MOTU HDX-SDI (PCIe)

Add comprehensive, professional video capture and monitoring to your Mac or Windows computer with support for uncompressed HD and SD, Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD, and many other popular workflows.

The HDX-SDI driver installer with Avid support is now available for download. This updated software installer provides compatibility with (and is required for) the Media Composer 6 family of products.

Download Installer

With the blazing speed of PCI Express, the HDX-SDI video interface turns your Mac or PC desktop or laptop computer into a powerful HD/SD video production workstation equipped with all the I/O you need.

Connect any source, from SD camcorders to today's latest professional HD cameras, then log and capture HD or SD clips directly into your video editing software.

For the best-possible image quality, capture uncompressed video via HD-SDI or HDMI with 4:2:2 10-bit color depth and full-raster 1920x1080 HD resolution. Many cameras feed their uncompressed SDI, HDMI or component output directly from the camera's optics and imager, before compression, for absolutely pristine picture quality during capture with the HDX-SDI.

If you prefer to edit more conveniently at a lower data rate, use Apple ProRes, ProRes HQ, Avid DHxHD, or the codec of your choice in Avid Media Composer 6, Apple Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro. Because the HDX-SDI delivers 10-bit uncompressed video to the computer, you are not limited to a particular codec and are instead free to go with the host-based workflow of your choice, including many popular file-based formats now supported by today's video editing software.

By using a codec directly supported by your editing software, you eliminate unnecessary extra stages of compression and decompression for maximum CPU efficiency and smooth editing.

As you edit, monitor your timeline with pixel-for-pixel accuracy on a large plasma screen via digital HDMI output, with color-corrected balance on an LCD reference monitor via HD-SDI output, or with the real-world look of a consumer display via analog HD or SD component, composite or S-Video output.

Capture and monitor up to 16 channels of audio (analog, AES/EBU or embedded) at sample rates up to 96 kHz. Employ Sony 9-pin machine control for advanced Batch Capture and Edit to Tape operations. Keep everything frame-accurate using time code and video reference.

For high-performance desktop operation, the HDX-SDI provides PCI Express card connectivity for today's ultra-fast, multi-core Mac and PC towers. Need to go mobile? The HDX-SDI is also available with an ExpressCard adapter for any current-generation Mac or Windows laptop equipped with an ExpressCard slot.

From initial capture to final finishing, the HDX-SDI delivers exceptional video I/O performance and quality

Uncompressed

With the blazing speed of PCI Express, the HDX-SDI delivers broadcast-quality 10-bit 4:2:2 uncompressed video to Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.

If you absolutely require the best possible image quality, uncompressed is the way to go, and the HDX-SDI delivers pristine uncompressed quality to your computer desktop.

Or, to work more efficiently, you can choose one of many popular compressed video formats now supported by Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro.

ProRes

With Final Cut Pro, the HDX-SDI provides full-raster 1920 x 1080 (or 1280 x 720) HD capture and playback using Apple's ProRes 422 codec in both standard and HQ modes. You can ingest an uncompressed SDI or component HD source and then capture and edit in ProRes while monitoring your ProRes timeline in HD or SD. The HDX-SDI is the ideal all-in-one video capture solution for your Apple ProRes workflow.

Red

If you are shooting with a Red camera and editing in Final Cut Pro, you may also have chosen to use ProRes as your digital intermediate format. If so, the HDX-SDI provides an economical solution for multi-format monitoring via ProRes. Just choose the HDX-SDI as your output device and go.

XD Cam EX

The Sony PMW-EX1 camera captures stunning full-raster 1080 XDCAM EX footage. Import your XDCAM clips and monitor them via the HDX-SDI with no transcoding needed, thanks to Final Cut Pro's native support for the XDCAM format.

Alternatively, you can ingest material via the HDX-SDI's HD-SDI input to capture, monitor and edit your full-raster EX1 material as ProRes clips with stunning quality in Final Cut Pro.

AVCHD

Panasonic's latest generation cameras capture stunning full-raster 1080 AVCHD footage. Import your AVCHD clips into Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and monitor them via the HDX-SDI with no transcoding needed, thanks to Premiere's native support for the AVCHD format.

Alternatively, you can ingest material via the HDX-SDI's HD-SDI input to capture, monitor and edit your full-raster camera output in Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro using the video codec of your choice, such as ProRes or DVCProHD.

DVCProHD/P2

The HDX-SDI fully supports the native P2HD support in both Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro. You can import P2 clips and then monitor in HD and SD immediately, without the need to transcode first. Ingest any source directly into your timeline as DVCProHD.


HDV

HDV presents challenges when it comes to native editing. Overcome them by capturing your HDV footage with the HDX-SDI via SDI or component as ProRes or DVCProHD. Then edit with intra-frame speed and stunning 10-bit 4:2:2 quality that holds up during compositing. Deliver in any broadcast quality format you wish.

SD

Are you working mainly in SD? The HDX-SDI lets you capture and play 10-bit uncompressed SD (NTSC or PAL) in all formats (SDI, HDMI, component, composite and S-Video). The HDX-SDI serves as a complete I/O solution for any SD workflow.

When you are ready to make the jump to HD, the HDX-SDI allows you to begin work immediately, with HD capture and monitoring via HD-SDI, HDMI or HD component.

Just connect your HD monitor and HD deck, and you are ready to go.

HDX-SDI for Avid
Media Composer, Symphony, and NewsCutter
Avid certified

Thanks to Avid's new Open I/O SDK, the HDX-SDI is compatible with - and fully certified for - Media Composer 6, Symphony 6, and NewsCutter 10.

The HDX-SDI delivers uncompressed, full-raster 1080/720 HD or SD video to and from the computer, allowing you to capture and play HD/SD material using any video format supported by Media Composer and Avid Media Access, such as XDCAM, DNxHD, and ProRes.

The HDX-SDI driver installer with Avid support is now available for download. This updated software installer provides compatibility with (and is required for) the Media Composer 6 family of products.

Download Installer

Ingest any uncompressed SDI, HDMI, or component HD source and then capture and edit in your Avid-supported codec of choice, while monitoring your Media Composer timeline on external SDI, HDMI and/or component monitors. The HDX-SDI delivers unmatched multi-channel audio I/O features to cover a wide range of audio capture and playback workflows.

The HDX-SDI is the ideal economical, all-in-one video capture and monitoring solution for Avid Media Composer workflows.
Fully qualified for Media Composer

MOTU and Avid have worked closely together to deliver seamless setup and operation for the HDX-SDI with Media Composer using the new Open I/O features in Version 6.

For a summary of supported features, read this Avid-supplied Hardware I/O Capabilities matrix.

For a summary of supported computer systems, refer to Avid's Media Composer 6.0 qualified systems. The HDX-SDI is compatible with Avid-certified systems. Also refer to Avid's configuration guides.
HDX-SDI / Avid feature highlights

- Mac/Win Comprehensive HD/SD video capture and monitoring - provides HD and SD capture and playback in all standard SD and HD video formats up to and including 1080p30 (720p, 1080i, 1080p & 1080PsF) for any Avid-qualified PCI- or ExpressCard-equipped computer.
- Captures and plays uncompressed HD and SD - 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth and 1920x1080 resolution.
- Tower or laptop operation - connects to an Avid-qualified Mac or PC tower via PCI Express for ultra-fast workstation use, or connects to a laptop via ExpressCard connectivity for mobile operation.
- HDMI capture and monitoring - provides both HDMI in and out.
- RS-422 device control - the HDX-SDI takes advantage of Media Composer's device control features via RS-422 9-pin device control for Digital Cut and Batch Capture operations.
- ASC CDL color grading - provides flexible, industry-standard color adjustment with separate settings for capture and playback.
- Comprehensive audio I/O - capture or monitor up to 16 channels of audio via any two 8-channel banks of TRS analog, AES/EBU digital or embedded (SDI or HDMI) at sample rates up to 96kHz.
- Rack mountable form factor - professional rack-mount operation, or remove the rack-mount brackets for convenient desktop use.

Final Cut Pro
Apple ProRes 422 standard and HQ

The HDX-SDI supports full-raster 1920 x 1080 HD capture and playback using Apple's ProRes 422 codec in both standard and HQ modes. Ingest any uncompressed SDI or component HD source and then capture and edit in ProRes while monitoring your ProRes timeline.

The HDX-SDI is the ideal all-in-one video capture solution for your Apple ProRes workflow.

Other workflows

Because it delivers uncompressed HD and SD video to and from the computer, the HDX-SDI also allows you to capture and play HD material using any full-raster video format supported by Final Cut Pro, such as XDCAM.

Designed for Final Cut Pro

Using the HDX-SDI with Final Cut Pro couldn't be easier. The HDX-SDI software installer provides Easy Setup presets, Sequence presets, Capture presets and Device Control presets to get you going quickly. In minutes, you'll be ready to log and capture, edit and monitor your project material.

Device control

The HDX-SDI takes full advantage of Final Cut Pro's device control features via Sony 9-pin device control for batch capture, print to video and edit to tape operations.

Audio I/O

The HDX-SDI provides up to 16 simultaneous channels of audio capture and playback with Final Cut Pro in any of three supported audio formats: analog, AES/EBU digital, and embedded (SDI and HDMI).

Premiere Pro

The HDX-SDI represents a comprehensive and versatile I/O solution for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 on Windows. No other capture device offers such extensive video I/O connectivity for both PC towers and PC laptops.

Choose your workflow

The HDX-SDI allows you to capture any video source, either SD or HD, in a variety of formats, including uncompressed HD, uncompressed SD (standard AVI clips), DVCPro25, DVCPro50 and DVCProHD.

Take Premiere Pro on the road

The HDX-SDI is available for purchase with an ExpressCard34 adapter for connection to any ExpressCard-equipped PC laptop computer. The ExpressCard adapter handles video with the same speed and bandwidth as the PCI card adapter for tower computers, so you get as much video I/O performance as your laptop's CPU and storage performance allows.

PCI tower operation

The HDX-SDI connects to a Mac or Windows tower via the included PCI Express card, but it is also available with an ExpressCard adapter for laptops.

For high-performance desktop operation, the HDX-SDI provides PCI Express card connectivity for today's ultra-fast, multi-core Mac and PC towers.

Laptop operation

Are you thinking about doing field capture with a laptop, or editing on the go with a laptop-based system? The HDX-SDI connects to a Mac or PC notebook via an included ExpressCard adapter, but it is also available with a PCI Express card for operation with today's ultra-fast multi-core Mac and Windows towers.

Most current-generation high-performance PC laptops, including Apple MacBook Pro computers, are equipped with ExpressCard slots. On these portable systems, the HDX-SDI gives you broadcast-quality capture and monitoring. With the enormous performance gains seen in laptop technology, these compact computers are now powerful enough to easily capture and play back both HD and uncompressed SD video. You can essentially build a complete capture/edit system that fits in a backpack.

There's another major benefit for using ExpressCard connectivity to a laptop for video I/O: doing so frees up the FireWire port on your laptop for professional-grade video storage solutions, which offer enough storage space and access speed to support the most demanding HD and uncompressed SD workflows.