So apart from being different sizes, what’s the difference between DNxIQ and DNxIV, and which applications are they best suited to?

Avid Artist | DNxIQ Avid Artist | DNxIV I/O 3G, 6G, 12G SDI 3G, 6G, 12G SDI SDI monitor output HDMI 2.0a HDMI 2.0b LTC In/Out LTC In/Out Device Control (RS-422) Device Control (RS-422) Audio Punch-In Audio Punch-In Composite / Component Connectors Audio Break-out Cable with 8 I/O AES/EBU, XLR Audio Reference Input/Internal Clock Optical Fiber SDI (video & audio) Form Factor Rack-mountable Desktop Host Connectivity Thunderbolt 3 Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Gen 3 Format Support SD, HD, UHD, 2K/4K DCI HD, UHD, 2K/4K DCI DNxHR Encoding Hardware encode Host CPU encode Miscellaneous Support for Davinci Resolve Universal Mastering LCD Panel on Front

There’s a simple reason for the DNxIQ being a bigger box – it has more extensive legacy connectivity, boasting banks of component and XLR connectors. Built-in encoding to Avid DNxHR allows you to edit massive 4K files with ease and you get real-time format and frame-rate conversion on output and playback, thanks to hardware-accelerated Universal Mastering.

In short, if you work with a wide range of older and newer equipment from different manufacturers, and desk real-estate is no issue, then the Avid Artist | DNxIQ is the workhorse for you.

The Avid Artist | DNxIV, on the other hand, is more portable, and much more a product of the digital age than a bridge to the analog one. It offers quad SDI and 8-channel surround sound monitoring, so it gives you 5.1 or 7.1 directly out of the box, as opposed to having to split it out of the HDMI or SDI signal, as you would have to do with the Avid | DNxIQ.

Whatever your production environment, whatever resolution you’re working in, there’s an Avid Artist interface for you.