users. RT2000 MEGA Pack
brings long-awaited features and improvements to RT2000. New
real-time FX include nicely done particles. 2D/3D DVE FX
that can now be keyframed and saved for future use. Windows
ME is now supported. Windows 2000 Pro - not yet, wait for
3.0. There is a new free Inscriber
TitleExpress: real-time customizable titling plug-in. You
will probably never look at Cool 3D again.
Direct capture
to MPEG-2 IBP
format for DVD authoring. RT2000-Da-Superman is now a
real-time MPEG Encoder, too. You can capture from your 1394 or
analog input - directly into DVD-compliant MPEG file. Mind
you, that not the real MPEG yet, but an AVI-wrapped MPEG which you
will then need to "unwrap" into a "real"
MPEG. And for that, use:
Matrox File
Converter utility.
AVI-to-MPEG and back. With a separate audio or
interleaved. An absolute must-have. If only it did ASF
(Windows Media) output.
Matrox Video
Player.
Full-frame full-motion resizable Matrox AVI playback. Just
double-click on it.
1394 hot-swap.
Connect/reconnect 1394 devices and look, Ma! - Premiere's still
alive!
4-channel DV
audio support.
Yes, it can capture all four channels simultaneously from
those DV devices that support 12-bit/32KHz 4-track audio. Does
it make it the only native DV NLE platform capable of that?
No, says Brandon Higa from Canopus: nearly all Canopus products
(besides EZDV), can capture all 4 channels in one pass, using their
own utilities or NLE software (Raptor Edit, Rex Edit) which are very
good. RT2000 is still the only one that does it in Premiere.
DVCPRO
support. Batch capture and print-to-tape using Panasonic's own
version of 1394.
Analog capture
using DV-1394 device control.
Great for low-res off-lining.
Among other
advertised improvements are: better A/V sync, stability, audio
scrubbing. Amen - we tested the previously not-too-happy JVC
DV decks BR-DV600U
and SR-DVS10U
and they work well now.
Gripes.
No dual processors since neither Windows 98 nor ME support multi-processing.
Until Windows 2000 Pro is supported (no NT), RT2000 will continue losing
some of its high-end customers to Pinnacle
DV500, Canopus DV Rex RT and the new Storm. Other than that, RT2000 remains
our favorite
DV editing platform packing a lot of features for under $1000
(street price).
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32x/8x/4x CD-RW (DVD-ROM optional)
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