New KONA simplifies 4K/UltraHD, HFR, deep color and HDR workflows with next-gen desktop video and audio I/O connectivity
At IBC 2018, AJA Video Systems debuted KONA 5, a new 8-lane PCIe 3.0 video and audio I/O card supporting 12G-SDI I/O and HDMI 2.0 monitoring/output for workstations or Thunderbolt 3-connected chassis. KONA 5 supports 4K/UltraHD and HD high frame rate, deep color and HDR workflows over a single cable. For developers, AJA’s SDK offers support for KONA 5 multi-channel 12G-SDI I/O, enabling multiple 4K streams of input or output.
KONA 5
The KONA 5 capture and output card is interoperable with standard creative tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and Avid Media Composer, leveraging AJA’s proven macOS and Windows drivers and application plug-ins. The card supports simultaneous capture with pass through monitoring when using 12G-SDI, and offers HDMI 2.0 output for connecting to the latest displays.
“With today’s audiences expecting the highest quality content, high resolution, high frame rate and deep color are quickly becoming the norm across broadcast and post productions workflows, prompting the need for faster, more efficient approaches,” shared Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “KONA 5 combines the flexibility of AJA’s popular Io 4K Plus into a desktop I/O solution with an even more powerful feature set.”
KONA 5 feature highlights include:
- 12G-SDI I/O and HDMI 2.0 monitoring/output for 4K, UltraHD, 2K, HD and SD with HFR support up to 4K 60p at YUV 10-bit 4:2:2 and support for RGB 12-bit 4:4:4 up to 4K 30p
- 4x bi-directional 12G-SDI ports and 1x Reference In, on robust HD-BNC connectors, with HD-BNC to full-sized BNC cables included
- 16-channel embedded audio on SDI, 8-channel embedded audio on HDMI
- 8-channel AES audio I/O, LTC I/O, and RS-422 serial control via supplied break-out cable
- 10-bit downstream keyer in hardware, supporting up to 4K resolution
- Compatibility with Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer, Telestream Wirecast, AJA Control Room and more
- AJA SDK compatibility, offering advanced features including multi-channel 4K I/O
- Three year international warranty
Desktop Software v15 for KONA, Io and T-TAP
AJA Desktop Software v15 introduces the power of KONA 5 to creative applications from Adobe, Apple, Avid and others. The release also includes new AJA Control Room full-screen playback and host system audio monitoring. KONA HDMI customers can now use the system audio output and full screen playback to monitor audio and picture from incoming HDMI sources without the need for a separate output device.
Media assets may now also be previewed in AJA Control Room with a computer monitor and speakers, without AJA hardware attached. This enables facilities to use the free macOS, Windows, or Linux application as a stand-alone professional software player for high-quality media up to 4K resolution. Other new features include per-port audio input channel settings in AJA Control Panel, valuable for switching and multi-channel capture workflows, and numerous KONA, Io and T-TAP product enhancements.
Pricing and Availability
KONA 5 is available for order through AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $2995 US MSRP and will ship this fall. Desktop Software v15 will be available this fall as a free download from AJA’s support page. For more information, visit: www.aja.com/products/kona-5.
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About AJA Video Systems, Inc.
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high quality, cost effective products to the professional broadcast, video and postproduction markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website at www.aja.com.