LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
SECTION 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

KNOW
ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby makes, constitutes and
appoints David L. Roland and Debra A. Addington, or either of them, as the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power and
authority as hereinafter described on behalf of and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned to:

(1)	prepare, execute, acknowledge,
deliver and file Forms 3, 4, and 5 (including any amendments thereto) with
respect to the securities of Input/Output, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission,
any national securities exchanges and the Company, as considered necessary
or advisable under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended from time to
time (the "Exchange Act");

(2)	seek or obtain, as the undersigned's
representative and on the undersigned's behalf, information on transactions
in the Company's securities from any third party, including brokers,
employee benefit plan administrators and trustees, and the undersigned
hereby authorizes any such person to release any such information to the
undersigned and approves and ratifies any such release of information; and


(3)	perform any and all other acts which in the discretion of such
attorney-in-fact are necessary or desirable for and on behalf of the
undersigned in connection with the foregoing.

The undersigned
acknowledges that:

(1)	this Power of Attorney authorizes, but does not
require, such attorney-in-fact to act in their discretion on information
provided to such attorney-in-fact without independent verification of such
information;

(2)	any documents prepared and/or executed by such
attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of
Attorney will be in such form and will contain such information and
disclosure as such attorney-in-fact, in his or her discretion, deems
necessary or desirable;

(3)	neither the Company nor such
attorney-in-fact assumes (i) any liability for the undersigned's
responsibility to comply with the requirement of the Exchange Act, (ii) any
liability of the undersigned for any failure to comply with such
requirements, or (iii) any obligation or liability of the undersigned for
profit disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; and


(4)	this Power of Attorney does not relieve the undersigned from
responsibility for compliance with the undersigned's obligations under the
Exchange Act, including without limitation the reporting requirements under
Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

The undersigned hereby gives and
grants the foregoing attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and
perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary or
appropriate to be done in and about the foregoing matters as fully to all
intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if present,
hereby ratifying all that such attorney-in-fact of, for and on behalf of
the undersigned, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this
Limited Power of Attorney.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full
force and effect until revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to such attorney-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed as of this
13th day of July, 2004.


/s/ Sam K. Smith
Signature

Sam K.
Smith
Print Name




STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF DALLAS

On
this 13th day of July, 2004, Sam K. Smith personally appeared before me,
and acknowledged that s/he executed the foregoing instrument for the
purposes
therein contained.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and official seal.


Yannick K. Warren
Notary Public


My Commission Expires: April 23, 2005