I am looking for a breakout box that will not break my bank, it need to have XLR in, RCA in, BNC in and any othe that comes with

for those specific requirements then the Matrox MXO2 LE is probably your best option, and its very afordable
HDMI, SDI, and analog I/O for the Mac - Matrox MXO2 LE (http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mxo2_le/)

and the MAX version (MXO2 LE MAX) is an absolute killer of a product if you have any kind of need to create H264 deliverables


a couple of others to look at:

AJA's IoExpress with a very similar line of video I/O's although no XLR I/O nor RCA audio in
Io Express - AJA Video - Serial Digital Video Interface and Conversion (http://www.aja.com/products/io/io-express.php)

and new kid on the block, and certainly one to watch, the MOTU HDX-SDI
MOTU.com - HDX-SDI Overview (http://www.motu.com/video-products/hdx-sdi)

the Motu is looking very good indeed for its price point (and XLR<>TRS audio adaptors are easy to find)

I'd strongly recommend the Matrox vs. anything else. Here's why:

http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mac/mxo2_le/aja_io_express/

I've used it and can't believe how easy it is to setup and how well it actually works. And considering what it can do vs. the IOExpress it's definitely the better choice, hands down.

The MXO2 family of products is a great choice. If you do not need SDI, check out the MXO2 Mini for under $500!!

here is our MXO2 Family FAQ, loaded with useful info to better understand the MXO2 product line, features and benefits (including the MAX technology)

Videoguys Blog - Videoguys' FAQ: Matrox MXO2 Family of Products (http://www.videoguys.com/Guide/E/Videoguys+FAQ+Matrox+MXO2+Family+of+Products/0xed2e1ac833665213dad05e751614837f.aspx)

Gary

At the risk of "picking nits", you are looking for an I/O solution, not a breakout box - a breakout box is actually the box that connects to a capture card or other I/O solution to provide mounted audio, video and other connections. Breakout boxes solely simplify and organize the connections versus a multi connector cable or multipin connector on a card.

And of course, the Matrox IS an I/O solution.

Congrats Shaun ... is that a pocket protector you're wearing? ;-)

I want a Breakout Box, Not in I/O solution.

Well Johnny, I was on your side until about 10 seconds ago ... I understood pretty clearly that you wanted an external I/O "box" such as those mentioned above ... but if you are now saying you do NOT want an I/O solution at all and that you just want a "Breakout Box", then you're going to need to tell us exactly what you want to break-out from as you'll need to get one that is compatible with your existing I/O solution.

A breakout box takes connections that are in your computer and breaks them out to a box to make them more convenient. I suppose a USB hub is kind of a USB breakout box ... So you can add a breakout box to a device that is designed to take one. My venerable old Canopus RexRT had a breakout box -- the card resided in the computer, and the box was attached to the computer by a cable -- the I/O connections were then conveniently located in the breakout box. But a breakout box is just an addition to an I/O solution, not a solution in itself.

My pedantic addition of the day ...

Cheers,
GB

Congrats Shaun ... is that a pocket protector you're wearing? ;-)

Nope! Can't you see the ink stains from the leaky fountain pens?

BTW, I'm pretty anal retentive about nomenclature. It may seem like a small issue but when you do a LOT of purchasing without ever seeing your supplier, you begin to get specific.

Fountain pen eh? Old school :-)

Does the "box" need to be HD or can it be SD?
FireWire 800 connection, PCIe or Express34 card?
Do you just need analog component?

Is the budget above or below $1000?

You basically have 4 major players, some of the offerings are similar, each have their pros and cons. Some of the older offerings or used models may be the way to go if you do not need the current crop of HD-SDI and HDMI goodness.

Sorry for the delay, when I wrote my last response, I was in a bit of a hurry so I apologize.

The things I need from a breakout box are, I need to plug in RCA cables to receive image on NTSC monitor, BNC connector so I can View material on my Color Calibrated NTSC Monitor, and I would like to have XLR inputs & outputs for my Mackie mixer board.

I would like something that is relatively inexpensive, and that connect via firewire.

I already have a low end HDMI card on order but only to plug in from my D90's HDMI out.

Thanks again for all of you replies.

Johnny

Ok, now that you've explained most of what you need, you ARE talking about an I/O solution (you just won't be using the input side), not a breakout as you don't have anything TO breakout.

Are you editing SD material or do you need something that will do the downconvert to NTSC on BNC on the fly?

>I already have a low end HDMI card on order but only to plug in from my D90's HDMI out.

Too late now then, but an MXO2 Mini would have satisfied most all of your monitoring needs (no XLR audio output) and much more besides, including handling your HDMI input needs. For a little more, the new Motu HDX-SDI would offer everything you need but lacks the SD/HD scaling options offered by the Mini.

>I would like something that is relatively inexpensive, and that connect via firewire.

If it needs to be firewire then the AJA Io or Io LA might be be suitable for your needs, so long as those needs are for SD only: http://www.aja.com/pdf/Io_Line.pdf

If by firewire you mean you are outputting as DV and want the ability to convert that output to something more broadcast monitoring friendly then you should maybe look at Grass Valley's (was Canopus) ADVC700: ADVC700 | Grass Valley (http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc700)

If your needs are for SD and HD monitoring and you're not tied to the idea of firewire then you can look at the original Matrox MXO which attaches via the Mac's DVI output (although if you are willing to spring for the MXO then I'd think the MXO2 LE, the next step up from the MXO2 Mini, would be a better long term bet and you can simply shelf or return the HDMI input card you have on order)


Best
Andy

Just a sidebar on XLR outputs -- there is nothing special about the audio that comes through an XLR output, the advantage of the XLR connection is entirely revelaed in long cable runs. In fact you can have fifty feet of cable with XLR connections at each end and still use an XLR to RCA or even mini-jack convertor at the end with no loss of effect. So though XLR connections may be convenient if you already own the relevant cables, worst case you simply buy the appropriate connectors to make your current cabling work ... and if the cable run is under five feet, you aren't going to have problems anyway. Because the XLR connector delivers three wire balanced audio you gain that protection over the length of the three wire cable; two wire cable still delivers the same audio, but is prone to interference over long runs.

XLR connectors are used in a professional environment where long cables are frequently used, and where locking connectors offer a degree of security -- but a shorter cable run & some caution with pulling the connectors loose will see that there is no difference between 'XLR' audio and 'regular' audio.

Cheers,
Geoff