In a joint venture between Apple and AJA Video Systems, AJA’s Io HD natively supports Apple’s new ProRes 422 format announced during NAB 2007.
Io HD allows 10-bit, 4:2:2 full-resolution HD editing on the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro via its FireWire 800 (IEEE-1394) interface. The portable device, wrapped in a sleek design with an easy-to-carry handle, includes up-, down-, and cross-conversion, all at 10-bit, hardware-based quality. It’s designed for Apple’s new Final Cut Pro 6 for professional editing, and other QuickTime applications on Mac OS X for graphics, audio and digital content creation.
Io HD supports Apple’s latest codec, ProRes 422 and ProRes 422 HQ (see below), in 720 and 1080 HD- capture (compression) and playback (decompression) happen inside the Io HDbox.
Running on a new AJA-built driver, which is similar to the KONA driver, Io HD offers SD/HD analog inputs and outputs, SD/HD digital I/O including HD-SDI and HDMI, as well as RS-422, Genlock, Balanced analog and AES audio, and LTC timecode connections. According to AJA, Io HD will be available by the end of July of 2007. $3,495. www.aja.com