Magnus - I tried this method but cannot open (have no application to open) the dmg. (there's two) files?

I cannot open FCP at all (and cannot quit FCP either) - if I can't revert to QT 7.4 then I'll try a reinstall of FCP first. Nightmare whatever is causing this - bang in the middle of a project with a deadline.

I am not trying to nail you guys while you're already down,
but I am sure you know these updates should never,
as in never,
be done while you are in the middle of a project.

Apple has an unfortunate track record in this area.

Sorry to hear of all the troubles...


David

Hi James and Simon.

Have Matrox now fixed the MXO so that it works with the latest QuickTime and FCP version?

Or are Matrox not fixing it at all and waiting for an FCP/QT upgrade instead?

To my knowledge there are work arounds but no actual fix as of yet for FCP. The problems include not being able to calibrate the monitor and not being able to use it as a preview monitor in FCP without tossing your preferences first. It still works fine with color and with after effects however.

Thanks, James. I'm thinking of getting an MXO soon and using it with Color. But if I'm not able to calibrate it in the first place ...

Perhaps hold off because I did the work around so you can calibrate and now my Color display is black and white. Honestly I think I'm going to sell my MXO and ACD and get the mxo 2 and a lcd tv.

Why are you upgrading QT?
 

Instead of asking if the latest version of QT is OK, why not first stop to ask "why should I consider upgrading QT?"

For those who are not readers of Shane Ross' Little Frog in High Def blog:

I strongly suggest you check out his recent post about Final Cut Pro and QuickTime Versions. Read it now, thank me later.

Thanks for the info, James. Very disappointing news about the MXO. It really seemed to be the best all-round monitoring solution (with an LCD screen). I'll keep my fingers crossed that they fix it in the next two weeks. In the meantime, I might look at an alternative like getting a colorimeter such as the Eye-One Display 2 and then procuring some software (perhaps cineSpace?) capable of making a 3-D LUT of my screen (and make one for an HD finish and another for PAL). Color, I've been led to believe, supports 3-D LUTs (although I'm still only wading through my early Color tutorials).

But the MXO really looks the easiest (which suits me 100%) and, as Matrox seem to be a relatively small company, I hope they'll be quicker to respond to changes that Apple make with their Pro Apps. After all, the MXO is an Apple-only product. Apple is right to keep on trying to improve FCP and QT and Matrox has to recognize this and strive to keep the MXO working with each improved QT and FCP version that comes out.

I can't revert back to 6.0.3 because of stupid FCP feature that doesn't let you open up "newer" projects. The MXO was exactly what I wanted but now it's nothing but trouble, it is just a thousand dollar paper weight at this point. I'd rather of sprang the extra 500 bucks and got a Kona LHe or Blackmagic with hdmi and got in and out. I personally think this is ridiculous since Matrox only makes these products for FCP. If they don't come up with a patch soon, with in a week or 2, I am contacting Matrox directly and asking for my money back.

I don't want to get in trouble for this but if anyone wants a matrox mxo let me know because I can't afford to just wait for Matrox.

P.S. After effects and Color no longer give out a color output so now no app works with the mxo.

Hi James.

The time has just about come to set up my own color correction solution and I was wondering how you went with the MXO. Did you get it working?

I noticed that someone posted a workaround on the Matrox forums of downgrading QT to 7.4.5 using a software solution called Pacifist (which is $20 shareware). Then calibrated the monitor with the Proc Amp set-up. Once the calibration was done, upgraded again to QT 7.5 to continue working with FCP 6.0.4.

Did you try something like this?

It is a disgrace that Matrox haven't updated the drivers yet. They've had over two months to rectify it. There are people out there who have bought brand new Macs with MXO's installed who cannot get it calibrated out of the box.

This smells of the one time it took Matrox three years to release an updated driver to fix one of their previous devices. Absolutely unforgivable.

older is better
 

The one thing to keep in mind about constantly updating your apps and sub-components is that you're risking this very scenario, that hardware or software won't be compatible.

When purchasing a stand-alone "boxed" edit system such as Avid, Quantel or others you'll notice that the installed software environment for sub-components such as QT are almost always several versions back from the "current" or recently released. That's because it takes a great deal of time to weed through all the potential compatibility issues that ensue with updated software.

The MXO lists the last compatible version of QT as being associated with OS 10.5.2 - NOT the current .4 version of the OS. They simply haven't had enough time to test the new environment.

It's illogical to assume that any third-party company to an Apple device or application can keep up with their own product development AND Apple's constant updates simultaneously. It takes a great deal of time and money to dedicate even just one person to conjure up every possible conflict a user might encounter - and then write the appropriate code for it.

If you want to guarantee compatibility or, be able to get support from the third-party company on issues then your software environment should match what they show as being supported, otherwise when you update beyond the manufacturers tested systems then you in fact become their un-paid system tester and they will learn from you - if you call in with problems.

The trouble is though Robert that in order for the latest FCP updates (which fixes bugs) to work, you have to have the latest QT version.

Further, as I pointed out there are NEW machines being sold with the MXO and the latest drivers that don't work! Given what you have said about compatibility those computers should not be sold. In fact the MXO should be taken off the market because it will not work with any new copy of FCP being bought at the present time.

In any case, this isn't a problem with compatibility with a version of Leopard. It is a problem with compatibility with QT. And the MXO guys have had more than long enough to sort it out. They are losing sales and existing customers, if their forums are anything to go by, like a ship with holes in it.

There is one conflict. The Procamp not working. It shouldn't take them two months to release a fix for this one single critical element. Otherwise they should take the MXO off the market because as I have pointed out they are selling new systems that do not work.

Are you saying that when someone purchases a new computer that they shouldn't expect it to work as expected? Can you imagine what this does to Matroxs reputation when someone first goes to set up the MXO on their new computer and the setup program keeps crashing? There are examples of this very thing happening on their forums.

QuickTime 7.5.5
 

Guinea Pig: I just downloaded and installed - we'll see how this goes.

Apple Compressor is already really messed up, despite OS reinstalls, FCS reinstalls. But, I'm hoping this will help.

The MXO bug should be fixed now.

Little Frog in High Def: MATROX MXO & QUICKTIME 7.5 DON'T MIX


-A