MATROX at 50: from PC graphics cards to broadcast and live media gear
MATROX turns 50 in 2026. The company was founded on January 17, 1976 in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.
Back in the 1990s, MATROX was a pick for Windows PCs that cared about clean 2D output. The Millennium line targeted fast 2D acceleration and strong signal quality, the Millennium was called “the definitive 2D accelerator.”
Mystique arrived in 1996 as MATROX’s attempt at a combined 2D and 3D card. 2D stayed strong, but 3D image quality drew criticism, and key features such as bilinear filtering and alpha blending were missing at the time. For gaming, 3dfx set the pace in that era, so pairing a MATROX card for 2D with a Voodoo board for 3D was a common setup.
Pahelia & Mystique series, Source: MATROX
Parhelia-512 in 2002 tried to bring MATROX back into gaming with triple-display “Surround Gaming.” The multi-monitor angle was real, but overall 3D performance and timing did not line up with what ATI and NVIDIA shipped next, so Parhelia stayed niche and became the last major consumer push from MATROX.
Source: MATROX
Today, MATROX is a broadcast and live media supplier through Matrox Video, with products built around IP workflows such as ConvertIP and Maevex. On the graphics card side, MATROX’s latest LUMA cards use Intel Arc GPUs, aimed at multi-display deployments like signage and video walls.
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50 years strong. The future of video continues—with you.
For five decades, Matrox Video has supported the performance, reliability, and longevity you depend on. As video evolves, our commitment to helping you move forward stays the same.
Here’s to the next era. pic.twitter.com/mnD86LvD8u
— Matrox Video (@MatroxVideo) January 16, 2026
